Davis, California
August 5, 2008
Noted evolutionary biologist and
author Jared Diamond will deliver the opening keynote talk
during an international symposium on agricultural biodiversity
at UC Davis, to be held
Sept. 14-17, as part of the campus's yearlong centennial
celebration.
Diamond, a professor of geography at UCLA and author of the
books "Collapse" and "Guns, Germs and Steel," will discuss the
role that chance or destiny play in the local origins of
agriculture. His talk will be the opening address on Sept. 14
for Harlan II: An International Symposium on Biodiversity in
Agriculture: Domestication, Evolution and Sustainability.
Also presenting a keynote speech to the international gathering
of scientists will be Gary Nabhan, an ecologist and expert in
how different cultures use plants, as well as a pioneer of the
local food movement. Nabhan, a professor at the University of
Arizona's Southwest Center, will speak about the origins of food
diversity on Sept. 16, during the symposium gala.
The conference is expected to draw more than 200 researchers
with an interest in agricultural biodiversity -- the concept
that it is critically important to make use of and conserve a
variety of plant and animal species to maintain commercially
viable agricultural operations.
The symposium will be held on campus, featuring international
speakers who are at the forefront of their fields. Tours will
follow to agricultural sites near Davis and in Northern
California. The symposium is open to the public, but
pre-registration is required.
More information and registration is available online at <http://Harlanii.ucdavis.edu>.
The symposium is named in honor of the late evolutionary
biologist and plant explorer Jack R. Harlan. It is coordinated
by UC Davis' departments of Animal Science, Anthropology, Human
and Community Development, and Plant Sciences; as well as the UC
Genetic Resources Conservation Program of the Division of
Agriculture and Natural Resources, with guidance from an
international advisory committee. |
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