Lecture: Evolutionary generalities lie in the ecological detail: The Red Queen and Court Jester?
Speaker:
Entry Fee
Members: Free
Visitors: £5.00
Date and Time
19:30 -
Location
Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HN
Lecture Description
The foundation of ecology is how organisms interact with their environment. Two main models have been proposed to explain the evolutionary consequences of these ecological interactions: the “Red Queen” model emphasises competition among species, while the “Court Jester” emphasises the impact of abrupt, seemingly-unpredictable environmental perturbations. Using 65 million years of the astonishing microfossil record of planktonic foraminifera, Dr. Ezard will show how the impact of the Jester depends upon who is present in the Queen’s court: the ecology of species can give clearer insights into speciation, extinction and diversification than is possible by treating all species as one and the same.