FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMING AFTER TODAY’S GROUNDBREAKING ANNOUNCEMENT OF A NEW SPECIES OF HUMAN RELATIVE
DISCOVERED IN SOUTH AFRICA, WORLD-RENOWNED PALEOANTHROPOLOGIST LEE BERGER TO MAKE PEROT MUSEUM HIS FIRST U.S. PUBLIC SPEAKING STOP SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Tickets now on sale for National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Berger’s lecture on Tuesday, Sept. 29,
in The Hoglund Foundation Theater, A National Geographic Experience
DALLAS (Sept. 10, 2015) – A major unearthing in the world of paleoanthropology was announced earlier today when National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence Dr. Lee Berger revealed the discovery of Homo naledi, a new species of human relative, in South Africa. Berger, in his first public-speaking stop in the U.S. since the announcement, will detail his historic findings during a lecture at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. in The Hoglund Foundation Theater, A National Geographic Experience. Tickets to the lecture, which is presented by Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., are now on sale at perotmuseum.org.
The new species, H. naledi, sheds light on the origins and diversity of the human genus. According to the research published in the journal eLife, H. naledi also appears to have intentionally deposited bodies of its dead in a remote cave chamber, a behavior previously thought limited to humans. Berger, research professor in the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, led the expeditions that recovered the fossils. The Rising Star expedition involved an international team of scientists, including the six “underground astronauts” who descended into the Dinaledi chamber to excavate and retrieve the fossils. The team of “underground astronauts” removed more than 1,500 bones belonging to at least 15 individuals – exceeding any other human ancestor site in Africa.
An award-winning researcher, explorer, author, paleoanthropologist and speaker, Berger is the recipient of the National Geographic Society’s first Prize for Research and Exploration and the Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award. As author of more than 200 scholarly and popular books, he has been featured three times on the cover of Science magazine, and his work has been named one of the top 100 science stories of the year by Time, Scientific American and Discover Magazine on numerous occasions.
Tickets to the lecture are $25 for Museum members and $30 for non-members. Visitors, including members, are strongly encouraged to purchase/reserve tickets in advance from their smart phones or computers.
General parking and handicap parking is available in the main Museum parking lot, a pay-to-exit lot located under Woodall Rodgers Freeway across from the Museum. Limited additional handicap and Hybrid/electric vehicle parking is available in the Special Permit lot, located directly west of the Museum. Pricing is $8 per car when paid on-site and $3 for Museum members.
The Perot Museum is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas, Texas. For tickets and more information, visit perotmuseum.org or call 214-428-5555.
###
About the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. A top destination for North Texans and tourists alike, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a nonprofit educational organization located in the heart of Dallas, Texas, with campuses in Victory Park and Fair Park. With a mission to inspire minds through nature and science, the Perot Museum delivers exciting, engaging and innovative visitor and outreach experiences through its education, exhibition, and research and collections programming for children, students, teachers, families and life-long learners. The 180,000-square-foot facility in Victory Park opened in December 2012 and is now recognized as the symbolic gateway to the Dallas Arts District. The Museum features 11 permanent exhibit halls on five floors of public space; a children’s museum; a state-of-the art traveling exhibition hall; and The Hoglund Foundation Theater, a National Geographic Experience. Future scientists, mathematicians and engineers will find inspiration and enlightenment through breathtaking collections, interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations and vivid contextual displays that expose visitors to a hands-on world of ideas and concepts. Designed by 2005 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Thom Mayne and his firm Morphosis Architects, the Victory Park Museum has been lauded for its artistry and sustainability. To learn more, please visit perotmuseum.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Becky Mayad
work: 214-352-1881
cell: 214-697-7745
becky@mayadpr.com
The DPS is a group of professional and amateur paleontologists that want to exchange information, interact, and continue their education in paleontology. We meet once a month on the second Wednesday evening of the month at Brookhaven College, Building H.
