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San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, welcomes Dr. Tom Deméré to speak as part of the institution’s Casa Up Close lecture series on Thursday, March 7, 2019. Dr. Deméré is the Curator of Paleontology and Director of PaleoServices at the San Diego Natural History Museum, where he has been on staff since 1994.
Dr. Deméré will talk about his most exciting and noteworthy dig finds, including the discovery in 1992 of a 130,000-year-old mastodon dinosaur skeleton in San Diego County with bones that are believed to have been broken and sharpened with stones onsite by early humans. The discovery has rocked the scientific world, initiating conversations about the presence of human activity in the Americas. Previously, the oldest record of human activity in the area dated back only 15,000 years.
About Dr. Tom Deméré
Dr. Tom Deméré has worked as a professional paleontologist since 1974, first as a micropaleontologist in the petroleum industry and then as a paleontologist with the San Diego Natural History Museum involved with collecting, curating, and interpreting fossils.
Since 1994, Dr. Deméré has served as Curator of Paleontology and Director of PaleoServices. He is the author of numerous scientific and popular articles dealing with the paleontological history of southern California and the evolutionary history of marine mammals. Since 1981, Dr. Deméré has also worked as an environmental consultant to various planning firms, municipalities, and land development companies in southern California.
Dr. Deméré holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, a M.S. in geology from the University of Southern California, and a B.S. in geology from San Diego State University.
If you go: Casa Up Close: Dr. Tom Deméré, Paleontologist takes place at Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens on Thursday, March 7 at 7:00 PM in the Main Salon. Doors open at 6:30 PM, and a donation bar will serve wine and non-alcoholic refreshments. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for Casa members. Tickets are available online at CasaRomantica.org/Calendar, by telephone at (949) 498-2139, or in person at the administrative offices during public hours.
