Lectures

Within the thriller world, there are many sub-genres. Berry and Rollins have carved out their place by writing stories that mix history, science, secrets, conspiracy, international settings, action and adventure. As colleagues and friends, they discovered that while their concepts are similar, Rollins interlaces more science with a little history, while Berry delves into history adding only a dash of science. In this unique pairing, two of the most successful thriller writers in the business will discuss these similarities and differences, along with sharing stories of their research trips together – visiting such places as New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Norway, and even Disney World. And there was that time in Fiji when Berry saved Rollins from the sea snake.

In 1862, a shrunken head from the Amazon rainforest was presented to western scientists for the first time at a meeting of the Anthropological Society of Paris. Not surprisingly, as nothing like this was known in Europe, the head generated great interest. Museum researchers and explorers promptly set out in search of examples for their own collections. As genuine shrunken heads (tsantsas) made by the Jívaro Indians of Peru and Ecuador were relatively rare, enterprising artifact traders in South and Central America began making replicas to satisfy the growing demand. Some were actual human heads that had been stolen and clandestinely prepared; others were made from monkey heads or animal skin. The full variety of these genuine and falsified heads can be found in museum collections today. They document not only traditional head shrinking, but also creative attempts to falsify “the real thing.” John Verano, an anthropologist who has examined shrunken heads at various museums, will present an overview of this fascinating subject.

Recent advances in molecular genetics are radically changing ideas about the appearance of primates and the subsequent branching off of the major lineages. Previously, it was thought primates first appeared some 65 million years ago; now experts are proposing dates as far back as 80-90 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

The hazy image of our lineage provided by the fossil record is now coming into focus thanks to new molecular analytical techniques; researchers now have whole genome sequences representing at least one member of each major lineages and whole mitochondrial lineages of nearly every genus in the order Primates. It’s an exciting moment in the story of human and primates, as these data along with new analytical techniques suggest many divergences are more recent than traditionally thought.

Dr. Todd Disotell is a professor of anthropology and a molecular primatologist at New York University’s Center for the Study of Human Origins. Disotell, who has appeared on such popular television shows as “The Daily Show” and “MonsterQuest,” will discuss the use of molecular clocks and other contemporary analytical techniques and the exciting conclusions and questions they pose.