[Physics-grads-open] Physics & Astronomy Colloquium, Jan. 26th

[Heather A McDermott]

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Physics & Astronomy Colloquium




The Evolution of Evolution: Darwin Then and Now




Dr. David Reznick

UC Riverside
Abstract: "Darwin's book was misnamed, because it is ... not a treatise on the origin of species." (E. Mayr, 1942).

Ernst Mayr was one of the foremost evolutionary biologists of the 20th century and a major figure in shaping our modern concept of species and speciation. When I read this quote it distressed me, since I and most others thought that Darwin wrote about the origin of species. It took me over 20 years to reconcile Darwin and Mayr and to confirm that The Origin of Species was indeed about the origin of species. Doing so means envisioning the Origin's place in a stream of science. There were concepts of species and speciation before Darwin, but Darwin's vision forever changed our thinking. The scientists who followed did not see the Origin as a statement of truth, but rather as a challenge to first ask if Darwin was correct, then to study the consequences of what Darwin referred to as "transmutation." In the process, the theory of evolution evolved, as did our understanding of what a species is and how speciation occurs. Mayr's statement is a measure of the divide between Darwin's understanding of speciation in 1859 and Mayr's in 1942. Evolution has continued to evolve since Mayr. In my talk, I will describe our evolving understanding of the meaning of "species" and the process of speciation.







Thursday, January 26th , 2023

3:40 PM in Winston Chung Hall (Room 138)

Coffee will be served at 3:10 PM in the Barkas Lounge (3049 Physics)


Heather McDermott
Travel & Events Coordinator
Physics & Astronomy Dept.
UC Riverside
3401 Watkins Dr.
Riverside, CA 92521
P: 951-827-5330
Available via Zoom Link: https://ucr.zoom.us/my/heathermcdermott

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