Ecosystem Dynamics
This term describes the non-living components of an ecosystem, such as temperature, water, and sunlight.
What are abiotic factors?
This theory proposed that living organisms could spontaneously arise from non-living matter, famously debunked by Louis Pasteur.
What is spontaneous generation?
This mammal, known for its slow metabolism and algae-covered fur, spends most of its life hanging upside down in trees.
What is a sloth?
This single rainforest is home to a quarter of the world's terrestrial species.
What is the Amazon Rainforest?
This DUS is also Head of Saybrook College, and works on species classification, among other things.
Who is Tom Near?
In a population experiencing density-dependent regulation, this factor often limits growth as population size increases.
What is competition for resources?
This theory suggests that the environment can cause changes in an organism that are passed on to its offspring.
What is Lamarckism?
This fish can generate electricity, using specialized cells to navigate, communicate, and stun prey.
What is an electric eel?
This island chain in the Pacific Ocean is famous for inspiring Darwin's theory of evolution.
What are the Galápagos Islands?
This professor was the previous DUS, and is all about birds.
Who is Dr. Prum?
This type of community structure occurs when one species indirectly affects another by altering the abundance or behavior of an intermediate species.
What is a trophic cascade?
This theory suggested that natural selection acts in a way that everything an organism does is an adaptation that increases fitness.
What is adaptivism?
This plant traps and digests insects using snap-like modified leaves that close when tiny hairs are triggered.
What is a Venus flytrap?
This high-up biodiversity hotspot, found in the southeastern U.S., contains more species of salamanders than anywhere else in the world.
What is the Appalachian Mountains (or Appalachian region)?
This professor is renowned for his work on the evolution of disease and the evolutionary consequences of human interaction with pathogens.
Who is Dr. Turner?
The Lotka-Volterra equations are used to model interactions between these two types of species in ecosystems.
What are predators and prey?
Once widely accepted, this theory proposed that organisms were designed to prevent overpopulation by regulating their own reproduction for the good of the species.
What is group selection?
This fungus has an explosive method of spore dispersal, shooting spores several feet into the air when they ripen.
What is a puffball mushroom?
This mountain range in South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, home to many plant species found nowhere else on Earth.
What is the Cape Floristic Region?
A leading researcher in tropical forests, this professor studies the ecology and evolutionary dynamics of tree species and their interactions with pathogens and herbivores.
Who is Dr. Comita?
In metapopulation dynamics, local populations may go extinct but be recolonized through this process, which stabilizes the overall population.
What is the rescue effect?
This concept assumed that evolution was a linear, progressive process, always leading to more advanced or complex organisms.
What is orthogenesis?
This insect can clone itself through parthenogenesis, producing offspring without the need for fertilization by a male.
What is an aphid?
This African lake has the highest number of endemic cichlid fish species in the world.
What is Lake Malawi?
Who is the registrar for E&EB (and co-hosted our research webinars)?
Who is Kelly Pyers?