Boston Flora

Tag: coevolution

  • Tuesday, May 8, 7:30 pm – Herbivorous Insects: Studies in the Evolution of Diversity

    The public is invited to attend the May meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club on Tuesday, May 8 at 7:30 pm at Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, MCZ 101 in Cambridge. Profesor Douglas J. Futuyma of Stony Brook University, Department of Ecology and Evolution, will discuss Herbivorous Insects: Studies in the Evolution of Diversity. Questions about coevolution, ecological specialization, speciation, evolutionary rates, and diversity apply to many or most organisms, but are dramatically exemplified by herbivorous insects, which together with their host plants account for nearly half the described species of living organisms. Professor Futuyma will recount highlights of field and laboratory studies that he and his students have pursued in trying to answer some of these questions, and he will offer some tentative answers, while yet emphasizing that puzzling problems remain. For more information visit http://entclub.org.

    Image result for douglas futuyma evolution

  • Monday, December 4, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm – Of Monarchs and Milkweed: A Story of Coevolution, Cultural History, and Conservation

    What if your host truly didn’t want you to visit? Found you intolerable, in fact, and didn’t want you to stay? You’d think that you’d be kicked out, but that isn’t the case with monarch butterflies and the common milkweed that supports their life cycle. Using striking visual imagery, evolutionary biologist Anurag Agrawal of Cornell University will speak about some of the natural history of monarchs and milkweed, the cultural importance of milkweed’s toxins, and the current predicament of monarch declines. The talk will be held in the Hunnewell Building of the Arnold Arboretum on Monday, December 4 at 7 pm. Dr. Agrawal is an award-winning scientist and educator, who has delved deeply into the coevolution of plants and animals. His book, Monarchs and Milkweed: A Migrating Butterfly, a Poisonous Plant, and Their Remarkable Story of Coevolution, will be available for purchase and signing. Fee: Free Arboretum member and student, $10 nonmember. Register at my.arboretum.harvard.edu or call 617-384-5277.