7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at the Holland Performing Arts Center

Donald C. Johanson is a professor and the Founding Director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University. Best known as the “Discoverer of Lucy,” Dr. Johanson has dedicated his professional career to excavating, understanding and explaining the fossil finds that explain human evolution. The long, complex – and still unfolding – story of human origins sheds light on who we are as a species today. He believes that, "We are an unprecedented and totally unanticipated species, and hopefully an awareness of the deep biological roots we share with one another and the rest of nature will point us in the direction of our best dreams rather than our worst nightmares."

The world-renowned paleoanthropologist has conducted field and laboratory research for the past 30 years. His field research in Africa and the Middle East has taken him to Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Tanzania and Ethiopia, where in 1974,just months after receiving his PhD from the University of Chicago, he discovered the 3.18 million year old hominid skeleton popularly known as "Lucy." In 1978, he shocked the scientific community with an assertion that the remains were not human – Homo sapiens – but belonged to another distinct species, which he named Australopithecus afarensis. Very recently, a report by Johanson and others was published in the journal Science showing that A. afarensis had a foot evolved to support a modern-human style of locomotion.

Dr. Johanson helps increase the understanding of human origins through his lecturing, writing and teaching. He has written the widely read "Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind" (with M. Edey, 1991) and numerous scientific and popular articles. His latest book is "Lucy's Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins" (with K. Wong, 2009). He has coauthored other books, including: Blueprints: Solving the Mystery of Evolution (with M. Edey, 1989), Lucy's Child: The Discovery of a Human Ancestor (with J. Shreeve, 1989)), Journey From the Dawn: Life With the World's First Family (with K. O'Farrell, 1990), Ancestors: In Search of Human Origins (with L. Johanson, B. Edgar, 1994) and From Lucy to Language (with B. Edgar, 1996)

Since 1980, Johanson has participated in the production of several documentary series. He appeared as the on-screen host of a 13-part series for Nature in 1982. In 1994, he narrated “Ancestors: In Search of Human Origins,” a companion NOVA television series seen by more than 100 million people worldwide.

He is an Honorary Board Member of the Explorers Club, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a member of many other professional organizations and recipient of several international prizes and awards. In 1975, Dr. Johanson was appointed curator of physical anthropology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and, beginning in 1976, developed a laboratory of physical anthropology that attracted scholars from all over the world.

Dr. Johanson received his Ph.D. in Physical Anthropology at the University of Chicago and attended the University of Illinois – Champaign-Urbana as an undergraduate. As a Professor of Anthropology, his career took him from Case Western University to Kent State to Stanford to Arizona State University.

The Holland Lecture Series seeks to bring timely and important views and ideas to the community. The views represented are the sole responsibility of the guest speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the First Unitarian Church of Omaha.

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