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Human behaviour is studied on a multitude of scales; from the assignment of genes to traits, to looking at patterns on a worldwide scale. This event will see two experts, Professor Mark Thomas and Professor Jernej Ule, discuss how changes in humans can occur at vastly different scales.
The Origins of Modern Human Behaviour
Professor Mark Thomas
(University College London)
In human evolution modern behaviour appears over the last ~100,000 years and is marked by increased technological sophistication and the appearance of abstract and realistic art. Many causes have been proposed, including increased intelligence, language, social organization and climate variability, although none adequately explain the timing of this fundamental behavioural shift in different parts of the world. We will see how population density and connectivity affects the maintenance of knowledge and could have led to greater sophistication without any fundamental increase in intelligence.
Genome Invaders & the Curious Paths of Evolution
Professor Jernej Ule
(The Francis Crick Institute & UCL Institute of Neurology)
Transposable elements have been invading the genomes since the dawn of life. They make up about half of our genome and can cause many diseases. But do they also contribute to the evolution of new functions in our cells? This talk will discuss the ‘Alu elements’, which exist in over a million copies within the human genome. Join us for a tour of the ‘Alu elements’, one of the most recent immigrants in the primate genomes.
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