As a part of its biology seminar series, the Department of Biological Sciences will host a virtual seminar on Feb. 12 to celebrate Darwin Day. All members of the campus community are welcome to attend. RSVPs are due by noon on Feb. 11 to
Kurtis Todd.Recent discoveries of COVID-19 variants, as well as concerns about the effectiveness of COVID vaccines to address viral mutations, have brought into heightened focus the concept of evolutionary biology introduced in the 1900s by Charles Robert Darwin. In the year 1831, Darwin left for a five-year survey voyage to study different types of animal and plant specimens all over the world. During this trip, he began crafting his theory of evolution and his views on natural selection. He published this theory 28 years later in one of the most important works in scientific literature, "On the Origin of Species."
Darwin's theory argued all life today comes from a single ancestor and all the diversity in the animal and plant kingdoms arise from evolutionary processes. These include genetic mutation, natural selection and extinction. This theory has been the foundation for many research and scientist discoveries to date, and thus Darwin's contribution as an evolutionary biologist is celebrated widely.
Liliana Dávalos, a professor of conservation at Stony Brook University, is the event's featured speaker and will provide a talk, “Diversity in the Skies: A Genomic Journey among Bats." Her research interests include molecular evolution, phylogenetics and tropical conservation. More information about Dávalos' research
is available online.
Darwin Day 2021 seminar
Friday, Feb. 12
2 p.m.
RSVP