The role of evolutionary biology in understanding,
preventing and |
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At a professional, if not personal, level evolutionary biologists discovered infectious disease nearly a century after Pasteur, Koch and other heroes and heroines of the infectious disease biz. Over the past couple of decades, however, increasing numbers of evolutionary biologists have been making significant contributions to our understanding of microparasite infections and their prevention and treatment. And, in this enlightened time, increasing numbers of real Drs. and other people treating as well as studying infectious diseases have discovered evolution and its importance to understanding the course of infections and there control and prevention. The participants of this symposium include both evolutionary biologists who have been working on infectious disease and infectious disease specialists who have been applying population dynamic and evolutionary considerations to their investigations. In addition to the usual goal of a symposium, for the participants to present their wares (strut their stuff, as it were), this symposium has a proselytizing goal. Infectious disease raise many questions that are intriguing and delicious even from a precious academic perspective and provide an opportunity to for evolutionary biologists to make a directly useful contribution to the society that supports our endeavours. |
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| Invited speakers: | Dan Andesson, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease
Control |
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| Organiser: | Bruce Levin |
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| Address: | Department of Biology |
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| Phone: | (404) 727 2826 | |
| Fax: | (404) 727 2880 | |
| Email: | blevin@emory.edu | |
Sexual conflict |
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| Sexual conflict is a rapidly expanding area of sexual selection examining the evolutionary consequences of disparate fitness interests between the sexes that potentially result in sexually antagonistic co-evolution. This process has recently been linked to rates of speciation and the evolution of several reproductive traits such as penile spines and toxic ejaculates. The topic is attracting considerable theoretical and experimental work on a broad range of species and traits, but there is controversy over the evidence for sexual antagonistic Co-evolution |
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| Invited speakers: | Goran Arnqvist, University of Uppsala William Eberhard, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Kate Lessells, Netherlands Institute of Ecology |
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| Organisers: | Rhonda R. Snook |
David Hosken |
| Address: | Department of Animal and Plant Sciences,
Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, University of Sheffield |
Zoologisches Museum, Universitaet Zürich-Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, SWITZERLAND |
| Phone: | +44 114 222 0126 |
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| Fax: | +44 114 222 0002 |
+41 1 635 6826 |
| Email: | r.snook@sheffield.ac.uk |
hosken@zoolmus.unizh.ch |
Evolutionary dynamics of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) |
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| The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a paradigm of adaptive evolution and an excellent model system for testing multiple aspects of evolutionary theory. The remarkable feature of the MHC is the astonishingly high levels of polymorphism found at the genes that code for antigen presentation to the immune system. What is the function of this polymorphism? How is polymorphism maintained? What are the consequences for species with low MHC diversity? This symposium aims to highlight current research addressing these issues in fields ranging from molecular evolution to behavioural ecology, and to show how the MHC can yield insight into fundamental evolutionary theories in host-parasite co-evolution, sexual selection and conservation biology. |
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| Invited speakers: | Wayne K. Potts, University of Utah Torbjörn von Schantz, University of Lund Philip Hedrick, Arizona State University |
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| Invited speakers: | Wayne K. Potts |
University of Utah |
| Organisers: | Stuart Piertney |
Steve Paterson |
| Address: | Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ | Department of Biological Sciences , University of Stirling , Stirling FK9 4LA |
| Phone: | +44 1224 272864 | +44 1786 467810 |
| Fax: | +44 1224 272396 | +44 1786 464994 |
| Email: | s.piertney@abdn.ac.uk | Steve.Paterson@stir.ac.uk |
Reproductive parasites in evolution |
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| Many species bear parasites that particularly affect host reproduction. Selfish genetic elements within the nucleus reduce sperm number. Inherited bacteria and protists may cause host infertility or lead to sex ratio distortion. Some 'selfish' mitochondria may induce male sterility. Other parasites induce reproductive castration, as they drain energy from host reproduction in an attempt to maintain a long lived host, or transmit during host copulation, making sex costly. In this symposium, we will examine the biology of these interactions. What determines the incidence of reproductive parasites? How are they adapted to their host? To what extent have these parasites driven the evolution of their host reproductive biology? Have they been involved in higher level processes such as speciation, extinction and the evolution of sex determination mechanisms? |
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| Invited speakers: | Hans Breeuwer, University of Amsterdam Francis Jiggins, University of Cambridge Chris Bazinet, St. Johns University |
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| Organisers: | Greg Hurst |
Tim Karr |
| Address: | Department of Biology, University College London |
Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath |
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| Email: | g.hurst@ucl.ac.uk | tkarr@midway.uchicago.edu |
Limits to species' boundaries: linking hybrid zones with adaptation to marginal conditions |
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| Understanding the evolutionary causes of limits to species' ranges is important in predicting responses to environmental change. Unfortunately, although research into parapatric and marginal boundaries is highly complementary, few links have been made between studies of hybrid zones and adaptation at species' margins. This symposium will combine data on genetics, ecology and demography to stimulate dialogue between these areas, and encourage a unified approach to understanding the limits to local adaptation, and the spread of genotypes though different genetic and ecological backgrounds. |
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| Invited speakers: | Mark Kirkpatrick Thomas Lenormand Chris Thomas |
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| Organisers: | Jon Bridle |
Nick H Barton and Tim Vines |
| Address: | Institute of Zoology, ZSL, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK | Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK |
| Phone: | +44 20 7 449 6642 | +44 131 650 5509 |
| Fax: | +44 20 7 586 2870 | +44 131 650 6564 |
| Email: | jon.bridle@ioz.ac.uk | n.barton@ed.ac.uk |
Natural hybridization and introgression: its role in evolution and conservation |
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| The role of hybridisation in evolution is more debated and empirically better supported than ever, due to new insights into genetics and ecology of hybrids. It is now widely recognized that hybridization may have a variety of evolutionary consequences, and a major goal is to understand the frequency and conditions under which they are likely to occur. At the same time, it is becoming clear that human activities may lead to increased hybridization among species and populations, and that this may affect e.g. survival of indigenous populations, establishment of invasive species, maintainance of genetic resources, etc. The goal of this symposium is to discuss the role of hybridization in speciation and adaptive evolution, and its impact on conservation of indigenous species and populations. We are particularly interested in studies linking the genetics of hybridization and introgression with the fitness and ecological performance of hybrids and parents. |
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| Invited speakers: | Michael L. Arnold, University of Georgia |
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| Organisers: | Thure Hauser |
Michael L. Arnold | Michael M. Hansen |
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| Address: | Risø National Laboratory, Plant Research Dept., PRD-309, P.O.Box 49; DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark |
University of Georgia | Danish Institute for Fisheries Research |
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| Phone: | +45 4677 4238 |
+45 89 213145 |
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| Fax: | +45 4677 4160 |
+45 89 213150 |
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| Email: | thure.hauser@risoe.dk |
arnold@dogwood.botany.uga.edu | mmh@dfu.min.dk |
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Pleistocene refugia, colonization patterns and evolution |
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| The present distribution of many species in Europe is a result of colonization after the last ice age (Weichselian, 120k-10kya), and the genetic structure of species has been moulded by the range dynamics caused by climatic oscillations of glacial and interglacial periods during the Pleistocene (2.4my) (Hewitt 1996, 2000; Taberlet et al 1998). The ice sheets covered much of northern Europe, and central parts of the continent were characterized by tundra vegetation and permafrost. Traditionally, the postglacial history of plant and animal species has been gained from fossil data, such as pollen analysis and macrofossils. During the last fifteen years, a growing number of genetic marker studies of living populations have formed a new scientific field -phylogeography (Avise 1998, 2000) with over 500 papers in the last 3 years (WoS search). These studies have made it possible to track colonization patterns within species on different geographical scales, to gain understanding of their evolution over the Pleistocene, and the methods and emerging principles are applied worldwide (Hewitt 2001, Templeton 2001). |
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| Invited speakers: | Keith Bennett |
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| Organisers: | Anna-Brit Berglund |
Pierre Taberlet Pierre | Godfrey Hewitt |
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| Address: | Department of Natural and Environmental sciences, Mid Sweden University, S-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden |
Lab. de Biologie des Populations d'Altitude, CNRS UMR 5553, Univ. Joseph Fourier, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France | School of Biological Sciences, UEA, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK |
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+33 476 514279 |
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| Email: | Anna-Britt.Nyberg-Berglund@mh.se |
Taberlet@ujf-grenoble.fr | g.Hewitt@uea.ac.uk |
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Are transmission modes important for the evolution of mutualistic symbioses? |
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| Evolutionary theory suggests that hosts and symbionts in asymmetrical symbioses may conflict over patterns of symbiont transmission. Selection favours symbionts to disperse out of the vertical host lineage. The subsequent decrease in relatedness between symbionts favours within-host competition and virulence. Hosts are therefore expected to favour reduced mixing of their symbionts, because horizontal transmission is expected to be associated with parasitic symbiont traits. However, numerous examples of mutualistic symbioses exist where horizontal transmission is the rule. In this symposium the most recent insights, both theoretical and empirical, on the importance of transmission modes for the outcome of mutualistic symbioses, will be presented. |
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| Invited speakers: | Steve Frank Francois Lutzoni Allen Herre |
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| Organisers: | Duur K. Aanen |
Jacobus J. (Koos) Boomsma |
| Address: | Dept. of Population Ecology, Zoological Institute, University
of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark |
Dept. of Population Ecology, Zoological Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen |
| Phone: | +45 35321320 | +45 35321340 |
| Fax: | +45 35321250 | +45 35321250 |
| Email: | dkaanen@zi.ku.dk | jjboomsma@zi.ku.dk |
Theoretical and empirical aspects of the evolution of diversity: speciation, species discovery, and inventory |
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| This symposium is focused at the intersection of theory and the empirical study of the evolution of diversity. New approaches to biodiversity inventory and new developments in species concepts, speciation theory, and molecular evolution interact and enable innovative directions in quantifying biological complexity. Participants will speak to new directions in documenting diversity and understanding evolutionary processes of diversification, including new studies on species level processes and mechanisms. |
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| Invited speakers: | Ed Wiley, University of Kansas Jody Hey, Rutgers University Dan Brooks, University of Toronto |
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| Organisers: | Douglas Causey |
Daniel Brooks |
| Address: | Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA | Dept Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Phone: | +1 61 7 495-2471 | +1 41 6 978-3139 |
| Fax: | +1 61 7 495-5667 | +1 41 6 978-8352 |
| Email: | dcausey@oeb.harvard.edu | dbrooks@zoo.utoronto.ca |
Genetics of species differences |
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| Currently, we see a revival of the interest in speciation and hybridization due to major advances in molecular techniques (marker techniques, QTL analysis and theory). In particular the genetics of species differences and hybridization barriers is now a growing field. Recent reviews about speciation in TREE and other journals have shown that there is a lot of progress in our knowledge about the genetic architecture of species differences. |
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| Invited speakers: | Nick Barton, University of Edinburgh |
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| Organisers: | Juergen Gadau |
Leo Beukeboom |
| Address: | Universität Wuerzburg- Biozentrum Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie und Soziobiologie Am Hubland 97074 Wuerzburg Germany |
Biological Centre University of Groningen Kerklaan 30 NL-9751 NN Haren P.O. Box 14 NL-9750 AA Haren The Netherlands |
| Phone: | +49 931 888 4309 | +31 50 363 8448 |
| Fax: | +49 931 888 4305 | +31 50 363 2348 |
| Email: | Jgadau@biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de | l.w.beukeboom@biol.rug.nl |
Genetic biodiversity in natural populations: implications for management |
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| The symposium will cover the study of population and evolutionary factors with a high relevance in conservation issues. The main focus will be on the development of theoretical approaches and empirical achievements in the quantification of genetic diversity in natural populations (estimation of effective population size, population structure, quantitative versus molecular variation, etc.) Other important aspects will be intraspecific reproductive barriers and ecological speciation. |
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| Invited speakers: | Louis Bernatchez, Université Laval |
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| Organisers: | Kerstin Johannesson |
Armando Caballero | Jesús Fernández |
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| Address: | Department of Marine Ecology, Tjarno Marine Biological Laboratory, Goteborg University, SE-452 96 Stromstad, SWEDEN |
Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Vigo, 36200 Vigo, SPAIN |
Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal |
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| Phone: | +46 (0)526 686 00 |
+34 986 812568 | +34 91 3471487 |
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| Fax: | +46 (0)526 686 07 |
+34 986 812556 | +34 91 3572293 |
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| Email: | kerstin.johannesson@tmbl.gu.se |
armando@uvigo.es | jmj@inia.es |
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Evolutionary consequences of mate choice |
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| Originally, the theory of sexual selection was invoked to account for biological phenomena that could not be explained by natural selection alone. New developments however emphasise the role of sexual selection as a common denominator towards solving two important problems in evolutionary biology: the evolution of sex and the origin of species. Sexual selection may compensate the two-fold cost of sex because differential male mating success can drastically reduce mutational load (Siller 2001, Agrawal 2001). At the same time, the role of sexual selection in the widely debated issue of sympatric speciation is increasingly acknowledged (Seehausen et al. 1999, Turner and Burrows 1995, Lande et al. 2001). In this symposium, we aim to bring together theoretical, genetical and ecological perspectives in order to assess these evolutionary consequences of mate choice. |
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| Invited speakers: | Steven Siller, University of Oxford Steve Howard, Middle Tennessee State University Tom van Dooren, University of Leiden |
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| Organisers: | Martine Maan |
Vicky Schneider |
| Address: | Leiden University, Institute for Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences, Section Animal Ecology, PO Box 9516, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands | Leiden University, Institute for Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences, Section Animal Ecology, P.O.Box 9516, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands |
| Phone: | +31 (0)71 5274916 | +31 (0)71 527 4989 |
| Fax: | +31 (0) 71 5274900 | +31 (0) 71 5274900 |
| Email: | maan@rulsfb.leidenuniv.nl | mvschneider@rulsfb.leidenuniv.nl |
Experimental microbial evolution: the roles of sex, recombination and mutation |
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| Experimental evolution is the laboratory study of the fundamental processes of evolutionary change (mutation, genetic drift and adaptation by natural selection) that give rise to patterns of genetic diversity within and among populations. Microorganisms have proven to be useful subjects for this research as a consequence of their large population sizes, short generation times, and the ease with which their environments and genotypes can be manipulated. Experimental studies of microbial evolution have confirmed the basic principles of evolutionary theory, while providing new insights into the genetics and ecology of microorganisms. |
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| Invited speakers: | G. Velicer, Max-Planck Institute for Developmental
Biology, Tubingen |
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| Organisers: | Santiago F. Elena |
J. Arjan G. M. de Visser | Graham Bell |
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| Address: | Instituto de Biologia Molecular y Celular de Plantas |
Department of Genetics, Wageningen University, Arboretumlaan 4, 6703 BD Wageningen, The Netherlands | Redpath Museum and Biology |
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| Phone: | +34 963 877 885 |
+31 317 483 144 | 1 (514) 398-6458 |
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| Fax: | +34 963 877 859 |
+31 317 483 146 | 1 (514) 398-5069 |
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| Email: | sfelena@ibmcp.upv.es |
arjan.devisser@wur.nl | graham.bell@mcgill.ca |
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Evolution in non-coding DNA |
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| 98% of our genome is non-coding. How and when did it get there, how is it held in check, and does non-coding sequence ever have advantages? The increasing availability of sequenced genomes means these questions can now be readily addressed. In the case of transposons, the dates of transposon activity can be established from phylogenies of degraded fragments. It may be that transposon activity is generally deleterious and repressed, but provides benefits in periods of evolutionary stress. |
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| Invited speakers: | Daniel Hartl |
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| Organisers: | Richard Sibly |
Mark Pagel |
| Address: | School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK | School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK |
| Phone: | +44 118 931 8461 | +44 118 931 8461 |
| Fax: | +44 118 931 0180 | +44 118 931 0180 |
| Email: | r.m.sibly@rdg.ac.uk | m.pagel@rdg.ac.uk |
Evolution of host defence against parasites |
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| The symposium focuses on evolutionary responses of organisms to selection imposed by their natural enemies, and how these responses are constrained. Novel insights into such constraints have arisen from studies that have explicitly taken into account the complex ecological environment and multiple defence options of organisms. How are costs of resistance modified by environmental conditions ? How is selection on defensive compounds modulated by their effects on competitors or other organisms at the same or higher trophic levels ? Can different defence options (e.g. resistance vs. tolerance) be simultaneously favoured by selection ? |
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| Invited speakers: | Tom Mitchell-Olds Mark D. Rausher Lex Kraaijeveld |
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| Organisers: | Arjen Biere |
Jacqui A Shykoff |
| Address: | Netherlands Institute of Ecology, NIOO-KNAW, Centre for Terrestrial
Ecology, P.O. Box 40, NL-6666 ZG Heteren, The Netherlands |
Laboratoire d'Ecologie, Systematique et Evolution, CNRS UPRESA 8079, Universite de Paris-Sud, Batiment 362, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France |
| Phone: | +31 26 4791212 | +33 1 69155666 |
| Fax: | +31 26 4723227 | +33 1 69157353 |
| Email: | biere@cto.nioo.knaw.nl | jacqui.shykoff@ese.u-psud.fr |
Key factors in adaptive radiation |
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| In 2002, a major German research program on Adaptive Radiation (funded by DFG) has started of which the organiser of this symposium is a coordinator. There are 31 projects with special emphasis on the role of reproductive systems, of geographical isolation, of "key innovations", and of radiations in interdependent groups of organisms (http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/Radiationen/). With this symposium, the program will present itself on an international scale and offer opportunities for communication and cooperation. |
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| Invited speakers: | Axel Meyer, Universität Konstanz Thomas Städler, Universität München |
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| Organisers: | Konrad Bachmann |
Susanne Foitzik |
| Address: | Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, IPK, D-06466 Gatersleben, Germany | LS Biologie I, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, D - 93040 Regensburg, Germany |
| Phone: | +49 39482 5465 | +49 941 943 2152 |
| Fax: | +49 39482 5155 | +49 941 943 3304 |
| Email: | bachmann@ipk-gatersleben.de | Susanne.Foitzik@biologie.uni-regensburg.de |
The evolutionary biology of complex phenotypes |
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| The field of phenotypic integration has been both important and somewhat peripheral in evolutionary biology throughout the 20th century. Integration deals with the complex questions of how large numbers of characters are related to make up the whole organism, how these relationships evolve and change their function, and what processes affect them-from genetic and developmental constraints to responses induced by the environment (phenotypic plasticity). We think the time is ripe for a major entry of phenotypic integration studies on the main stage of modern evolutionary biology, especially given the intrinsic interdisciplinarity of this sort of research, spanning from paleontology to developmental biology, from genomics to evolutionary ecology. |
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| Invited speakers: | Katherine Preston, Stanford University |
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| Organisers: | Massimo Pigliucci |
Katherine Preston |
| Address: | Departments of Botany and of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA | Department of Biological Sciences, 371 Serra Mall, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-2050, USA |
| Phone: | +1 865 974 6221 | +1 650 723 6526 |
| Fax: | +1 865 974 2258 | +1 650 723 6132 |
| Email: | pigliucci@utk.edu | kap1@stanford.edu |
The evolution of sexual size dimorphism |
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| While the evolution of large body size is well understood, studies that demonstrate selection on small body size are rare. It is widely accepted that fecundity selection favours large body size in females while sexual selection favours large male size. Selection pressures on the sexes may differ in strength resulting in sexual size dimorphism (SSD). Species differ in the degree of SSD from females being much smaller than males and vice versa, with both extremes being rare. The evolution of so-called dwarf males in particular is a hotly debated issue and data are extremely scarce. The goal of the symposium is to review conflicting hypotheses and data in three taxa: birds, insects and spiders via the invited speakers. Contributed papers will be selected to cover a wide range of approaches that test current hypotheses. |
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| Invited speakers: | Wolf Blanckenhorn, University of Zurich Alex Badyaev, University of Arizona |
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| Organisers: | Jutta Schneider |
Marie Herberstein |
| Address: | Inst. Evolutionary Biology & Ecology, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 1D-53121 Bonn, Germany | Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University North Ryde 2109 NSW Australia |
| Phone: | +49 (0)228 735159 | + 61 2 9850 6276 |
| Fax: | +49 (0)228 735129 | + 61 2 9850 8245 |
| Email: | js@gilgamesh.de | m.herberstein@bio.mq.edu.au |
Evolution of sexual communication in insects |
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| Sexual communication in insects may acquire various kinds of signals from acoustic cues to visual signals and pheromones. Evolution of these signals and male-female interactions requires co-ordinated changes in both sexes calling for studies on variation in male traits and female trait preferences as well as on correlation between these traits. Insect species are good model organisms for studying the genetic basis of mating rituals as their behaviour is under a strict genetic control, and as their matings can often be observed both in wild and in laboratory. Comparison of closely related species can also give information on the direction of evolution in the studied traits. |
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| Invited speakers: | Christer Lofstedt, University of Lund Mike Ritchie, St Andrews University |
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| Organisers: | Astrid Groot |
Anneli Hoikkala |
| Address: | Dept. Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 | Dept. Biology, University of Oulu, P.O.Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland |
| Phone: | +919 515 1649 | +3588 5531784 |
| Fax: | +919 515 2824 | +358 8 5531061 |
| Email: | astrid_groot@ncsu.edu | anneli.hoikkala@oulu.fi |
The evolutionary significance of variation in reproductive investment |
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| Very little attention has been given to variation in reproductive investment at ESEB meetings over the years. This is surprising since reproduction is central to individual fitness and because over the past years significant advances in many areas of reproductive biology have been made. This symposiums aims at understanding the forces determining reproductive investment and resource allocation in animals, by drawing attention to these new developments in the field. Those include patterns of reproductive allocation from juvenile and adult feeding, the effect of different environments for the correlated evolution of reproductive traits, and variation in reproductive success arising from sexual conflict. Integrating this exciting progress into a single symposium, together with the contributing papers, will focus discussion from which future directions may emerge. |
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| Invited speakers: | Carol Boggs, Stanford University, Charles Fox, University of Kentucky |
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| Organisers: | B.J. Zwaan |
K. Fischer |
| Address: | Leiden University, Institute for Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences, Section Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 9516, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands | Leiden University, Institute for Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences, Section Evolutionary Biology, P.O. Box 9516, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands |
| Phone: | +31 71 527 4877 | |
| Fax: | +31 71 527 4900 | |
| Email: | zwaan@rulsfb.leidenuniv.nl | fischer@rulsfb.leidenuniv.nl |
Geographical parthenogenesis and polyploidy |
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| Organisms can reproduce either sexually or asexually and many plant and animal taxa can have both modes of reproduction. These might have differential geographical distributions. Such geographical parthenogenesis (for example in Europe) might be expressed in decreasing percentage of sexuality towards higher latitude, or parthenogenetic females occurring throughout Europe, but sexual female being restricted to circum-Mediterranean localities. In addition, the degree of polyploidy in asexuals might show similar patterns. Both historical and biological mechanisms underlie the observed patterns. |
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| Invited speakers: | Koen Martens Peter Van Dijk |
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| Organisers: | Koen Martens |
Peter Van Dijk |
| Address: | Freshwater Biology, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium | Dept. of Plant Population Biology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-CTO) |
| Phone: | + 32 262 74 315 | +31 26 4791208 |
| Fax: | +32 264 64 433 | +31 26 4723227 |
| Email: | martens@naturalsciences.be | |
Pollinators and plant evolution - from specialists to generalists |
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| Flowering plants and insects comprise a major fraction of terrestrial biodiversity and have radiated over a similar geological time period, with considerable interaction. Plant-pollinator associations vary from extreme specialisation (figs and wasps, yuccas and moths) to broad pollinator and visitation "webs" that link many species. Where plants lie on this continuum will influence their patterns of gene flow, selection and pollen limitation, as well as the nature of their coevolutionary interactions with pollinators. |
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| Invited speakers: | Ann Smithson, University of Exeter Dr. Jeff Ollerton, University College Northampton |
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| Organisers: | Christine B. Mueller |
James M. Cook |
| Address: | Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY | Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berks SL5 7PY |
| Phone: | +44 20 74496698 | +44 20 75942329 |
| Fax: | +44 20 75862870 | +44 20 75942339 |
| Email: | Christine.Mueller@ioz.ac.uk | j.cook@ic.ac.uk |
Evolution on islands - patterns of colonisation, adaptation and speciation |
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| Islands (of any sort) are an excellent model for understanding particular problems in evolution. In part this results from the interesting traits exhibited by the organisms themselves - many species are both highly polymorphic and diverged from their closest mainland relatives - but also because an adaptive radiation can result from differences in environment and competition. Furthermore, different islands on which similar lineages have arisen allow investigations to be replicated. Ongoing studies of molecular, ecological, behavioural and morphological relationships among a variety of island organisms will provide further insights into the different forces that promote and maintain diversity. |
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| Invited speakers: | Axel Meyer, Konstanz Rosemary Gillespie, Berkeley |
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| Organisers: | Sara Goodacre |
Angus Davison |
| Address: | Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK | Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aramaki-Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980 8578, Japan, (ICAPB, Edinburgh from March 2003) |
| Phone: | +44 1603 593853 | +81 22 2177813 |
| Fax: | +44 1603 592250 | +81 22 2177813 |
| Email: | s.goodacre@uea.ac.uk | a.davison@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk |
Social plasticity |
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| Research on social evolution has usually focussed on the advantages of living in group versus leading a solitary life. The comparison of related species with different social structures helps in shedding light on mechanisms of the evolution of sociality. Nevertheless, recent studies have documented a large degree of flexibility in the social organization within the same species. This plasticity may be based on simple genetic differences (e.g., in the red imported fire ant) or complex environmental conditions. We believe that this social plasticity at the species-level is fundamental in understanding the processes underlying the evolution of sociality. |
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| Invited speakers: | Andrew Bourke, Zoological Society of London M. Justin O'Riain, University of Cape Town |
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| Organisers: | Jürgen Heinze |
Patrizia D'Ettorre |
| Address: | Biologie I Universitaet Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg | Biologie I Universitaet Regensburg,D-93040 Regensburg |
| Phone: | +49 941 943 3054 or 2475 | +49 941 943 2996 |
| Fax: | +49 941 943 3304 | +49 941 943 330 |
| Email: | juergen.heinze@biologie.uni-regensburg.de | patrizia.dettorre@biologie.uni-regensburg.de |
From cell to society: conflict and cooperation at different evolutionary levels |
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| Conflict and cooperation are recurrent themes in the evolution of life on earth. In the progression towards greater complexity, genes combined to form genomes, genomes cooperated in the formation of cells, cells teamed up to form multicellular organisms and some organisms went on to live in social groups. An increased level of cooperation is evident in each of these major evolutionary transitions, but conflict often remains. This symposium will investigate common principles in these transitions in two main areas: (1) to what degree is conflict at these various levels logically and theoretically the same and (2) are similar mechanisms employed to resolve conflicts. |
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| Invited speakers: | Steve Frank Eors Szathmary |
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| Organisers: | Francis Ratnieks |
Tom Wenseleers |
| Address: | Dept. Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK | Dept. Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK |
| Phone: | +44 114 2220070 | +44 114 222 0144 |
| Fax: | +44 114 222 0002 | +44 114 222 0002 |
| Email: | F.Ratnieks@sheffield.ac.uk | Tom.Wenseleers@bio.kuleuven.ac.be |
Genome size, cell size and scaling of metabolic rate: a cytogenetic approach to life history evolution |
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| The symposium will review recent hypothesis on the causes and consequences of genome size variation for the cell size, whole-body metabolic rates, and ultimately, life history diversification observed in animals. We hope to demonstrate the link between very basic cytological level, resource acquisition rate, mortality rate and the evolutionary optimisation of body size. In particular, we aim to discuss its consequences for scaling of life history traits and metabolic rates. |
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| Invited speakers: | T. Ryan Gregory, Guelph, Canada. Robert E. Ricklefs, University of Missouri-St. Louis. |
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| Organisers: | Marek Konarzewski |
Jan Kozlowski |
| Address: | Institute of Biology, University of Bialystok Swierkowa 20B Str. 15-950 Bialystok, Poland |
Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Krakow, Poland |
| Phone: | +4885 7457328 | +4812 2690944 ext. 124 |
| Fax: | +4885 7457302 | +4812 2690927 |
| Email: | marekk@cksr.ac.bialystok.pl | kozlo@ eko.uj.edu.pl |
Morphological model systems in evolution and development |
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| Morphological studies have contributed substantially to the synthesis of evolutionary and developmental biology. Our symposium will focus on three model systems that have been studied particularly well, and which form a series of increasing morphological and developmental complexity: the insect wing, rodent mandible, and the mammalian (especially primate) skull. Talks will address the development, genetic architecture and adaptive potential of these systems, but also include aspects of phylogeny. Collectively, the symposium will make it possible to assess if general patterns are emerging from these model systems that may be widely applicable. |
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| Invited speakers: | Brian Hall, Dalhousie University |
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| Organisers: | Christian Klingenberg |
Benedikt Hallgrímsson |
| Address: | School of Biological Sciences University of Manchester 3.164 Stopford Building Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PT United Kingdom |
Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada |
| Phone: | +1 403 220 3060 | |
| Fax: | +1 403 283 5666 | |
| Email: | cpk@man.ac.uk | bhallgri@ucalgary.ca |
The evolutionary roles of biased variation and internal selection |
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| Evolutionary developmental biology is looking for a balance between externalist and internalist views. The debate is relevant to questions such as evolvability; evolutionary novelties; types of selection; and the entrenchment of genes in developing systems, including the question of how such entrenchment may alter through evolutionary time. The issues of parallelism and convergence are also receiving new attention. The symposium will host both theoretical papers and contributions from comparative and experimental approaches. |
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| Invited speakers: | Stuart Newman Arlin Stoltzfus |
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| Organisers: | Wallace Arthur |
Alessandro Minelli |
| Address: | Ecology Centre, University of Sunderland, Sunderland SR1 3SD, UK | Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58B, I 35131 Padova, Italy |
| Phone: | +44 191 515 2533 | +39 049 8276300 |
| Fax: | +44 191 515 2534 | +39 049 8276230 |
| Email: | wallace.arthur@sunderland.ac.uk | alessandro.minelli@unipd.it |
Positive selection and adaptive trait genes |
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| There is a continuous quest for identifying genes that have been directly involved in adaptations in natural populations. Previously, such studies have focussed on candidate genes with corresponding molecular analysis in populations. This work has shown that such genes leave evolutionary signatures in genomes and populations, for which one can directly screen with the help of high throughput sequencing and genotyping facilities. These allow to detect patterns of selective sweeps or linkage disequilibrium, which are connected to genes which have been under positive selection. We should like to explore in this symposium both the practical, as well as the theoretical aspects of such screens for adaptive trait genes, which promise to open up a whole new field of evolutionary genetics. |
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| Invited speakers: | Michael Nachman, University of Arizona Wolfgang Stephan, University of Munich |
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| Organisers: | Christian Schlötterer |
Diethard Tautz |
| Address: | Institut für Tierzucht und Genetik, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Josef Baumann Gasse 1, 1210 Wien, Austria | |
| Phone: | +43-1-25077-5603 | |
| Fax: | +43-1-25077-5693 | |
| Email: | christian.schloetterer@vu-wien.ac.at | tautz@uni-koeln.de |
Evolutionary biology of learning |
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| When does evolution favour improved learning ability? How does learning contribute to fitness? What costs and tradeoffs are associated with it? How much genetic variation for learning ability segregate in natural populations? What do we know about underlying genes? How do the properties of the environment affect the evolution or learning and the type of learning and cues an animal uses? The symposium would focus on experimental approaches addressing these questions, stressing testing explicit evolutionary hypotheses. |
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| Invited speakers: | Victoria Braithwaite, University of Edinburgh,
UK Frederic Mery, University of Fribourg, Switzerland |
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| Organisers: | Tadeusz J. Kawecki |
Sue Healy |
| Address: | Unit for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University
of Fribourg Chemin du Musée 10, CH-1700 Fribourg Switzerland |
Division of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Labs, University
of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK |
| Phone: | +41 26 300 88 71 | +44 131 650 7363 |
| Fax: | +41 26 300 96 98 | +44 131 650 6564 |
| Email: | tadeusz.kawecki@unifr.ch | s.healy@ed.ac.uk |