March 15, 2001

Contact: Dan Merriam, Kansas Geological Survey, (785) 864-2127.

Paul Ehrlich to speak at KU on human evolution

LAWRENCE -- Paul Ehrlich, author of the influential 1968 book "The Population Bomb" and an alumnus of the University of Kansas, will make two public presentations in Lawrence on April 6 and 7. The presentations, free and open to the public, are part of the annual meeting of the Kansas Academy of Science.

Ehrlich will speak on human evolution at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 6, in 3140 Wescoe Hall on the KU campus. His most recent book is "Human Natures: Genes, Cultures and the Human Prospect," published by Island Press.

Ehrlich will also speak to Academy members about major issues in human nature at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 7, in Woodruff Auditorium at the Kansas Union. That presentation is also free and open to the public.

A professor of population studies and biological studies at Stanford University, Ehrlich earned a master's degree in entomology from KU in 1955 and a doctorate in biology from KU in 1957. At KU, Ehrlich studied evolutionary biology and the process by which insects develop resistance to DDT. He joined the Stanford faculty in 1959.

Ehrlich is a MacArthur Fellow, a member of the Board of Directors of the National Audubon Society, and founder and honorary president of Zero Population Growth.

The author of 37 books and more than 600 scientific and technical articles, Ehrlich is best known for "The Population Bomb," which sold three million copies and gained Ehrlich considerable public attention, including appearances on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. In the book, Ehrlich predicted worldwide overpopulation that would lead to massive famines. The book influenced a generation of environmentalists and helped lead to population control movements.

His most recent book focuses on anthropology, human evolution, and the role of culture and genetics in human behavior. A recent review in the scientific journal Nature called the book "a spirited, valuable and enjoyable contribution to an interdisciplinary understanding of our complex natures."

The Kansas Academy of Science was founded in 1868 and is among the oldest state scientific societies in the nation. Its membership consists of more than 300 scientists. In addition to the lectures by Ehrlich, the meeting includes technical sessions and field trips. A special symposium on Kansas paleontology will focus on research related to fossils in the state.