World Summit on Evolution
Galapagos June 9, 2005
TENTATIVE PROGRAM
Day 1: Evolution from the origins of life to humans
Opening
8:45-9:00 Dr. Carlos Montufar (Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador)
Session I
Chair: Dr. Sun Weiguo (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, China)
9:00-9:45 Dr. Antonio Lazcano (Universidad Autónoma de México, Mexico): Origins of life
9:45-10:30 Dr. Mikhail Fedonkin (Paleontological Institute RAS, Russia): Evolution in the Archean and Proterozoic Eons
10:30-11:15 Dr. Richard Fortey (British Museum of Natural History, England): Recent evolution in the Phanerozoic Eon
11:15-12:00 Discussion
Commentators: Dr. William Schopf (University of California-Los Angeles, USA), Stefan Bengtson (Swedish Museum of Natural History, Sweden)
12:00-13:30 Lunch
Session II
Chair: Dr. Gabriel Trueba (Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador)
13:30-14:15 Dr. Peter Gogarten (University of Connecticut, USA): Bacteria and the genetic basis of evolution
14:15-15:00 Dr. Geoff McFadden (University of Melbourne, Australia): Protists and cellular phenomena in evolution
15:00-15:30 Discussion
Commentators: Dr. Margaret Riley (University of Massachusetts-Amherst, USA), Dr. Laura Katz (Smith College, USA)
15:30-16:00 Break
Session III
Chair: Dr. Diego Quiroga (Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador)
16:00-16:45 Dr. Timothy White (University of California-Berkeley, USA): Human paleontology record
16:45-17:30 Dr. L. Luca Cavalli-Sforza (Stanford University, USA): Molecular evolution of the human animal
17:30-18:00 Discussion
Commentators: Dr. Eudaldo Carbonell (Universitat Rovira i Virgil, Spain),
Day 2: Evidence for evolution
Session I
Chair: Dr. Carlos Valle (Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador)
9:00-9:45 Dr. Leticia Avilés (University of British Columbia, Canada): Levels of selection
9:45-10:30 Dr. Joan Roughgarden (Stanford University, USA): Sexual selection in animals
10:30-11:15 Drs. Peter and Rosemary Grant (Princeton University, USA): Evolution and ecology in the Galapagos
11:15-12:00 Discussion
Commentators: Dr. Trevor Price (University of Chicago, USA), Dr. Sean Rice (Yale University, USA), Dr. Patricia Gowaty (University of Georgia, USA)
12:00-13:30 Lunch
Session II
Chair: Dr. Maria de Lourdes Torres (USFQ)
13:30-14:15 Dr. Douglas Schemske (Michigan State University, USA): Microevolution in plant populations
14:15-15:00 Dr. Peter Stevens (Missouri Botanical Garden, USA): Systematics and diversity in plants
15:00-15:30 Discussion
Commentators: Dr. John Avise (University of Georgia, USA), Dr. Kevin de Queiroz (Smithsonian Institution, USA)
15:30-16:00 Break
Session III
Chair: Dr. Mary Jane West-Eberhard (Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica)
16:00-16:45 Dr. Gunter Wagner (Yale University, USA): Development as an evolutionary phenomenon in animals
16:45-17:30 Dr. Kenneth Wolfe (University of Dublin, Ireland): Fungi genomics and bioinformatics
17:30-18:00 Discussion
Commentators: Dr. Billie Swalla (University of Washington, USA), Dr. Masatoshi Nei (Pennsylvania State University, USA)
20:00-22:00 Student poster session
Day 3: Field Trip
Dr. Frank Sulloway (University of California-Berkeley, USA): Tour leader
Day 4: What is evolution?
Session I
Chair: Dr. David Wake (University of California-Berkeley, USA)
9:00-9:45 Dr. William Provine (Cornell University, USA): The history of evolutionary thought
9:45-10:30 Dr. Elisabeth Vrba (Yale University, USA): What can evolution and evolutionist do
10:30-11:15 Dr. Niles Eldredge (American Museum of Natural History) USA), Unsolved problems in evolution
11:15-12:00 Discussion
Commentators: Dr. Mary Winsor (University of Toronto, Canada), Dr. Bruce S. Lieberman (University of Kansas, USA), Dr. Douglas Futuyma (University of Michigan, USA)
12:00-13:30 Lunch
Mr Kremer, and Smithsonian, have you no shame!
May 28, 2005
Smithsonian to Screen a Movie That Makes a Case Against Evolution
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Fossils at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History have been used to prove the theory of evolution. Next month the museum will play host to a film intended to undercut evolution.
The Discovery Institute, a group in Seattle that supports an alternative theory, "intelligent design," is announcing on its Web site that it and the director of the museum "are happy to announce the national premiere and private evening reception" on June 23 for the movie, "The Privileged Planet: The Search for Purpose in the Universe."
The film is a documentary based on a 2004 book by Guillermo Gonzalez, an assistant professor of astronomy at Iowa State University, and Jay W. Richards, a vice president of the Discovery Institute, that makes the case for the hand of a creator in the design of Earth and the universe.
News of the Discovery Institute's announcement appeared on a blog maintained by Denyse O'Leary, a proponent of the intelligent design theory, who called it "a stunning development." But a museum spokesman, Randall Kremer, said the event should not be taken as support for the views expressed in the film. "It is incorrect for anyone to infer that we are somehow endorsing the video or the content of the video," he said.
The museum, he said, offers its Baird Auditorium to many organizations and corporations in return for contributions - in the case of the Discovery Institute, $16,000.
When the language of the Discovery Institute's Web site was read to him, with its suggestion of support, Mr. Kremer said, "We'll have to look into that."
He added, "We're happy to receive this contribution from the Discovery Institute to further our scientific research."
The president of the Discovery Institute, Bruce Chapman, said his organization approached the museum through its public relations company and the museum staff asked to see the film. "They said that they liked it very much - and not only would they have the event at the museum, but they said they would co-sponsor it," he recalled. "That was their suggestion. Of course we're delighted."
Mr. Kremer said he heard about the event only on Thursday. He added that staff members viewed the film before approving the event to make sure that it complied with the museum's policy, which states that "events of a religious or partisan political nature" are not permitted, along with personal events such as weddings, or fund-raisers, raffles and cash bars. It also states that "all events at the National Museum of Natural History are co-sponsored by the museum."
Evolution has become a major battleground in the culture wars, with bitter debates in legislatures and school boards, national parks and museums. Although Charles Darwin's theory is widely viewed as having been proved by fossil records and modern biological phenomena, it is challenged by those who say that it is flawed and that alternatives need to be taught.
When asked whether the announcement on the Discovery Institute's Web site meant to imply that the museum supports the film and the event, Mr. Chapman replied:
"We are not implying in any sense that they endorsed the content, but they are co-sponsoring it, and we are delighted. We're not claiming anything more than that. They certainly didn't say, 'We're really warming up to intelligent design, and therefore we're going to sponsor this.' "* Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company Home Privacy Policy Search Corrections RSS Help Contact Us Back to Top
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