Public debate on warfare and evolution

As part of the Darwin Day events, co-sponsored by NIMBioS, there was a public debate about the role of warfare in fostering early social evolution. See below for a link to coverage of the debate, and for the audience vote results.

Public Debate: Was warfare a creative force in early social evolution?

Darwin Day in the press

Darwin Day Tennessee has been picked up in numerous media outlets. A selection so far:

• Knox News: Humphrey on the Hill
• The Republic, Columbus, Indiana
• VolunteerTV
• Tennessee Today
• WATE (TV station, Knoxville, TN)
• Jackson Sun, Jackson, TN
• The Tennesseean, Nashville, TN

Darwin Day events begin

Darwin Day Tennessee has begun its three days of festivities celebrating Darwin and the importance of his theory of evolution for science. The first event is a public outreach table, running over the next three days. There will also be lectures, a discussion, a teacher workshop, and many other events. See the Darwin Day Tennessee website for full information.

PNAS paper on extinction risk

Alison Boyer, Research Assistant Professor in the UTK EEB department, recently coauthored a paper in PNAS on the drivers and hotspots of extinction risk in marine mammals.

Abstract:
The world's oceans are undergoing profound changes as a result of human activities. However, the consequences of escalating human impacts on marine mammal biodiversity remain poorly understood. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) identifies 25% of marine mammals as at risk of extinction, but the conservation status of nearly 40% of marine mammals remains unknown due to insufficient data. Predictive models of extinction risk are crucial to informing present and future conservation needs, yet such models have not been developed for marine mammals. In this paper, we: (i) used powerful machine-learning and spatial-modeling approaches to understand the intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of marine mammal extinction risk; (ii) used this information to predict risk across all marine mammals, including IUCN “Data Deficient” species; and (iii) conducted a spatially explicit assessment of these results to understand how risk is distributed across the world's oceans. Rate of offspring production was the most important predictor of risk. Additional predictors included taxonomic group, small geographic range area, and small social group size. Although the interaction of both intrinsic and extrinsic variables was important in predicting risk, overall, intrinsic traits were more important than extrinsic variables. In addition to the 32 species already on the IUCN Red List, our model identified 15 more species, suggesting that 37% of all marine mammals are at risk of extinction. Most at-risk species occur in coastal areas and in productive regions of the high seas. We identify 13 global hotspots of risk and show how they overlap with human impacts and Marine Protected Areas.

EEB Newsletter

The most recent version of the EEB Newsletter has appeared. You can download a PDF, submit items to the editor, or get an email subscription here.

Nature paper on White Nose Syndrome

Photo from Indiana State University press release

UTK EEB postdoc Justin Boyles recently coauthored a Nature article establishing Geomyces destructans as the infectious agent causing White Nose Syndrome, a disease that destroy entire colonies of bats.

Sanders awarded grant for effect of climate change on ants

EEB Associate Professor Nate Sanders was recently awarded a $171,286 grant from NSF for studying "The climate cascade: functional and evolutionary consequences of climatic change on species, trait, and genetic diversity in a temperate ant community ". For more information about the grant, go here.

Jaime Call named "Most Courteous Employee"

Jaime Call, a staff member in the EEB main office, has been named as UTK's most courteous employee for Sept. 2011. Note that UTK has roughly 15,000 employees, so the competition is fierce.

Below is some of the information used in her nomination:

• “Jaime is always a huge help in the EEB office. I collaborated with another peer to start the EEB undergraduate club and I don't think that it would have been established if it were not for Jaime Call. She's always energetic and willing to drop everything she is doing just to lend a hand. If anyone is deserving of roses it is definitely Jaime.”
• “She is incredibly helpful whether it's your first time in the office or you see her every day. She never brings any personal issues into the workplace and always greets you with a smile no matter what her day has been like.”
• “I am a new research faculty member at UT. Jaime Call has been extremely helpful over the past few months as I have moved to UT. She has repeatedly exceeded my expectations and gone out of her way to make sure that my grants, classes, and office were set up correctly. She has recently proved to be even more vital in the workings of the department as a senior member of the office staff has just retired.”
• “Jaime is always so helpful with any administrative problems. All of us in EEB are pretty much guaranteed that she'll do all she can to help solve a problem and also do it with a smile.”
• “Jaime is the most helpful person in our department. She is always cheerful and willing to help anyone, from undergraduates, to graduate students, to faculty and staff. She goes out of her way to find solutions to problems and does so with a smile. I can't think of anyone more deserving of roses than Jaime!”
• “Every time I see Jamie, she always has a smile on her face, and she is always willing to go the extra mile to help out a student or co-worker. I personally cannot think of a better person to receive roses, she truly is an inspiration to me each and every day. Thank you for the consideration.”
• “Jaime is one of the best, most efficient and friendly administrative assistants I have ever worked with! Coming from ORNL to UT she was always there for me, answering silly to very difficult questions! Please send the roses to her, she would be so happy!”
• “Jaime is always very helpful and friendly whenever you enter the EEB office. She might be juggling a phone call, some computer meltdown, and photocopying tons of papers for a professor, but she always greets you with a smile and gets whatever you need done!”“I can't even begin to expound upon what a pleasure it is to work with Jamie Call. She greets everyone who comes to the EEB department & manages to juggle a million different jobs. She is always happy to help and if she can't figure out your problem, she can point you in the right direction. I see her helping graduate students with submitting NSF grants (and faculty as well), helping undergrads figure out their class schedules & other random problems, ordering equipment, dealing with difficult (and happy) faculty.... She makes my life, and the lives of many in our department and the university, much easier. She also is in charge of fielding email & visits from the public ("I found this in my yard, what it is") -- which are not infrequent. She interacts with us all with good humor and a smile. I know that EEB is lucky to have her as the face of our department & I know the undergraduate students, graduate students, random people wandering by, and people with ecological questions! Our faculty is lucky to have her as a member of our university. Jaime deserves a bigger thank you than we could give her individually -- and I think this award would mean a lot to her.”
• “Jaime is the first face you see when you walk into the EEB office every day. She is always happy and cheerful. Throughout my 4 years as a graduate student, Jaime has helped me numerous times even though she isn't required to. She's helped me navigate the University grant system, the graduate school requirements, and my own departmental requirements. I know when I'm having a problem I can go to Jaime for help. She definitely deserves roses.”
• “Jaime has been extremely helpful to faculty, post-docs, graduate and undergraduate students in our department. Jaime never hesitates in helping anyone and goes beyond the call of duty to ensure you get what you need.”
• “Jaime is always helpful and super cheerful about doing her job. She goes the extra mile to help everyone that comes by her desk.”
• “Jaime is always helpful and has a fantastic eye for knowing when you have no idea what you're doing or where to look for things.”
• “Jaime is the most friendly and helpful person in the world. She is always ready to help with anything she knows about and help to find answers if she doesn't already know them. She is approachable and a great smiling face for everyone to see as they come into the EEB office. She is a great problem solver and even though she puts up with a lot from people in the department she is always in a good mood.”
• “Jaime is always willing to help students that stop by the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department office, no matter what she is working on and no matter what the student needs. She is very knowledgeable about the department and office workings, and if she doesn't know the answer to the problem, she is always quick to find somebody who can help.
• In addition to her helpfulness, she's always positive and willing to lend a friendly ear. Jaime is simply an outstandingly positive and necessary part of the EEB department, and she is truly deserving of being recognized by the Positive Recognition Committee.”
• “She is one of the best people that I have met. Last year I was traveling overseas and I got one of my bags stolen. In my bag I had my passport and ID. I am an international student, so I needed to get a new visa to come back to the US. She personally takes care of all the paper work to get documentation from UT. Finally, she is always ready to help you, and always with a big smile.”

PNAS paper on dispersal and coexistence

A recent paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by Michael Bode, Lance Bode, and UTK EEB assistant professor Paul Armsworth examines a novel mechanism that maintains diversity in patchy habitats. Abstract is below. See the full paper here. 


Abstract: The coexistence of multiple species on a smaller number of limiting resources is an enduring ecological paradox. The mechanisms that maintain such biodiversity are of great interest to ecology and of central importance to conservation. We describe and prove a unique and robust mechanism for coexistence: Species that differ only in their dispersal abilities can coexist, if habitat patches are distributed at irregular distances. This mechanism is straightforward and ecologically intuitive, but can nevertheless create complex coexistence patterns that are robust to substantial environmental stochasticity. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is noted for its diversity of reef fish species and its complex arrangement of reef habitat. We demonstrate that this mechanism can allow fish species with different pelagic larval durations to stably coexist in the GBR. Further, coexisting species on the GBR often dominate different subregions, defined primarily by cross-shelf position. Interspecific differences in dispersal ability generate similar coexistence patterns when dispersal is influenced by larval behavior and variable oceanographic conditions. Many marine and terrestrial ecosystems are characterized by patchy habitat distributions and contain coexisting species that have different dispersal abilities. This coexistence mechanism is therefore likely to have ecological relevance beyond reef fish.

Ecology Observatory in Oak Ridge

The Knoxville News-Sentinel newspaper recently covered the establishment of a UT/ORNL site as one of 20 ecological observatories funded as part of a new $434M national program. See the article here. Members of EEB will be heavily involved in this research.

Paul Ehrlich addresses UT

Famed ecologist Paul Ehrlich addressed an audience at UT as part of the Baker Center Interdisciplinary Group on Energy and Environmental Policy series. For more information, see this article in UTK's student newspaper, The Daily Beacon.

PNAS paper on complex codon usage patterns

EEB grad student Premal Shah (now a postdoc in the Plotkin lab at the U. of Pennsylvania) and his adviser, Associate Prof. Mike Gilchrist, recently published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on "Explaining complex codon usage patterns with selection for translational efficiency, mutation bias, and genetic drift."

Abstract: The genetic code is redundant with most amino acids using multiple codons. In many organisms, codon usage is biased toward particular codons. Understanding the adaptive and nonadaptive forces driving the evolution of codon usage bias (CUB) has been an area of intense focus and debate in the fields of molecular and evolutionary biology. However, their relative importance in shaping genomic patterns of CUB remains unsolved. Using a nested model of protein translation and population genetics, we show that observed gene level variation of CUB in Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be explained almost entirely by selection for efficient ribosomal usage, genetic drift, and biased mutation. The correlation between observed codon counts within individual genes and our model predictions is 0.96. Although a variety of factors shape patterns of CUB at the level of individual sites within genes, our results suggest that selection for efficient ribosome usage is a central force in shaping codon usage at the genomic scale. In addition, our model allows direct estimation of codon-specific mutation rates and elongation times and can be readily applied to any organism with high-throughput expression datasets. More generally, we have developed a natural framework for integrating models of molecular processes to population genetics models to quantitatively estimate parameters underlying fundamental biological processes, such a protein translation.

Grant to Matheny for new Fungi of Australia volume

Brandon Matheny and Neale Bougher (Department of Conservation, Western Australia) have received a grant from the Australian Biological Resources Study, in conjunction with matching funds from the Western Australia Naturalists' Club, Inc., to add a systematic volume to the Fungi of Australia series. The subject of the volume will be the Inocybaceae of Australia, a family of ectomycorrhizal fungi particularly diverse in temperate regions of Australia.

NEON construction to begin

Funds have been released for the construction of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) as of Aug. 2011. See this press release. From the release: "NEON plans to build 62 sites across the U.S., utilizing cutting-edge technology that will gather and synthesize continental-scale data over 30 years on the impacts of climate change, land use change and invasive species on natural resources and biodiversity. Such information will support the ability to understand and predict environmental change on regional and continental scales."

There are two NEON sites near UTK: a core site at Walker Branch site at Oak Ridge, and a relocatable site in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are several other sites within a day's drive of campus.

ORNL summer research includes EEB alumni

Two UTK EEB alumni are involved in work at Oak Ridge National Labs this summer on the effect of rising carbon dioxide levels on plant growth. Colleen Iversen was a graduate student in EEB and is now an ecoysystem ecologist at ORNL, while Lauren Breza was an EEB undergrad. Both worked in Aimee Classen's lab while at UT.

See WBIR's story about this work here.

PhD student Melissa Cregger receives DOE award

Melissa Cregger, a PhD student in the Aimee Classen lab, was just awarded the 2011 Marvin L. Wesely Award from the Department of Energy. The award was established in honor of the late Dr. Marvin L. Wesely, Argonne National Laboratory senior meteorologist and chief scientist of the DOE Atmospheric Chemistry Program, who died Jan. 20, 2003 from heart cancer (see pdf). The Marvin L. Wesely Fellowship is awarded to the Graduate Research Environmental Fellow (GREF) who has made the best use of their DOE mentor and facilities in improving the quality of his/her research efforts. The award is given for a one-year period to a current GREF fellow who has been supported to do global change research as part of the Global Change Education Program.

Remembering Hal DeSelm

Our esteemed colleague Hal DeSelm died July 12 at 7pm. Hal’s wife of 63 years, Bee, and their daughter Diane were with him.

The obituary and guestbook are here.

A memorial service is being held this Sunday, July 17 at 3pm at Tennessee Valley Unitarian and Universalist Church on Kingston Pike.

Condolences to Bee and their family.

Bat grant to Jennifer Krauel

Jennifer Krauel, a PhD student of Gary McCracken, recently got an award from Bat Conservation International for studying "Fall migration of Tadarida brasiliensis and their agricultural insect prey".

Postdoc in biodiversity conservation with Armsworth

A postdoctoral position is available in Paul Armsworth’s research group at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (web.utk.edu/~parmswor).

The post-doc will participate in an ongoing, interdisciplinary research project that aims to determine the relative effectiveness of different conservation investment strategies in contrasting ecological and socioeconomic contexts. The post-doc will help collate and analyze spatial data on conservation investment patterns in the US. This work involves extensive interactions with conservation practitioners and will provide the individual with experience of a range of interdisciplinary techniques and approaches relevant to conservation science.

Our research group is part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at UT-Knoxville that is a highly interactive and integrative group of faculty, post-docs and fellows and students (http://eeb.bio.utk.edu). UT-Knoxville is a vibrant campus located in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains and has recently become the home to the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (http://www.nimbios.org) with which our research group has a close association.

Applicants for the position should have a PhD in a relevant discipline, strong quantitative skills, and proficiency in English. In addition, experience with GIS and analysis of spatial ecological data would be advantageous. Funds are available to support this position for one year. The position is immediately available and the search will continue until the position is filled. To apply, please submit by email a CV, a brief covering letter, one or two exemplars of your research (e.g. papers, manuscripts or thesis chapters), and the names and contact information for two references to Paul Armsworth (p.armsworth@utk.edu).

NIMBioS postdocs

Call for Postdoctoral Fellowship Applications at NIMBioS

The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS), located at the Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, is currently accepting applications for postdoctoral scholarship at the interface between mathematics and biology. Highest priority will be given to those with explicit plans to develop their ability to effectively carry on research across these fields. We are particularly interested in requests to support research that integrates diverse fields, requires synthesis at multiple scales, and/or makes use of or requires development of new mathematical/computational approaches. NIMBioS Postdoctoral Fellows are chosen based upon indications that the applicant's research plans are consistent with the mission of NIMBioS, the applicant has the demonstrated ability to carry out the proposed research, and the opportunities provided through NIMBioS will enhance the capacity for the research to be completed in an efficient and timely manner. For additional information on NIMBioS, visit www.nimbios.org. Support: annual stipend of $51,000, full University of Tennessee employee fringe benefits, and an annual travel allowance of $2,000. Requests for Support: Submit a brief project description, references, and CV following the guidelines available at http://www.nimbios.org/postdocs/ to Dr. Chris Welsh at cwelsh@utk.edu. Deadline: NIMBioS postdoctoral requests for support are reviewed three times per year, and the selected researchers are offered positions at NIMBioS where they conduct research that is mostly self-directed. The deadline for activities beginning in early 2012 is Sept. 1, 2011. All letters of recommendation should be submitted before the request deadline.