Seminar – Parental age effects and the evolution of senescence
Speaker Rob Laird, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge Abstract Senescence (‘aging’) is the progressive physiological deterioration in individuals, resulting in decreased survival and reproduction in advanced age classes. Evolutionary theories of senescence stem from the idea that the force of natural selection wanes with age—both because few individuals live …
Seminar – The ecology of fear: are we progressing towards predicting patterns in nature
Speaker Dr. David Kimbro, Associate Professor, Northeastern University, USA Abstract A significant amount of research has evaluated how predators can cause changes in prey traits (“fear” effects) that have substantial impacts on the prey, other species, and even ecosystem properties. In this talk, I will share how my laboratory has evaluated fear effects to demonstrate …
Seminar – Ecological consequences of plant genetic diversity
Speaker Associate Professor Randall Hughes, Northeastern University College of Science Abstract Evidence for the interplay between ecological and evolutionary processes is increasing, along with recognition of their potential importance for management and conservation. For example, trait divergence and genetic variation in key consumer and plant species can have far-reaching impacts on community and ecosystem …