50 speakers in the Omni Theater are driven by 24,000 watts of power.
INAUGURAL MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS
“FIRST HUMANS OUT OF AFRICA”
By Dr. David O. Lordkipanidze
7:00 p.m. Thursday, February 18, 2010
The inaugural Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Lecture Series will feature Dr. David O. Lordkipanidze, Director General of the Georgian National Museum in the Republic of Georgia, on Feb. 18, 2010, at 7 p.m. in the Museum’s Oak Room. His lecture, entitled “First Humans out of Africa,” will highlight an extraordinary archaeological discovery: the first human out-of-Africa migration, based on his research and discoveries at the acclaimed Georgian archaeological site, Dmanisi.
The discoveries made by Dr. Lordkipanidze and his team are instrumental to unraveling the mystery of when the first human ancestors left Africa. Dmanisi, which lies at the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe, is one of the most significant, active archaeological sites in the world. Since 1991, four fossil ancestral human skeletons have been unearthed. These fossils show a mosaic of characteristics, primitive in skull and upper body skeletal features, but with modern human-like spines and lower limbs. Although the Dmanisi skeletons resemble Homo erectus, they are quite different from younger unearthed African Homo erectus specimens.
These fossils are pivotal in illuminating how early humans were first able to move out of Africa and adapt to new environments, climates and predators. Dmanisi will continue to astonish the scientific world with more discoveries and data in the future. “We still don’t know exactly what we have got here,” said Dr. Lordkipanidze. “We’re only beginning to describe the nature of the early Dmanisi population.”
Click here to learn more about Dr. David Lordkipanidze and Dmanisi site through a short video about his 2004 Rolex Award.
Tickets for “First Humans out of Africa” are $10 for adults and $5 for students, academia, children (3-12) and seniors (60+). Museum members get free admission to the lecture. Tickets can be purchased in advance through www.fortworthmuseum.org, by calling 817-255-9540, or in person at the Museum ticket office.
The Museum's Science and Lecture Series is Presented by
ABOUT DR. DAVID LORDKIPANIDZE
Ph.D., Department of Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 1992.
B.A., Department of Geography, Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, 1985.
Dr. Lordkipanidze is the first Director General of the Georgian National Museum in the Republic of Georgia. As director, Dr. Lordkipanidze oversees 10 major museums in the country and two research institutions. Dr. Lordkipanidze is best known for his initial discovery and continued involvement and leadership at the world famous archaeological site Dmanisi.
He is also the author of more than 100 published articles in scientific journals including: Nature, Science Magazine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America and Journals of Human Evolution.
Lordkipanidze is a foreign associate member of the National Academy of Sciences (US), corresponding member of the German Archaeological Institute, corresponding member of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences; member of the scientific committees of the Georgian National Science Foundation and the Foundation Duques de Soria (Spain), as well as a member of the European Cultural Parliament.
AWARDS AND HONORS
L`Ordre du Mérite (2006)
Rolex Award for Enterprise (2004)
Georgian National Prize for Science and Technology (2004)
Palmes Académiques (2002)
National Decoration of Georgia (2001)
Award from the Prince of Monaco (2001)
