Diagnosing the Lesula monkey with evolutionary biologist Dr. James Fuller.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose,
By any other name would smell as sweet.” – W. ‘Wild Willy’ Shakespeare

In a remote forest of Congo’s Lomami Basin region, researchers stumbled upon an odd looking monkey. This was not inherently remarkable, given that monkeys in rain forests are not uncommon and, alas, most are not classically handsome. To these experienced field biologists, however, this particular primate proved peculiar because it looked completely unfamiliar. Sharing photos of the mysterious monkey with experts around the world was little help, with most responses ranging from “What the hell is that?” to “I guess it looks kinda like …”
So, was this a “new” species? Certainly not to the local Mbole people who, for generations, had called the monkey Lesula. But to the scientific community, the lesula seemed to be an undiagnosed, undescribed unknown. But how does one go about confirming, definitively, that an organism is a distinct species with its own evolutionary trajectory?

AT THE AUGUST SALON, get to know the lesula with evolutionary biologist Dr. James Fuller and examine how new species arise and how we diagnose them. Dr. Fuller has investigated the behavior and evolution of African primates for nearly three decades, with field studies in Congo, Kenya, and Uganda. His research examines the evolution of social behavior, with a focus on vocal communication systems. James is a member of the New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, an adjunct professor at Columbia University as well as Mars Hill University, and is rumored to be involved with the Big Asheville Science Salon.

Doors: 5:00 PM. Explore interactive science models, have a drink with old friends, meet new ones, and get ready for some serious science in a seriously un-serious setting.
Presentation: 6:45. Then, stick around for Q&A, discussion, and general mingling.