Zoology Events This is an OPML file. It can be used to export all the MedWorm RSS feeds on this topic into your personal RSS reader (usually you have to save this file to your own computer before clicking on an Import OPML command in your own feed reader to upload the file which will then import all the feeds) or it can be used by webmasters to integrate MedWorm feeds with their own website. This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader, such as GoogleReader, or to display this data on your own website or blog. Subscribe to this data using MyMedWorm.Subscribe to this data using GoogleReader.Subscribe to this data using Bloglines.Subscribe to this data using MyYahoo.

This page shows you the most recent publications within this specialty of the MedWorm directory.

Natures glass: half-full or half-empty?
The world’s governments failed to meet their pledge of reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. Wild populations, their habitats, and the benefits they provide for people, are continuing to decline. But is the situation hopeless? In this talk Professor Andrew Balmford FRS will examine a series of case studies where things are getting better rather than worse. He will explore how the motivations for conservation, the approaches adopted, and the people involved are changing and becoming increasingly diverse. He will investigate what lessons these examples yield about how conservation might increase its success rate ...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - October 12, 2012 Category: Science Source Type: events

Biodiversity, Ecology, and Global Change
Helen James’ field research in the Hawaiian Islands revealed an unsuspected and dramatic ecological collapse that ensued after prehistoric human settlement of the islands. Over 55 species of native Hawaiian birds disappeared from the fossil record, apparently driven to extinction by rapid ecological change caused directly or indirectly by people. Dr. James and her research collaborators use ancient biological molecules (ancient DNA and proteins preserved in subfossil bones) to reconstruct the genetic and ecological histories of extinct and endangered species. Most recently, she and her collaborators are using biomolecule...
Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events - March 23, 2012 Category: Science Source Type: events

Mollusks: Shelled Masters of the Marine Realm
Mollusks will explore the amazing diversity and history of mollusks—snails, clams, squid and other invertebrates that comprise almost a quarter of all known marine species. Featuring the research of Professor Gonzalo Giribet, colleagues and students at Harvard University, and the Dept. of Malacology at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, this new exhibition will engage the general public in mollusk evolution, ecology, and the many ways in which their lives intersect with ours. Venue: Harvard Museum of Natural History Start date: Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:00:00 -0500 End date: Tue, 31 Dec 2013 17:00:00 -0500 (Source:...
Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events - February 7, 2012 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Communicating Science series: Cryptozoology: science or pseudoscience?
Cryptozoology: science or pseudoscience? – a ZSL Science and Conservation Event. Can cryptozoology, the investigation of animals such as Bigfoot, the Yeti and the Loch Ness Monster be considered a science? Although considered dubious by zoologists, recent work has suggested that presumed extinct animals can reappear years after extinction and that the inventory of even large animals is not complete. Accounts of sea monsters are actually amenable to statistical investigation and it is possible to use last reported occurrence to infer extinction date. Has the time come for "cryptozoology to come in from the cold&q...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 28, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Wildlife Conservation series: Biodiversity in a corporate landscape: what can we afford to destroy?
Biodiversity in a corporate landscape: what can we afford to destroy? – a ZSL Science and Conservation Event. Growth in the global population coupled with an increase in consumption has fuelled demand for natural resources, such as metals, agriculture and forest products. Conservationists are comfortable identifying species and ecosystems that need to be protected, but are extremely uncomfortable advising on areas that are less important for conservation and, therefore, more appropriate for conversion. Mining, forestry, oil palm and agricultural companies are increasingly turning to conservation organizations for ass...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 28, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Communicating Science series: Biodiversity Big Brother
Biodiversity Big Brother – a ZSL Science and Conservation Event. An understanding of nature is critical for effective conservation action. Without this we are unable to make informed wildlife management decisions and, with human influence increasingly dominating habitats around the world, effective management is essential for the maintenance of wild species. We also have a natural fascination with animals, their behaviour and diversity. For many species very little is known about their behaviour and ecology in the wild. At this meeting findings will be presented from studies using camera traps — a rapidly expanding...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 28, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Communicating Science series: Wildlife forensics: using tools from medicine and crime scene investigation to help save wildlife
Wildlife forensics: using tools from medicine and crime scene investigation to help save wildlife – a ZSL Science and Conservation Event. Modern conservation has access to an array of techniques, such as DNA fingerprinting for genetic monitoring of populations over time, blood screening for disease in wild animals, and serum tests for indicators of stress and/or reproduction. Such techniques are regularly used in a forensic or medical context, but these tools are now on the front line for fighting wildlife declines. Three speakers will discuss how techniques from forensic and medical science are finding new applicati...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 28, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Communicating Science series: Climate change in Africa: more than melting icebergs and drowning polar bears
Climate change in Africa: more than melting icebergs and drowning polar bears – a ZSL Science and Conservation Event. Global warming has increasingly become a topic of concern for the scientific community and society as a whole. Climate change and its expected consequences for the planet conjure up images of glacial melting and polar bears sitting on ridiculously small icebergs. Yet scientific projections unequivocally indicate that Africa will be hit hardest by the impacts of climate change as compared with other continents. For Africans, climate change is expected to bring greater incidence of disease, reduced crop...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 28, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Communicating Science series: Why be nice? Understanding cooperative behaviour in humans and other animals
Why be nice? Understanding cooperative behaviour in humans and other animals – a ZSL Science and Conservation Event. Evolutionary theory predicts that individuals will behave selfishly. However, there are many examples of apparent altruism in nature. Meerkats help to raise others’ offspring, primates groom one another and share food, and some insects even sacrifice themselves to protect their colony. Humans are among the most cooperative of all species. We willingly help individuals we do not know and are unlikely to ever meet again. Indeed, this tendency may explain our huge ecological success. However, our fa...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 28, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Wildlife Conservation series: Life on the EDGE: putting forgotten species on the map
Life on the EDGE: putting forgotten species on the map – a ZSL Science and Conservation Event. EDGE species are some of the world’s most unusual animals. They are urgent conservation priorities and, alarmingly, the majority are overlooked by existing conservation initiatives. Examples include the venomous Hispaniolan solenodon and mouth-brooding Darwin’s frogs, which contribute disproportionately high amounts to genetic, behavioural and ecological diversity. This meeting will examine how sustainable conservation initiatives are being implemented for top-priority EDGE species, helping to safeguard the variety of l...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 28, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Wildlife Conservation series: Investing in natural capital and green infrastructure
Investing in natural capital and green infrastructure – a ZSL Science and Conservation Event Humanity derives enormous social, economic and cultural benefits from natural capital and ecosystem services, yet these benefits are not fully captured in national decision making and are being eroded at an alarming rate. Financial investment in ecosystems to restore, preserve or improve the delivery of ecosystem services can bring additional benefits to both people and the environment. There are many examples of this, such as replanting degraded forests to provide clean water or rehabilitating degraded mangroves for storm pr...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 28, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Communicating Science series: Debate - Is the coalition government's proposal for a 'science-led programme of badger control' an effective way to reduce tuberculosis in cattle?
DEBATE: Is the coalition government’s proposal for a ‘science-led programme of badger control’ an effective way to reduce tuberculosis in cattle? – a ZSL Science and Conservation Event Cattle TB is a significant problem for the farming industry in Britain and badgers are a known source of infection. For 30 years badgers were culled in an attempt to control cattle TB, but this controversial practice was stopped after independent scientists advised the previous government that culling ‘could not meaningfully contribute to the control of cattle TB’. However, the new coalition government has pledged...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 28, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Wildlife Conservation series: Wildlife in a changing world: tracking the fate of declining vertebrates
Wildlife in a changing world: tracking the fate of declining vertebrates – a ZSL Science and Conservation Event Proactive conservation action requires information on the status and trends of species. Therefore, keeping track of trends in animal populations is not only a vital tool for local conservation and research, but also can be used to inform global-level policy on the state of the environment. Since its inception in 1998, the Living Planet Index has been used to track trends in vertebrate populations from terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems around the world. A biological analogue of a stock-market ind...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 28, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

Inside "Nature" with Dr. Henry Gee
A candid look at what goes on inside the world’s most prestigious scientific journal. Dr. Henry Gee joined Nature in 1987 as a news reporter on a three month contract. Twenty-four years later, he’s still there, and is now a senior member of the editorial team. The author of several books including Jacob’s Ladder: The History of the Human Genome and The Science of Middle-earth, he enjoys walking, playing blues organ, supporting Norwich City FC and falling asleep. He lives in Cromer, Norfolk, with his family and numerous pets. Venue: Grant Museum of Zoology, UCL Start date: Tue, 26 Oct 2010 18:30:00 +01...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 27, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) on the Big Screen
A scientific expedition team is sent to search for fossils in the Amazon basin, but get more than they ever bargained for when they arrive at the Black Lagoon. Following in the footsteps of a pantheon of classic movie monsters comes the Gill-Man: the fish-man foe from this superb Universal horror movie. This prehistoric beast has a thirst for blood and an eye for the ladies – slaughtering several of the team, and kidnapping Kay, the sole female explorer and focal love interest. Featuring beautifully shot underwater scenes, this elegantly crafted film will be introduced by Dr. Joe Cain (UCL Science and Technology Studies)...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - September 27, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

Chemistry for Preventing and Combating Disease
ACS’ 240th National Meeting & Exposition will host nearly 8,000 presentations on new discoveries that span science’s horizons — from astronomy to zoology. Topics include: ood and nutrition Medicine Health Energy The environment Other fields where chemistry plays a central role in preventing and combating disease Venue: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) Start date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:00:00 -0400 End date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:00:00 -0400 (Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events)
Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events - August 11, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

Ecosystem services and the delivery of health benefits
Towards optimised health and environment planning A one day inter-disciplinary meeting organised by the Natural Capital Initiative with the British Library Tuesday 28th September 2010, 10:30 am – 5:00 pm (registration and coffee from 10:00 am) The British Library Conference Centre, London Confirmed speakers include: Prof Sir Kenneth Calman, Chancellor of the University of Glasgow Prof Michael Depledge, European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Dr Jo Barton, University of Essex Dr Linda Beale, Small Area Health Statistics Unit, Imperial College Prof Hugh Montgomery, Institute of Human Health and Performance, ...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - August 2, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

Employability in the curriculum; Beyond the bolt-on?
How far can employability really be addressed within your subject? Is it best left in to the experts and delivered through provision additional to the discipline? Whether you are teacher in Astrophysics or Zoology and everything in-between, it is a question we are all facing as strategies for student and graduate employability become explicit parts of HE agenda. The role of the subject teacher in this issue is a major focus of our important June 2010 Conference, Employability in the Curriculum; Beyond the Bolt-on? You are warmly invited to attend what promises to be an informative and stimulating conference featuring not...
Source: MEDEV Events - June 15, 2010 Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: events

Headgear: The Natural History of Horns and Antlers
The Headgear exhibit will feature dramatic arrays of horns, antlers, and head mounts of a wide variety of species drawn from the collections of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, as well as 3-D diorama and video presentations illustrating the use of horns and antlers in combat. Visitors will be invited to explore some of the properties of horns and antlers by touching real specimens and comparing their own body height to the world’s largest antlers, those of the extinct Irish Elk, which span as much as 12 feet. In addition, through specimens and text, visitors will learn about the structure and function of horn-l...
Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events - April 9, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

Prather Lecture in Biology: Edward O. Wilson on "Biodiversity and the Future of Biology"
The annual John M. Prather Lectures in Biology will be presented by Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino Research Professor Emeritus and Honorary Curator in Entomology at Harvard, and one of the world’s leading voices for conservation of global biodiversity. Wilson is one of the most influential and accomplished biologists of the last half-century. He is known for his groundbreaking research on the biology and behavior of ants, as well as his celebrated work in such broad fields as island biogeography, sociobiology, and conservation biology. He is the author of two Pulitzer Prize-winning books, On Human Nature (1978) and The Ant...
Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events - March 22, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

Mammalian biodiversity: past, present, future?
Beautiful and charismatic, mammals are biodiversity icons. But a quarter of mammalian species are now threatened with extinction, as ecosystems reel under the impact of a growing and ever more demanding human population. This lecture explores the history and possible future of mammalian diversity, taking in a range of questions along the way. How important was the sudden extinction of dinosaurs in the rise of mammals? How have they responded to climate change in the past? Why have some groups, such as rodents, radiated so much more than others? Why are Africa’s native mammals so much more spectacular and more diverse...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - March 4, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

Zombie Insects and Disgusted Humans: How Parasites Affect Behavior
From the dark forests of New Guinea to the woods of New England, various parasites pull off tricks of manipulation that would impress any Hollywood screenwriter: they hijack the brains of insects and literally turn them into “zombies.” In defending against such sinister Svengalis, an array of defensive behaviors has evolved. Darwin was the first to study this in humans, and since then scientists have theorized that fear and disgust might be a defense against certain parasites. David Hughes, a researcher in Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology, will discuss the evolution of these behaviors in a world teeming with p...
Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events - February 1, 2010 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Stamford Raffles Lecture 2010
The Stamford Raffles Lecture is the foremost event in our annual programme of Science and Conservation Events. Established in 1995, the lectures have been given by eminent speakers on a wide range of zoological topics. Details of the 2010 Stamford Raffles Lecture will be available from early-2010. A full list of previous speakers can be found "here":http://www.zsl.org/science/scientific-meetings/stamford-raffles-lecture,552,AR.html Venue: The Meeting Rooms, ZSL London Zoo Start date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:00:00 +0100 End date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:30:00 +0100 (Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events)
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - November 30, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Communicating Science: ‘Re-wilding Europe’ and the return of predators
‘Re-wilding Europe’ and the return of predators Over the last decade Europe has witnessed the comeback of native large predators, with species such as lynx, wolverines or wolves exhibiting increasing distribution and population numbers across Western Europe. This recent comeback has proven to be extremely beneficial for ecosystems, helping to control over-abundant prey species and maintain plant and habitat diversity. However, the presence of these predators has also meant increased wildlife/human conflicts, such as livestock predation and competition with hunters. What are the ecological, economical and cultur...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - November 30, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Communicating Science - Success and failure in conserving species of extreme rarity: lessons to be learnt?
Success and failure in conserving species of extreme rarity: lessons to be learnt? In August 2007, the Yangtze River dolphin, or baiji, was declared functionally extinct. Decline of the species had been documented over several decades until searches indicated that as few as 13 animals might exist. An intensive recovery programme was proposed as the only remaining option to save the species. However, the programme failed to gain wider support because the risk of failure was deemed too high. Elsewhere, numerous intensive recovery programmes have successfully brought species back from the brink of extinction. Famous examples ...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - November 30, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Communicating Science - Conservation with shifting goalposts: polar conservation and climate change
Conservation with shifting goalposts: polar conservation and climate change Some of the most wide-ranging threats to biodiversity stem from the biological impacts of climate change, which can impact the habitat and food of all species, from penguins and polar bears to corals. While we can identify the problem, the biological effects of climate change are beyond the control of conservationists. Should we acknowledge this and do what we can, or are we papering over the cracks? Is it possible to mitigate the effects of climate change and, if so, how? Three zoologists will describe what climate change means for their Antarctic...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - November 30, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

ZSL Communicating Science - Making good decisions: how humans and other animals deal with an uncertain world
Making good decisions: how humans and other animals deal with an uncertain world The study of decisions is to ask how and why individuals decide to act in a certain way. Biologists tend to focus on the why questions: for example, why does a bird looking for food choose to switch between different foraging patches and why does it spend as long as it does at each patch? Psychologists tend focus their efforts on understanding how: what information does the bird use to decide when to leave and how does it get this information? Current research will be described with the aim of producing practical applications. By taking an evo...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - November 30, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

‘Taxonomy, Natural History and the Digital World’
Dr Malcolm Scoble is an entomologist with research interests in the taxonomy of the Lepidoptera and in Web-based taxonomy. In the last decade he and his colleagues have specialised in the taxonomy of Geometridae, the moths with ‘looper’ caterpillars, and in using this family as a model group to assess patterns of species description and regional richness. Another area of interest is in developing new approaches to improve access to information in natural history collections. He has held appointments at the Transvaal Museum (Pretoria, South Africa), Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and the Natural History Mu...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - October 4, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

‘Illegal Use of Endangered species and the use of miss-identified plants’
Monique Simmonds is Deputy Keeper & Head of Sustainable Uses of Plants Group (Biological Interactions Section and Centre for Economic Botany), Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Head of Kew Innovation Unit. She studied Agricultural Zoology and Pure Zoology at Leeds University and then went onto undertake a PhD with Prof Wally Blaney at Birkbeck College, University of London. She was then employed by Kew to study animal-plant interactions and has remained at Kew since. She is a visiting Professor at Birkbeck College & School of Pharmacy, University of London and Greenwich University. At Kew she co-ordin...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - October 4, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

‘Taxonomy, Systematics and Conservation Biology’
Robert McCredie May, Lord May of Oxford, OM AC Kt FRS, holds a Professorship jointly at Oxford University and Imperial College, London and is a Fellow of Merton College, Oxford. He was until recently President of The Royal Society (2000-2005), and before that Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government and Head of the UK Office of Science and Technology (1995-2000). His career includes a Personal Chair in Physics at Sydney University aged 33, Class of 1877 Professor of Zoology and Chairman of the Research Board at Princeton, and in 1988 a move to Britain as Royal Society Research Professor. Particular interests include ...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - October 4, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

How Insect Are We? Pestival 2009 Key Note Symposium
Pestival gets off to a flying start with its opening event How Insect Are We?, hosted by ZSL London Zoo, on 3rd September 2009. Join leading scientists, artists and thinkers to discover how the most despised creatures on earth, insects, bite back and reclaim their central place in our lives at Pestival’s cutting-edge symposium. Four leading thinkers from four different disciplines discuss how close to insects mankind really is and what contributions they make in all our lives. From swarm theory to architecture to extending life and political thinking to insect as muse, great minds get to grips with the insect contributio...
Source: Nature Network London - Recent News - August 26, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

Pestival Symposium
Eighty percent of creatures on earth are insects, the ‘pests’ without whom humans wouldn’t survive. Pestival opens on September 3rd in partnership with ZSL with a cutting edge Pestival Symposium at London Zoo and celebrates the 100’s of millions of years of evolution, which places insects at the heart of human existence.  Four leading thinkers from four different disciplines discuss how close to insects mankind really is and what contributions they make in all our lives. From swarm theory to architecture to extending life and political thinking to insect as muse, great minds get to grips with the insect contrib...
Source: Nature Network London - Recent News - August 26, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

Surviving pandemics: a pathogen’s perspective
The Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Prize Lecture 2009 Professor Sunetra Gupta University of Oxford One of the biggest challenges faced by pathogens in their bid for survival is the host immune response. Within an infected individual, pathogen populations face direct attack by the different processes of the immune system; at a community level, immunity affects pathogen fitness by reducing the pool of susceptible persons. Professor Gupta will discuss how pathogens have evolved under this form of natural selection and found solutions that allow them to persist within individuals and within communities using examples from mal...
Source: Nature Network London - Recent News - August 11, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

This Brick Ark: Celebrating the Museum of Comparative Zoology’s First 150 Years and the Beginning of the Next 150
Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ), the product of larger-than-life figures of 19th-century science, is a world-renowned center for research and education in evolutionary and comparative biology. The MCZ’s Director, Dr. James Hanken, will explore the history of this institution, what it can tell us about the changing role of university-based natural history museums, and what museums must do to survive—indeed, to thrive—in the 21st century. Venue: Harvard Museum of Natural History Start date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0400 End date: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:00 -0400 (Source: Nature Network Boston - Recent News)
Source: Nature Network Boston - Recent News - August 6, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

Hunting the Antisocial Cancer
One of the most effective ways of improving cancer treatments is to improve early diagnosis, so that cancers are detected before they spread. Proteins that regulate DNA replication provide a new approach to this problem. Replicating the human genome during each cell cycle is an enormous logistical challenge. 105 replication initiation events must be co-ordinated so that all of the DNA is replicated once, exactly once and only once. How does the cell keep track of which regions it has already replicated? The answer lies in a ratchet-like system of “replication licensing”. Proteins that make up the license are remarkably...
Source: Nature Network London - Recent News - July 29, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

The Poetry of Science: creative writing and the artistic naturalist
Since publication, the works of Charles Darwin have inspired poets and artists. One of these writers, Kelley Swain, will discuss the creation of her poetry book, <i>Darwin’s Microscope</i> (Flambard Press, 2009), from reading Darwin, to studying whales in Baja, Mexico, to dissecting cats, to observing the migration of monarch butterflies on the coast of New England. Kelley completed an Honours undergrad degree in English/Creative Writing—but was also able to take science courses including evolution, animal behaviour, environmental studies, anthropology, geology, and zoology. These studies, coupled with her ...
Source: Nature Network London - Recent News - July 27, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

The Coral Reef Crisis: Addressing the Threats of Global Warming and Ocean Acidification.
Public Presentation: 6th July 2009 (15:30 -17.00) at the Royal Society by Professor J.E.N. Veron With introduction by Sir David Attenborough Communicating the danger of major ecosystem collapse Coral reefs are directly impacted by the synergistic effects of global warming and ocean acidification and are likely to be placed into a situation of irreversible decline if immediate steps are not taken to reduce CO2 emissions. In December 2009, Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be meeting in Copenhagen to discuss and hopefully agree to greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Th...
Source: Nature Network London - Recent News - July 1, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

Hunting the Antisocial Cancer, Prof Ron Laskey, MRC Cancer Cell Unit, Cambridge
One of the most effective ways of improving cancer treatments is to improve early diagnosis, so that cancers are detected before they spread. Proteins that regulate DNA replication provide a new approach to this problem. Replicating the human genome during each cell cycle is an enormous logistical challenge. 105 replication initiation events must be co-ordinated so that all of the DNA is replicated once, exactly once and only once. How does the cell keep track of which regions it has already replicated? The answer lies in a ratchet-like system of “replication licensing”. Proteins that make up the license are remarkably...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - June 24, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

A Bug's Life- ATBI in action
Join Jessica Rykken, from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University in collecting bugs as a part of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI). After a ten-minute overview of the on-going ATBI project in the Boston Harbor Islands national park area, there will be a 15 minute tour of some of traps on the island. There’s no time to be squeamish, participants will then take part in a 30 minute bug collection. Finally everyone gathers to examine what was caught, and through various sorting activities with magnifying lenses etc., ending with several vials of insects that will contribute “real data” to the Al...
Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events - April 29, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

“Heatstroke: Nature in an Age of Global Warming”
In Heatstroke, renowned paleoecologist Anthony Barnosky shows how global warming is fundamentally changing the natural world and its creatures. Plants and animals that have followed the same rhythms for millennia are suddenly being confronted with a world they’re unprepared for – and adaptation usually isn’t an option. This is not the first time climate change has dramatically transformed Earth. Barnosky draws connections between the coming centuries and the end of the last ice age, when mass extinctions swept the planet. The differences now are that climate change is faster and hotter than past changes, and for ...
Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events - April 24, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

Biodiversity monitoring and conservation: Symposium
Bridging the gaps between global commitment and local action – Biodiversity conservation is becoming an increasingly urgent imperative in the face of accelerating degradation of natural ecosystems. Effective conservation depends on our ability to measure and monitor biodiversity change, and on the responses to biodiversity loss of a wide group of stakeholders and actors, including governments, local communities and the international community. A range of biodiversity indicators are under development to assess progress towards the 2010 targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). However, whilst the 2010 t...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - April 14, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

Bushmeat and fisheries within the livelihood context
What are the implications for conservation? Livelihoods of wildlife harvesters in developing countries are often diverse, with people drawing on a range of sources to support their livelihoods. As well as wildlife harvesting for consumption or sale, these sources can include farming, trading, casual labour and remittances and may be for monetary returns or consumption. Research designed to inform conservation and development activities frequently focuses on the biological impacts or socio-economic importance of just the wildlife harvesting component of their livelihoods, and ignores the cross-sectoral interactions with oth...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - April 14, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

Extinction risk in common species
Conservation attention and activities tend to focus on rare species – those with low population numbers or restricted distributions. However, there is a growing list of examples of species threatened with extinction that in the recent past were considered to be common. Major declines in such species potentially have much greater consequences than declines in rare species, because common species contribute proportionately so much more to the functioning of the ecosystems in which they are (or were) numerically dominant. Speakers will provide an overview of the causes and consequences of such declines, followed by case...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - April 14, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

Darwin's London
From London’s influence on the young Charles Darwin to the effect of Darwinian theory on the reshaping of the city, this day of talks will offer an entertaining and enlightening insight into the relationship between man and metropolis. Leading experts in social history, evolutionary biology and the history of science will explore the places, people and institutions in London which were important to Darwin’s work, as well the effect of Darwin’s theory on the lives of Londoners. Coinciding with the bicentenary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his most famous publication, On the Origin of Spe...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - April 8, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

An Afternoon with Charles Darwin: Family program with Andrew Berry
Imagine meeting Charles Darwin! What stories would he tell? What would you ask him? To celebrate the anniversary of his birth, Darwin (as resurrected by Andrew Berry) returns from the past to talk about his life, show some fossils and animal specimens from his voyages, and take you on a walk through the museum’s zoological galleries. Dr. Berry is well-qualified for this role: he teaches evolution at Harvard, runs a history of science program in the United Kingdom on the development of Darwin’s ideas, and even attended the same English high school as Darwin. Free with museum admission. Part of Darwin Year Events. ...
Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events - February 3, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

The Darwin Cycle: A Classical Music Performance by the Firebird Ensemble and Soprano Jane Sheldon
In celebration of Darwin year, the Harvard Museum of Natural History will host a special performance of modern classical music in the museum’s zoological galleries. Soprano Jane Shelton and the Firebird Ensemble will perform six original compositions inspired by the text of Charles Darwin’s On the Origins of Species. One of the premier new music ensembles in the United States, the Firebird Ensemble is known for its highly varied contemporary repertoire, virtuosic performances, and wide audience appeal. Located at 26 Oxford Street. Tickets required. Check "Museum website":http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu for ticket...
Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events - February 3, 2009 Category: Science Source Type: events

Monitoring of wildlife: from individual behaviours to global distributions
Environmental change is likely to have an ever-increasing influence on the ecology and survival of animals, yet many of the species which are of greatest conservation concern are wide-ranging and live in remote areas and are, therefore, extremely difficult to observe. Information on animal movements, species numbers and wider distributions is critical for our understanding of species responses to environmental threats and the remote monitoring of animals is a growing sector of conservation science. In the course of this meeting, we will introduce the audience to a range of approaches that biologists are using to solve the ...
Source: Nature Network Boston - Upcoming Events - November 4, 2008 Category: Science Source Type: events

Earthwatch lecture - Shrinking Habitats, Species Survival
Dr. Dawn Scott (University of Brighton) & Dr. Rich Reading (Denver Zoological Foundation) will be giving talks on their Earthwatch projects, ‘South Africa’s Brown Hyenas’ and ‘Wildlife of the Mongolian Steppe’, species in the one case often unfairly maligned, and in the other, sadly under- researched. (Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events)
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - October 10, 2008 Category: Science Source Type: events

How Feathers Saved the Dinosaurs: From lords of the earth to lords of the sky
Contrary to popular belief, the dinosaurs did not go extinct 65 million years ago: one dino group – the birds – survived through to the present day, thanks to one of the most controversial and fascinating evolutionary journeys. Dr Matt Wilkinson will show how the latest discoveries of superbly preserved feathered fossils are telling us more and more about this extraordinary transformation, while raising some very perplexing questions. Matt Wilkinson leads a double life as a zoologist and actor. His recent research work focused on pterodactyl flight, but he is now writing his first play about Darwin’s passiona...
Source: Nature Network London - Upcoming Events - October 3, 2008 Category: Science Source Type: events