BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION:
FACTS and THEORIES
Under the Patronage of
The Pontifical Council for Culture
Pontifical Gregorian University
3 to 7 March 2009
International Conference on
Biological Evolution: Facts and Theories
A Critical Appraisal 150 Years After "The Origin of Species"
Scientific Committee:
Francisco Ayala, Douglas Futuyma, Scott Gilbert,
Stuart Kauffman, Jean-Michel Maldamé o.p.,
Juergen Mittelstrass, Conway Morris, Philip Sloan, Massimo Stanzione
Organization Committee:
Coordinator: Marc Leclerc s.j.
Vice-Coordinators: Gennaro Auletta, Tomasz Trafny
Marilena Amerise, Valeria Ascheri, Paolo D’Ambrosio,
Saverio Forestiero, Ludovico Galleni, Rafael Martinez,
Gerald McKenny, Rafael Pascual, Pietro Ramellini, Massimo Stanzione
Executive Committee:
Marc Leclerc sj, Gennaro Auletta, Marilena Amerise
Secretary:
Francesca Affortunato
Supported by
a grant from the John Templenton Foundation
and a grant from the Associazione Scienza e Fede
Conference Program Tuesday 3 March 2009 10:00 a.m. Paleontological Evidences ( Wednesday 4 March 09:00 a.m. Evo-Devo (Scott Gilbert) Fourth Session: The Origin of Man Thursday 5 March Saturday 7 March
First Session: The Facts that we Know
09:00 a.m. Addresses of the Authorities
10:45 a.m. Bio-Molecular Evidences (Werner Arber)
11:25 a.m. Coffee Break
11:55 a.m. Taxonomic Issues (Douglas J. Futuyma)
12:35 p.m. Discussion
01:30 p.m. End of the Session and Lunch
Second Session: Evolutionary Mechanisms I
03:30 p.m. History of the Evolution Theories (Jean Gayon)
04:15 p.m. The Standard Theory (Francisco Ayala)
05:00 p.m. Tea Time
05:30 p.m. Symbiosis (Lynn Margulis)
06:15 p.m. The Speciation Problem (Jeffrey L. Feder)
07:00 p.m. Discussion
07:30 p.m. End of the Session and Dinner
Third Session: Evolutionary Mechanisms II
09:45 a.m. Complexity and Evolution (Stuart Kauffman)
10:25 a.m. Coffee Break
10:55 a.m. Evolution and Environment (Bob Ulanowicz)
11:35 a.m. (Stuart A. Newman)
12:15 p.m. Discussion
01.00 p.m. End of the Session and Lunch
03:00 p.m. History of the Research (Giorgio Manzi)
03:45 p.m. Molecular Approach (Olga Rickards, Gianfranco Biondi)
04:30 p.m. Tea Time
05:00 p.m. Palaeontological Approach (Yves Coppens)
05:45 p.m. Palaeontological Data (Fiorenzo Facchini)
06:30 p.m. Primatological Approach (Robin Dunbar)
07.15 p.m. Discussion
07.30 p.m. End of the Session and Dinner
Fifth Session: Some Anthropological Questions About Evolution
09:00 a.m. Some Palaeontological Attempts at Defining Humanity (Anne d'Ambricourt)
09:45 a.m. The Concept of Evolution as applied to the Development of Human Cultures (Lord Renfrew)
10:30 a.m. Coffee Break
11:00 a.m. Moving Towards Humankind? (Ludovico Galleni)
11:45 a.m. Some Philosophical Considerations on Human Emergence and En-Culturation (David S. Wilson)
12:30 p.m. Discussion
01:30 p.m. End of the Session and Lunch
Sixth Session: Philosophical Aspects of Evolution I
03:00 p.m. Philosophical Introduction (Juergen Mittelstrass)
03:45 p.m. Epistemological Problems of Evolution Theories (Dominique Lambert)
04:30 p.m. Tea Time
05:00 p.m. Philosophy and Biology (Elliott Sober)
05:45 p.m. Why Do We Not Get Rid of Teleological Principles? (Vittorio Hösle)
06:30 p.m. Discussion
07.30 p.m. End of the Session and Dinner
Friday 6 March
Seventh Session: Philosophical Aspects of Evolution II
09:00 a.m. Metaphysical Sense of Creation and Evolution (Card. Georges Cottier)
09:45 a.m. The Concept of Species (Philip Sloan)
10:30 a.m. Coffee Break
11:00 a.m. Philosophical Issues of Evolution Theory (Massimo Stanzione)
11:45 a.m. Historical Background of "Intelligent Design" (Ronald Numbers)
12:30 p.m. Discussion
01:00 p.m. End of the Session and Lunch
Eighth Session: Theological Aspects of Evolution I
03:00 p.m. The Theme of Creation in the Old Testament (André Wénin)
03:45 p.m. Theology and Evolution Theories (Jean-Michel Maldamé)
04:30 p.m. Tea Time
05:00 p.m. Creationism, "Intelligent Design" and Evolution (Jacques Arnauld)
05:45 p.m. Theological Vision of Evolution by Teilhard de Chardin (Georges Chantraine)
06:30 p.m. Discussion
07:30 p.m. End of the Session and Dinner
Ninth Session: Theological Aspects of Evolution II
03:00 p.m. Emergence and Finalism (Bill Stoeger)
03:45 p.m. The Church's Receptivity of Evolutionary Theories (
04:30 p.m. Tea Time
05:00 p.m. Theological Debate around Evolution (Robert Russell)
05:45 p.m. General Conclusions
07:30 p.m. End of the Conference
Speakers
Werner Arber; Jacques Arnould; Francisco Ayala;
Gianfranco Biondi; Georges Chantraine; Yves Coppens;
Card. Georges Cottier; Anne Dambricourt Malassé; Robin Dunbar;
Fiorenzo Facchini; Jeffrey L. Feder; Douglas J. Futuyma;
Ludovico Galleni; Jean Gayon; Scott Gilbert;
Vittorio HÖsle; Stuart Kauffman; Dominique Lambert;
Jean-Michel Maldamé; Giorgio Manzi; Lynn Margulis;
Rafael Martinez; Juergen Mittelstrass; Simon Conway Morris;
Stuart A. Newman; Ronald Numbers; Lord Renfrew;
Olga Rickards; Robert Russell; Philip Sloan;
Elliott Sober; Massimo Stanzione; Bill Stoeger;
Bob Ulanowicz; André Wénin; David S. Wilson; and others