Valley’s ancient history next lecture at Merced College

Merced College’s lecture series continues Thursday with a talk focused on the Central Valley’s history 23 million years ago.

Physical sciences professor Robert Davies is set to present his lecture “Living Above the Fossil Zoo: 23 Million Years of Geologic History Under the Central Valley” as part of the 2014-15 Performance and Lecture Series at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Lesher Library’s room 111 at the college, 3600 M St.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Davies said the lecture will begin in the Central Valley during the Miocene Epoch, which began about 23 million years ago, when the whole area was under the ocean. As the lecture progresses, it will cover oysters “as large as basketballs,” as well as mammoths and camels.

“Come learn about the rich fossil heritage of our valley, and imagine a time when Merced looked much like the African Savannah,” he said in a news release.

The lecture will include a display of fossils, which the public can examine up close.

Davies has taught geology, astronomy and physical science at Merced College for nine years. His first love is the world of fossils and prehistoric life, according to a news release.

Davies completed his master’s thesis on the evolution and body structure of mammoths of the Pleistocene era, which began about 2.5 million years ago. He has also worked as a paleontologist and geologist for the past six years.

According to John Albano, the arts division dean, the Performance and Lecture Series is meant to provide “informative, enlightening and accessible cultural opportunities” for the people of Merced County and nearby areas.

The series is supported by a grant from the Merced College Foundation. All the events in the series are free and open to the public.

This year’s series will conclude after the final event at 7:30 p.m. April 18 in the Merced College Theater. That show is a production of an original theater piece, “In Search of Hallman,” written and directed by philosophy professor Lorraine Barnes.

For more information about the Performance and Lecture Series, call the Office of Public Affairs at (209) 381-6470.

This story was originally published March 9, 2015 at 12:45 PM with the headline "Valley’s ancient history next lecture at Merced College."