We are pleased to announce our 2022 Darwin Day is now online.
Students are able to view asynchronous presentations, described below, from February 1 - February 17, 2022. To view the asynchronous presentations, please register via the Darwin Day registration form.
A teacher can also schedule classes to participate in a live virtual workshop with BSU faculty between February 7-9 or between February 14-16. During the workshops, faculty will further discuss their individual presentations and answer student questions. The timeframe of each workshop varies depending on the availability of our faculty. To schedule a virtual workshop with faculty contact casebsu@bridgew.edu.
Please note: The material is geared toward high school students.
Titles and descriptions of the asynchronous presentations
A Matter of Survival: Field Observation on the Great Apes
Dr. Ellen IngmansonThe Great Apes – Chimpanzees, Bonobos, Gorillas and Orangutans – are humans’ closest living relatives, sharing around 98% of our DNA. And all of them are endangered species. As an evolutionary anthropologist, I have been able to observe all of the Great Apes in the wild and observe their plight in person. With this presentation, I will introduce you to these wonderful species and share some of my pictures and stories of observing them in the field. I will particularly focus on young apes, how they are particularly affected by human threats, and efforts to help them.
Darwinian Medicine: Evolution’s Impact on Our Health
Dr. Caitlin Fisher-ReidDarwinian, or evolutionary medicine asks questions about the evolutionary history, evolutionary causes, and ecological context of human disease. This talk will introduce the listeners to the core concepts needed to understand human disease from an evolutionary perspective. We will explore these concepts through the lens of important medical advances based on our evolutionary understanding of autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, mental health, and infectious disease dynamics in an attempt to answer the question: why do we get sick?
Does Morphology Have a Place in Today’s Evolutionary Biology?
Maria Armour, MS
During this lecture and paired virtual activity, students will be asked to answer the question: Does morphology have a place in today’s evolutionary biology? Participants will learn what morphological research is, how it has shaped the Theory of Evolution, and how it is still being applied to current scientific studies. Using the diversity exhibited by bats as an example, I will show how evolutionary biologists create a phylogenetic tree. This lecture will compare the application of morphological trees to molecular trees, as well as identify how they are both valuable to understanding evolutionary processes. To supplement this lecture, teachers can assign their students to do an virtual activity created by an BSU undergraduate research student. In the format of a Sway, this online module will walk students through the process and teach them how to create their own morphological bat tree using digital images of bats.
2022 Virtual Darwin Day Playlist
Morphology Module and Lesson Plan