Changes in climate, technology and culture have all been cited as underlying causes in the disappearance of European Neanderthals roughly between 40,000 and 27,000 years ago. A special symposium at the XVI INQUA Congress will examine the results of some of the latest efforts to analyze the evidence of these various influences on the extinction of these people. Specialists in various fields from the United States and Europe will presented the latest data and theories about the Neanderthal extinction. The symposium will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, July 30, in the Reno Hilton Conference Center.

Contact: Symposium Coordinator Dr. Lawrence Straus, University of New Mexico. lstraus@unm.edu Telephone through Tuesday, July 22: (W) 505- 277-6688 (H) 505-299-4871

Online link to Neanderthal Symposium session information: http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/inqu/finalprogram/session_3488.htm

About the Conference

Spanning about the last 2 million years of Earth’s history, the Quaternary Period was marked by dramatic and frequent changes in global climate. Warm interglacial periods alternated with cold ice ages. Today, the Earth is entering a time of unusually warm climate. Significant and potentially rapid environmental changes could pose major challenges for human habitation. The XVI Conference in Reno, Nev. July 23-30 will examine the latest research on many aspects of questions related to this period, and what they can reveal about the future.

Media Registration:

Advance Registration Closed. Contact Newsroom for Accreditation.

INQUA Onsite Newsroom Voice Line: 775-328-1553
INQUA Business and Media Fax Line: 775-328-1558

Individual Contacts:
John Doherty, DRI PIO: Cell: 775-722-4233 Email: doherty@dri.edu
Ron Kalb, DRI PIO: Cell: 702-498-8916 Email: kalb@dri.edu

INQUA Congress News Media Resources: http://inqua2003.dri.edu/Press/press.htm

INQUA Technical Program ONLINE: http://inqua2003.dri.edu/sci_program.htm

DRI is the host organization for the conference: http://www.dri.edu

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