Dr. H. Allen Orr--POSTPONED DUE TO ICE STORM
University Professor, Rochester University
Dr. Orr is one of today's leading voices discussing the science and politics of evolutionary biology. His research focuses on the way genes play a role in the formation of new species.

Wednesday Jan. 28, 4:30 p.m. “The Genetics of Speciation”
George Lynn Cross Hall Auditorium

Thursday Jan. 29, 7:30 p.m. “Darwin, Evolution and Design”
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
This talk will provide a survey, for a general audience, of the Darwinian revolution. It will also consider briefly the attacks on Darwinism from various forms of creationism and why evolutionary biologists conclude that these attacks are wrong. The talk will also consider what larger conclusions about the nature of the interaction between science and religion do and do not follow from this conflict.

Articles by Dr. Orr
The New Yorker article: Devolution: Why intelligent design, isn't
Evolution (1989) with Coyne, Patterns of speciation in Drosophila, with over 450 citation
Tree (2001) Genetics of Species Differences

Dr. Pamela Soltis
Curator, Florida Museum of Natural History
Dr. Soltis's research reconstructs the history of how the angiosperms, the flowering plants, diversified.

Wednesday Feb. 18, 4:30 p.m. “Polyploid Evolution in Plants: Genetic and
Genomic Consequences”
George Lynn Cross Hall Auditorium

Thursday Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m. “Darwin's ‘Abominable Mystery’”
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
Flowers, and the fruits and seeds they produce, feed and beautify the world. The flowering plants sprang into the fossil record, suddenly and worldwide, much to Charles Darwin's frustration. Dr. Soltis tells of the discoveries that are shedding new light on Darwin's "abominable mystery."

Articles from the Soltis Lab
Polyploidy: genome obesity and its consequences in New Phytologist
Widespread genome duplications throughout the history of flowering plants in Genome Research

Directions to the Soltis Reception at 7:30 Wednesday 18 Feb

Dr. Bert Hölldobler
Foundation Professor, Arizona State University
Dr. Hölldobler is one of the world's leading authorities on the behavior of ants, and the winner of the Pultizer Prize (with E. O. Wilson) for his book, The Ants

Tuesday March 24, 7:30 p.m. “Ants: Nature’s Secret Power”
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
They have inhabited our planet for millions of years, and yet no living creature seems more alien to us. Award-winning cameraman Wolfgang Thaler and Dr. Bert Hölldobler, a leading ant authority, bring us face-to-face with the mysterious world of these social insects with this remarkable film. Special macro film technology introduces us into the fascinating world of ants as no film did before. Introduced by Dr. Hölldobler, with a question period following the movie.

Wednesday March 25, 4:30 p.m. “Mechanism and Evolution of the Regulation of Reproduction in Ant Societies.”
George Lynn Cross Hall Auditorium

Thursday March 26. 7:30 p.m. “Order in Chaos: Communication and Cooperation in Ant Societies”
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
Ants are remarkably successful because sister ants cooperate to perform feats impossible for individuals. The challenge has been to unlock the key to an ant colony's gift for mass communication. Dr. Hölldobler relates a lifetime of discoveries on the grammar of chemicals and rhythm that ants use to organize labor, plot war against other colonies, and negotiate truces.

Intro ZOO1114 Extra Credit