My name is Charles J. Vella, PhD and I am a neuropsychologist and an amateur human evolution enthusiast. I received my PhD in Psychology at UC Berkeley and I worked at Kaiser Hospital, Dept. of Psychiatry for 35 years as Chief Psychologist and Director of the Neuropsychology Service. I am an expert in most brain related psychological topics and do public lectures in this area. 

Since my retirement in 2009, I have been an active docent at the California Academy of Science, specializing in the area of human evolution.

I am not an paleontologist, but I have become an amateur expert in the field of human evolution.  

In the last 14 years, I have read extensively on most of the topics in human evolution, taken 8 online courses on this topic, and have taught a variety of docent classes in this area at the Academy. 

This course will  attempt to bring you up to date with all the major historical discoveries in human evolution research related to the evolution of Homo up to the present. 

It will include both the incredible history of discoveries (Peking Man, Neandertal, Denisovans, H. floresiensis, H. naledi); the major researchers (The Leakeys, Don Johanson, Tim White, Lee Berger).

There will be a review of all the major types of ancestral hominins in the Homo clade, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, Homo naledi, and Homo sapiens, etc.

Class 1  and 2 is a brief review of pre-Homo hominin evolution

Class 3 is a biographical history of the major historical figures in paleoanthropology, from 1960 to present. 

There will be a review of all the species belonging to Homo discovered between 1820 to present.

The next series of 2024 talks will continue to review new studies of  Paleogenetics, the history of ancient DNA discoveries; and new publications related to all aspects of human evolution. 

I will slowly be adding my Neandertal talks on YouTube.

Ongoing Monthly Sessions:

• 1: Feb 27, 2019 - Review of Pre-Homo evolution
• 2: Mar 27 - Review of Pre-Homo evolution 2
• 3: Apr 24 - A Historical Biographical Review of Paleoanthropology from 1960 to present
• 4: May 22 - Homo habilis
• 5: Jun 26 - Homo habilis  2
• 6: Jul 24 - Homo erectus 1
• 7: Aug 28 - Homo erectus 2
• 8: Sep 25-  Recent studies
• 9: Oct 23 - Homo heidelbergensis, Part I
• Nov 20 - No Class
• Dec 18 - No Class
• 10: Jan 22, 2020 - Homo heidelbergensis, Part II
• 11: Feb 26 - Homo neanderthalensis, Part I
• 12: Mar 25 -  No class
• 13: Apr 22 - Homo neanderthalensis, Part II: Morphology
• 14: May 27 -  Homo neanderthalensis, Part III: Debate over Neandertal Abilities
• 15: Jun 24 -  Homo neanderthalensis, Part IV: Neandertal Abilities 2
• 16: Jul 22 -  Homo neanderthalensis, Part V: Neandertal Healthcare and Demise
• 17: Sep 23 - Denisovans, Pt I: Studies from 2008 to 2013
• 18: Oct 21 - Denisovans, Pt II: Studies from 2013 to 2020 
• 19: Nov 18 - Homo floresiensis and Homo luzonensis
• 20: Dec 16 - Homo naledi Pt I 
• 21: Jan 27, 2021- Homo naledi Pt II
• 22 - Feb 24 -  Homo sapiens, Pt. Ia
• 23 - Mar 24 -  Homo sapiens, Pt. Ib
• 24 - Apr 21 -   Homo sapiens, Pt. II
• 25 - May 26 -  Homo sapiens, Pt. III
• 26 - June 23 - Homo sapiens, Pt. IV
• 27 - July 28 -  Homo sapiens, Pt. V
• 28 - August 25 - Brain Fitness 
• 29 - Sep 22  - Paleogenetics -  Part I
• 30 - Oct 20 (3rd Wed) -  Social Brain
• 31 - Nov 17 (3rd Wed) - Paleogenetics - Part II
  
• 32 - Jan 5, 2022- Paleogenetics - Part 3: aDNA and sequencing technologies
• 33 - Jan 26 - Paleogenetics - Part 4
• 34 - Feb 23 - Paleogenetics - Part 5
  
• 35 - Mar 23 - Paleogenetics - Part 6: History of Ancient Genetic Introgressions
• 36 - Apr 27 - Scientific Update, April 2022
• 37 - May 25 - Paleogenetics - Part 7: Modern Functional Consequences of Ancient Genetic Introgressions
• 38 - June 22 - Paleogenetics - Part 8: Unique genetics of Modern Humans
• 39 - July 27 -  Paleogentics - Part 9: David Reich & Ancient Population Genetics
• 40 - Aug 24 -  Paleogentics - Part 10: David Reich & Ancient Population Genetics
• 41 - Sep 28 -  Paleogentics - Part 11: David Reich & Ancient Population Genetics: Ghost lineages
• 42 - Oct 19 - (3rd Wed) - Paleogentics - Part 12: David Reich & Ancient Population Genetics: European Migrations
• 43 - Nov 16 - (3rd Wed) -  Scientific Update, Nov. 2022 - multiple new paleological studies
• 44 - Dec  21 - (3rd Wed) -  Paleogenetics - Part 13: David Reich: India and Asia
• 45 - Jan 25, 2023 - Paleogenetics - Part 14: David Reich: Americas
• 46 - Feb 22 - Scientific Update, Feb. 2023
• 47 - Feb 27 - Review of Discoveries in Human Evolution, 2000-2023, Pt. 1
  
• 48 - Mar 22 -  Scientific Update, March 2023
• 49 - MScientific Updates & Paleogenetics, Part 18, Africaar 27 - Review of Discoveries in Ancient DNA, 2000-2023, Pt. 1
• 50 - Apr 24 - Review of Discoveries in Ancient DNA, 2000-2023, Pt. 2
• 51 - Apr 26 - Paleogenetics - Part 15: David Reich: Americas, Pt. 2
• 52 - May 22 -  Review of Discoveries 2000-2023: Denisovans and Reimaging Neandertals, Pt. 1
• 53 - May 24 - Scientific Updates & Paleogenetics, Part 16, East Asia & Pacific
• 54 - June 26 - Review of Discoveries 2000-2023: Reimaging Neandertals, Pt. 2
• 55 - June 28 - Scientific Updates & Paleogenetics, Part 17, Africa
• 56 - July 24 - Review of Discoveries 2000-2023: Reimaging Neandertals, Pt. 3
• 57 - July 26 - New H. naledi Preprints Controversy
• 58 - Aug 23 - Scientific Updates, August 2023
• 59 - Aug 28 - Review of Discoveries 2000-2023: Reimaging Neandertals, Pt. 4
• 60 - Sep 25 - Reimaging Neandertals, Pt 5: Denoument of Neandertals: - final talk 
• 61 - Sep 27 - Paleogenticss 18: Africa
• 62 - Sep 27 - Scientific Updates, Sept 2023
• 63 - Oct 25 - Human Evolution Scientific Update, Oct 2023 
• 64 - Nov 29 - Reimaging Neandertals, Pt. 5: The Last Neanderthal by L. Slimak, 2023
• 65 - Jan 24, 2024- Ancient Earth: Geology, Biology, & Evolutuon, Part I
• 66 - Feb 28 - Ancient Earth, Part II & Scientific Update, Feb, 2024
• 67 - Mar 27 - Origins of Modern Humans, March, 2024
• 68 - Apr 24 - Scientific Updates, Apr 2024
• 69 - May 22 - Myths of Human Evolution, Pt. 1, May 2024
• 70 - May 22 - Scientific Updates, May 2024
• 71 - June 26 - Scientific Updates & Myths of Human Evolution, June 2024
• 72 - July 24 - Scientific Updates, July 2024
• 73 - Aug 26 - Scientific Updates, August 2024
• 74 - Sep 25 - Scientific Updates, September 2024
• 75 - Oct 23 - Scientific Updates, October 2024
• 76 - Nov 13 - Homo Naledi Controversies, Pt 1, November 13, 2024 
• 77 - Nov 20 - Homo Naledi Controversies, Pt 2, November 20, 2024
• 78 - Dec 18 - Scientific Updates, December 18, 2024