WHO: James Serpell
Director, Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society, and
Marie A. Moore Professor of Ethics & Animal Welfare
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine 

WHAT: Penn Science Café series lecture and discussion, “Why Did Early Humans Domesticate Wolves and Wildcats? A Novel Look at a Very Old Question”

WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 11, 6-7 p.m. 

WHERE: World Cafe Live Upstairs, 3025 Walnut St., Philadelphia 

The prevailing theory that the wild ancestors of dogs and cats gradually domesticated themselves by exploiting the ecological resources provided by early human villages relies on a number of erroneous assumptions. In this talk, Penn Vet’s James Serpell will take a critical look at these assumptions and suggest an alternative view: That the domestication of wolves, wildcats and many other domesticated species was actually a consequence of misplaced human parental behavior.

The talk is part of the Penn Science Café free public-lecture series presented by the School of Arts & Sciences and the Office of University Communications that takes science out of the lab for a night on the town. Serpell’s presentation will be followed by an audience Q&A. 

Café events are free and open to the public. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Seating is limited