Current Topics in Ecology and Evolution

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EEB 3894 Overview

Undergraduate Seminar at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, Fall, 2008
1 credit
Thursday 2:30-5pm
Bamford conference room (Torrey Life Sciences 171b)

Instructors: Tobias Landberg & Katherine Shaw

We will meet all the distinguished scientists on this semester's list of speakers. Student will be responsible for participating in each meeting. We will read at least one research article written by a different visiting scholar every week. After a half hour of discussion, we will meet the person behind the science and then hear them give an hour-long research seminar. This course is for undergraduate students interested in broadening their understanding of modern ecology and evolutionary biology by engaging in active discussion.

Grades will be calculated out of 140 points (10 points/week)

Attendance= 4 points/week Show up to discussion and attend seminar every week.

Participation= 4 points/week Ask questions, volunteer comments and engage in constructive discussion with peers and speaker.

1 page response paper= 2 points/week Typed, double-spaced response to the research article.

Leading one discussion= 10 points Pick research article for the discussion, summarize and focus discussion with peers.


Fall 2008 Seminars

(4:00PM in BPB 130 unless otherwise noted)

**POSTPONED** August 28, 2008 Storrs Olson (Smithsonian Institution) Bermuda: Avatar of Pulsating Evolution and Bellwether of Global Inundation

August 28, 2008 Chris Simon (UConn EEB) Systematics, Evolution, and Natural History: Lessons from Past Presidents and Cicadas

September 11, 2008 Laura Galloway (University of Virginia) Maternal effects: Parental care in plants?

September 18, 2008 Dov Sax (Brown University) An Evolutionary Null Model of Species Invasions & The Future of Species Extinctions on Islands

September 25, 2008 Janet Browne (Harvard University) 4:00PM in Dodd Center Darwin Lecture Series.

October 2, 2008 Daniel C. Dennett (Tufts University) 4:00PM in Dodd Center Darwin Lecture Series.

October 9, 2008 Erika Edwards (Brown University) How the cactus came to be

**CANCELLED** October 15, 2008 George Levine (Rutgers University) 4:00PM in Dodd Center Darwin Lecture Series.

October 16, 2008 J. B. Ruhl (Florida State University College of Law) 4:00PM in Dodd Center Teale Lecture Series. Ecosystem Services Science and Policy - A New Old Idea Finally Comes of Age

October 23, 2008 Gene Likens (Distinguished Research Professor (Visiting)) Salinization of an alpine lake from road salt

October 30, 2008 John Wiens (Stonybrook University) Integrating evolutionary biology and historical biogeography

November 5, 2008 Sandra Herbert (University of Maryland - Baltimore County) 4:00PM in Dodd Center Darwin Lecture Series.

November 13, 2008 Iolanda Ventura (University of Catholique de Louvain - Belgium) Book Culture and Experimental Science in Late Medieval Herbals

November 20, 2008 Julie Lockwood (Rutgers University) Propagule madness: definitions and null hypotheses in invasion ecology

December 3, 2008 Ian Tattersall (American Museum of Natural History) 4:00PM in Dodd Center Darwin Lecture Series.

EEB 3894 Semester Schedule

Date Seminar Speaker Presenter Discussion Paper
28 August Chris Simon Tobias & Kat None - Discuss Syllabus and Website
04 September Intro to Reading Scientific Articles Tobias & Kat Pdficon small.gif Jones, I.R. and E. Allen. 2002. Detection of large woody debris accumulations in old-growth forests using sonic wave collection. Transactions of the Important Tree Scientists 120(2): 201-209.
11 September Laura Galloway Kat Pdficon small.gif Galloway, L. F. 2005. Maternal effects provide phenotypic adaptation to local environmental conditions. New Phytologist 166: 93-100.

[Current Research Info] -- extras

18 September Dov Sax Scott Loescher Pdficon small.gif Sax, D.F. and J.H. Brown. 2000. The Paradox of Invasion. Global Ecology & Biogeography 9: 363-371.
25 September
(Darwin Lecture Series*)
Janet Browne Oluwasegun Lijofi Browne, J. 2001. Darwin in Caricature: A Study in the Popularisation and Dissemination of Evolution. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 145: 496-509. Click Link to Go to JSTOR and Download PDF
02 October
(Darwin Lecture Series*)
Daniel C. Dennett Anastasia Gussen Dennett, D. "Show Me The Science". The New York Times 28 Aug 2005: 1-4
09 October Erika Edwards Edwin Bolanos Pdficon small.gif Edwards, EJ & CJ Still. 2008. Climate, phylogeny and the ecological distribution of C4 grasses. Ecology Letters 11: 266-276.
16 October
(Teale Lecture Series*)
J.B. Ruhl Jess McShane Pdficon small.gif Ruhl, J. B. 2005. Ecosystem Services and the Common Law of "The Fragile Land System". Natural Resources and the Environment 20: 3-10.
Also read this link for background on the "common law of nuisance"
23 October Gene Likens Lauryn Kosturko Pdficon small.gif Kaushal, S.S. et al. 2005. Increased salinization of fresh water in the northeastern United States. PNAS 102: 13517-13520.
30 October John Wiens Beth Findley Pdficon small.gif Wiens, J. J., C. H. Graham, D. S. Moen, S. A. Smith, and T. W. Reeder. 2006. Evolutionary and ecological causes of the latitudinal diversity gradient in hylid frogs: treefrog trees unearth the roots of high tropical diversity. American Naturalist 168:579-596.
06 November
(Darwin Lecture Series*)
(Wednesday Seminar**)
Sandra Herbert Leslie Marker TBA
13 November Iolanda Ventura Rosalia Santana TBA
20 November Julie Lockwood Brittany Crowley TBA
27 November **Thanksgiving Recess** **No Class**
04 December
(Darwin Lecture Series*)
(Wednesday Seminar**)
Ian Tattersall Linda Quach TBA


* Seminars in the Darwin Lecture Series and Teale Lecture Series are held in the Konover Auditorium of the Dodd Center (near the Homer Babbidge Library).
** The department seminar will be held on Wednesday of this week. We will discuss a paper on Thursday, and students are encouraged to attend the seminar on Wednesday.