Sociality - the suite of socially learned behaviors specific to a group of animals – is increasingly recognized as an integral strategy to the evolutionary ecology of many non-human animals. This is especially true in marine environments, where there are few barriers to dispersal, and top predators must find other ways to segregate and identify their niche space. In this hour I will share four examples of recent and ongoing research projects that incorporate the lens of sociality into our understanding of the evolutionary ecology of cetaceans.

Biodiversity is uneven both across geographic regions and branches of the tree of life. In this talk, I will explore one possible cause for this pattern: variation in the rate at which new species form. Using a data set from lizards and snakes, I will discuss the possible factors influencing speciation rate variation.

Note: this talk was not recorded at the request of the speaker.

Join us for our final seminar in the Spring 2023 Bio Grad Seminar Series! This June, Vaibhav Chhaya (Santana Lab) will be presenting his research report. Hosted by Andy Hempton.

Join us for our Spring 2023 Bio Grad Seminar Series! This May, Kaysee Arrowsmith (Brosi Lab), David Cuban (Rico-Guevara Lab), and Hayden Davis (Leache Lab) will be presenting their research reports. Hosted by Edú Guerra.

Therese Lamperty, PhD
"Investigating the effects of hunting-induced animal declines in the Amazon on plant population genetics: are the small-seeded plants affected too?"

Federico Marcello Tenedini, PhD
"Length dependent neurodegeneration is mediated by inflammatory cytokines"

Mugdha Sathe, PhD
"How do immune cells detect and respond to electric fields at the wound?"