Intended Audience
Natural Science and Mathematics Colloquium
The evolution of pollination interactions under variable environments
Prof. Anahi Espindola
University of Maryland College Park
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Schaefer Hall 106 – 4:45 pm
Pollination interactions are extremely diverse, and their evolution is usually explained by the establishment or loss of interacting partners. However, other variables external to the interaction itself (e.g., climate, geological events) can affect their evolution. This topic is at the core of the work we do in the EspindoLab. In this talk, I will present the work that we have been doing to tackle this central topic using the plant genus Calceolaria and its oil-bees as a model. After introducing the system, I will show ecological, natural history and evolutionary studies that we have taken to understand the effect of climate, the biotic environment and geological events on the evolution and ecology of this fascinating plant-pollinator interaction.
This event is free and open to the public. It is meant for a general audience. If you are an instructor, please announce it to your students.