The Minister of Science and Technology, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, will join South Africa's leading researcher on Devonian marginal marine ecosystems and early vertebrates (ancient fish and early tetrapods), Dr Robert Gess, for the announcement of a groundbreaking fossil discovery.

The announcement will take place at Wits University's Origins Centre in Johannesburg on Friday, 8 June.

Dr Gess is a member of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and National Research Foundation (NRF) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Palaeosciences.  The discovery will be published in the international journal Science.

Based at Wits, the DST-NRF CoE in Palaeosciences is the hub of groundbreaking multidisciplinary research that maps the history of life on Earth through the fossil record, while also exploring new fossil localities throughout Africa.  Research in these fields will ensure a better understanding of our common human origins.

The DST-NRF CoEs are physical or virtual research centres that concentrate excellence, capacity and resources, enabling researchers to collaborate across disciplines and institutions on long-term projects that are locally relevant and internationally competitive.  The DST-NRF CoE funding instrument was launched in 2004 with the establishment of seven CoEs.  Three new CoEs were established between 2009 and 2013, and a further five in 2014, bringing the current number of CoEs to 15 in total.

Details of the event:
Date:  Friday, 8 June 2018
Time:  12:30 for 13:00
Venue:  Origins Centre, Wits University, Braamfontein Campus East

For RSVP and enquiries, please contact Veronica Mohapeloa at 083 400 5750 or veronica.mohapeloa@dst.gov.za.

Issued by: Department of Science and Technology