Internationally known hominid evolution expert to speak March 5

David Frayer, professor of anthropology at the University of Kansas and a world-renowned expert on hominid evolution, will visit the University of Nebraska-Lincoln March 5-7. He will give a public lecture at 3 p.m. March 5 in the auditorium of the Nebraska Union, 1400 R streets. His presentation, "Fact and Fiction about Liang Bua: The 'Hobbits,'" is free and open to the public.

At 4 p.m. March 6, Frayer will meet with anthropology students in Oldfather 907 to answer questions on controversies in hominid evolution. A 3:30 p.m. lecture March 7 will emphasize a Neanderthal site, Krapina. The talk, to be held in 108 Bessey Hall, is titled "The Krapina Neanderthals: Evidence for Violence, Ritual and Language" and will explore paleo-anthropology, linguistics and the social anthropology of violence.

Frayer has authored more than 85 publications in academic journals and books, including the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Current Anthropology, Journal of Human Evolution, American Anthropologist, Science, and Nature. Throughout his 35-year career, Frayer has conducted research in Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Portugal, Israel, Eritrea and Thailand. Much of his work emphasizes Neanderthals, which are at the center of the debate regarding modern humans, dispersal from Africa, and whether Neanderthals are related to or separate from Homo sapiens. Frayer has documented the anatomy of Neanderthals, providing clues to the behavior and adaptation of this still-puzzling species.

Frayer's visit to Lincoln is sponsored by the UNL Research Council and the Department of Anthropology and Geography.

CONTACT: Mary Willis, Assoc. Professor, Anthropology, (402) 472-9677