Building, Using and Teaching the Tree of Life
The Tree of Life, the evolutionary connections among all species on Earth, has emerged as a grand symbol and organizing principle for biodiversity and deftly weaves scientific and cultural meaning. With more than 2 million species described, and many more millions undiscovered, unnamed, or extinct, the Tree of Life is immense. Assembling a comprehensive tree for all life was long considered impossible, but the perfect storm of algorithm development, computer power, innovations in DNA sequencing technology, and global teamwork enabled construction of the first rough draft family tree of all living species. Knowledge of relationships is crucial for ecology, agriculture, medical science, conservation, and ultimately the survival of humankind. Here we consider how this framework can be used to address questions across a range of disciplines; the combined power of genomics and the relationships revealed by the Tree of Life holds promise for addressing societal grand challenges ranging from food security, crop improvement, and drug discovery to climate change. We also explore avenues for teaching the value of the tree of life.
tree.opentreeoflife.org
Doug and Pam Soltis are plant evolutionary biologists who use DNA methods to understand plant evolutionary relationships and elucidate evolutionary processes, including hybridization and genome doubling. They also use plant collection data and niche modeling to provide insights into evolutionary ecology. Both are highly dedicated to outreach and conveying the importance of biodiversity to the public. They are members of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
This is a FREE event and no registration is required. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
The event will be held in the Jack Poole Hall at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre. Please click here for the address.
Parking: there is limited metered street parking available along University Blvd and Wesbrook Mall. We suggest using one of the parkades below. View the university parkade and parking lot map.
- Health Science Parkade – 2250 Health Sciences Mall V6T 1Z3
- North Parkade – 6115 Student Union Boulevard V6T 1Z1
In partnership with the Biodiversity Research Centre (BRC), the Beaty Biodiversity Museum presents an ongoing series of lectures exploring our understandings of biodiversity.