We are the paradoxical ape,
bipedal, naked, large brain,
long the master of fire,
tools, and language.
But still trying to understand ourselves.
Aware that death is inevitable,
yet filled with optimism.
We grow up slowly.
We hand down knowledge.
We empathize and deceive.
We shape the future from
our shared understanding of the past.
CARTA brings together experts from diverse disciplines to
exchange insights on who we are and how we got here.
An exploration made possible by
the generosity of humans like you.
Among the oldest questions that the humans have asked
ourselves, who are we?
What are we doing here? Where did
we come from? How did we get here?
Where are we going? Two of these questions,
where do we come from and how do we get here,
are now approachable in a scientific manner.
This constitutes what we call anthropogeny.
Explaining the origin of humans.
A comprehensive person, what it requires
the cooperation of, in
from all across many disciplines,
ranging from humanities all the way to
social sciences and all the ones in between.
A group of faculty at UCSD, and Salk,
and across the world have gotten together to form
a Center for Academic Research
and Training in Anthropogeny,
co-directed by myself, Rusty Gage,
Margaret Schoeninger, and
the Associate Director, Pascal Gagneux.
At this point, I'll hand over
the podium to Symposium Co-Chair,
Alyssa Crittenden, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Hello, my name is Alyssa Crittenden,
and I'm an Associate Professor of
Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
It is my pleasure to be co-chairing
today's symposium with Dr. Pascal Gagneux,
entitled Comparative Anthropogeny
from Molecules to Societies.
CARTA's Comparative Anthropogeny project
is dedicated to developing insights on
uniquely human features by comparing
humans and our closest
evolutionary cousins, the great apes.
These insights form the basis of CARTA's online resource,
the Matrix of Comparative Anthropogeny or MOCA,
and the planned NCBI/NLM
eBook, Comparative Anthropogeny.
Principal funding for
the Comparative Anthropogeny project and
this public symposium has been generously
provided by long-time CARTA supporter
: Annette Merle-Smith.
Additional support provided by CARTA patrons,
Ingrid Benirschke-Perkins and Gordon Perkins,
Eli Shefter and Elizabeth Lancaster,
as well as by CARTA friends:
Kathyln Furr, John Sterling,
and Donald and Caroline Stewart,
as well as many generous CARTA supporters like you.
With lasting gratitude to CARTA's founding sponsor,
the G Harold and Leila Y.
Mathers Charitable Foundation, New York.
With sincere gratitude to
CARTA's major sponsors: Annette Merle-Smith,
Nissi and Ajit Varki, and anonymous sponsors.
An additional thanks to
CARTA's benefactors and patrons that you see here.
Please become a CARTA supporter today.
Your contribution ensures that
CARTA symposia remained free and available to all.
With special thanks to CARTA staff: Lindsay Hunter,
Kate Kaya, Vishu Nandigam, Linda Nelson,
and Jesse Robie, and UCSD-TV: Matt Alioto,
Marci Bretts, Jay Brown, and Michael Weber.
Thank you for joining us and enjoy the program.