The Origin of Man: Scientific and Theological Perspectives

Author: Rafael Jordana and Juan Luis Lorda.
Date of publication: Pamplona, 21 October 2014.

Rafael Jordana is Full Professor Emeritus at the University of Navarra. He was Full Professor by civil service examination of the Chairs of Animal Physiology and Applied Zoology of the School of Sciences of the University of La Laguna in January 1971. He has been Full Professor of Zoology and Comparative Animal Physiology at the University of Navarra from October 1972 until his retirement.

Juan Luis Lorda is a Priest (1983), Industrial Engineer (1977) and Doctor in Theology (1982). Full Professor of Dogmatic Theology at the University of Navarra. Member of group of Research Science, Reason and Faith (CRYF).

summary : I will try to show that all the present fossils of the genus homo can be explained and are consistent with a species in evolution from about 2.5 MY ago to the present, i.e. an orthogenetism in morphological de-specialisation and cerebral specialisation (Intelligence) that I have already exposed in an article of 1988(The origin of man. Current state of paleoanthropological research). I will begin the presentation with two polemics between supporters of this position and supporters of multiple species coexisting in time.