Why? To hear about ongoing research, get updates on BEACON events and policies, eat some yummy food, and hang out with your BEACON friends.
Who? All BEACON members, including those outside of MSU! (more info to follow for those teleconferencing in)
What? The first hour (3:30-4:30) is time for announcements, research talks and discussion. This first meeting, a handful of students and postdocs will give 5-minute “lightning talks” to update us all on their research – including students from each partner university who will present remotely.
The second hour (4:30-5:30) will be a “social hour,” and we will serve refreshments.
When: Every Friday afternoon, beginning October 29, 3:30-5:30 Eastern time
Where: BEACON Seminar Room, 1455A BPS, Michigan State University. Our partner universities are encouraged to videoconference in!
Weekly plan:
The theme of the weekly meeting will go through a rotation: the first week will be BEACON-wide, and the next three weeks will rotate through the three BEACON Thrust Groups (Genomes, Networks & Evolvability; Behavior & Intelligence; Ecological Communities & Collective Dynamics). All BEACON members are invited every week, but even if you cannot make the research talk, please join us for the social hour anyway!
We need presenters for these meetings! If you are interested or want to nominate someone from your group, please email Danielle Whittaker or Charles Ofria. Also let us know if you prefer lightning talk or a full session.
The latest edition of Current Biology has a very positive and extensive overview of Idelle Cooper’s research on the adaptive significance of a color dimorphism within female “Beautiful Hawaiian damselflies.” The overview is available here. It contrasts Charles Darwin’s view that differences between the sexes are probably the result of sexual (social) selection, with Alfred Russell Wallace’s view that they are probably the result of differences in ecological (viability) selection, and marks Cooper’s research as a significant contribution to the Wallace perspective. Cooper’s findings are consistent with Wallace’s view that, in this system at least, color differences represent local adaptations to differences in ecological selection by UV radiation. The red pigment in these damselflies has anti-oxidant, UV protective properties. Males, which defend sunny territories, and those females that have little shade in their environment are red. Females that can shelter in the shade, at lower elevations, are green. Color morph differences are genetically determined. Cooper is collaborating with Tom Getty and Chris Klausmeier on a BEACON-funded project examining rapid evolution of the color dimorphism in response to global change that is expected to increase the intensity of UV radiation as a selective agent.
