Humans in the Natural World will be the subject of a presentation by Dr. Harry Wistrand, Professor of Biology, Emeritus, Agnes Scott College on January 11 at 9:30-10:45.  The talk/discussion is part of the environmental series being sponsored by Adult Spiritual Education and Peace and Social Concerns. Dr. Wistrand will .address questions such as Where did we come from?  Why do we possess certain traits?  Where do we fit in the universe and this planet?   These questions, and many others, have been posed by countless philosophers, theologians, cosmologists, biologists, and others for thousands of years.

Religious doctrine has often suppressed open scientific inquiry into these questions.  Charles Darwin delayed publication for over a decade of his pivotal book, On the Origin of Species, because he was fearful of the religious controversy it would generate.  Are humans a special creation or a very special species evolving like all other species on this planet?  Dr. Wistrand will try to summarize human evolution as it is understood today, the traits which distinguish us, and the traits we have in common with our closest relatives.  He hopes most of the session will consist of questions and discussion.