December 2-4, 2019, Beijing 

FIRST CIRCULAR 

December 2, 2019 marks the 90th anniversary of the discovery of the first skullcap of Peking Man. Significant progress has been made in retrieving and studying human fossils and Paleolithic cultural remains from China and surrounding regions in recent years; notable advances in ancient DNA analysis have also been achieved in tracing the origin(s), dispersal and evolutionary history of anatomically modern humans across China. Research highlights in these fields have been published widely in top journals and become attracting the attention of the international academic community, the media and the public. 

To commemorate the 90^th anniversary of the discovery of the first skullcap of Peking Man and to further promote academic exchanges between scholars in various disciplines of Paleoanthropology and Paleolithic archaeology from China and other areas of the world, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IVPP) will host an International Symposium on Paleoanthropology on December 2-4, 2019 in Beijing, China. The symposium will consist of keynote sessions, regular sessions and discussions; and a mid-excursion to the site museum at Zhoukoudian will be organized. A field excursion (post symposium) to the Wanshouyan site in Sanming City, Fujian Province and the Fujian Tulou (inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008) is also scheduled. The organizing committee warmly invites colleagues and friends around the world to join the symposium. 

Issues concerning the symposium are hereby notified as follows: 

Ⅰ. Date: December 2-4, 2019 

Ⅱ. Theme: Environment changes and prehistoric human migration and interaction  

Ⅲ. Organizer: Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences;  

Co-organizer: the Site Museum at Zhoukoudian, the People’s Government of Sanming Municipality 

Ⅳ. Topics: 

1. Hominid origin in Asia and the skeletal and cultural evidence for the dispersal of Homo erectus across Eurasia and its chronological frameworks; 

3. Impact of environmental changes on human evolution, migration and population interactions. 

Ⅴ. Schedule: 

Dec 1, 2019: Registration, Xiyuan Hotel, Beijing 

Dec 2, 2019: Morning: Opening ceremony; Celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of IVPP; Plenary speeches; Afternoon: keynote sessions; 

Dec 3, 2019: Mid-Excursion to the site museum at Zhoukoudian; Ceremony in Commemoration of the 90th Anniversary of the Discovery of the First Skullcap of Peking Man 

Dec 4, 2019: Regular sessions and discussion. 

Ⅵ. Post-symposium excursion: 

Dec 5, 2019: Transfer to Sanming City, Fujian Province  

Dec 6, 2019: Morning: Forum on the Wanshouyan site; Afternoon: Visit the Paleolithic site and the museum; Evening: Panel discussion on the research, protection and utilization of the Wanshouyan site 

Dec 7, 2019: Visit the Fujian Tulou (inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008) 

Dec 8, 2019: Departure. 

Ⅶ. Abstracts and presentations 

1. All participants are invited to submit an abstract in English (within 1 A4 page) no later than October 20, 2019. The abstract should include: title, authors’ names (capitalized family names), affiliations and addresses, and the main-body of abstract.  

2. The symposium will organize both oral and poster presentations. The official language of the symposium is English and all presentations must be delivered in English. Multimedia facilities will be provided for the oral presentations; and a special area will be reserved for posters.   

Ⅷ. Expenses: 

1. Registration fee: The registration fee for regular participant is $400 per person ($200 for a student participant, upon the presentation of the certificate), which will cover meals during the conference period, conference kits, and mid-excursion. 

2. Accommodation: 

The secretariat has pre-reserved a number of rooms at the Xiyuan Hotel for those participating in the symposium. Please contact the hotel personally to make a reservation. 

Room rates at the Xiyuan Hotel: Twin room and Double room (one large bed) of the main building each is $90 per day. 

Hotel Contact: Chu Lin 13522573904; E-mail: chulin@xiyuanhotel.com.cn 

3. Post-symposium excursion: 

Transportation cost shall be paid personally, please book your tickets in advance. Other expenses during the field excursion period will be covered by the Sanming Municipal Government of China. 

Ⅸ. Contact: 

Xu Xin, Sun Dehui, Zhang Zhao 

Tel: 18801197622; 010-68354669; Fax: 010-68337001 

Email:conference@ivpp.ac.cn 

Address: Science and Technology Department, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xizhimenwai Street, Beijing (Postal Code: 100044) 

Persons interested in attending the symposium are kindly requested to fill in the First Circular Reply Form and return it to the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences by October 20, 2019. 

Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences 

March 3, 2019