Over the past few years there has been a resurgence of interest in group/multilevel selection as an explanatory framework, particularly with respect to cooperative behaviour in humans and eusocial animals.

We at the London Evolutionary Research Network think this is a fascinating and timely topic, and we are pleased to announce our forthcoming debate.

Four eminent speakers in the field will be discussing the motion:

Is natural selection at the group level an important evolutionary force?

Stuart West
Professor of Evolutionary Biology, University of Oxford

Herbert Gintis
Professor of Economics, Santa Fe Intitute, University of Siena, and Central European University

Samir Okasha
Professor of Philosophy of Science, University of Bristol

Mark Pagel
Professor of Biology, University of Reading

This is the first debate-style talk LERN has hosted. Each speaker will get 20 minutes to present their ideas followed by 10 minutes rebuttal time. There will be a substantial Q&A period at the end of the talks. Tea and biscuits will be served during a break. This event is free.

Date: 7 July 2009, Tuesday

Time: 15.30 - 18.30

Location: JZ Young Lecture Theater,

Anatomy Building, University College London

LINK TO MAP Entrance via Gower Street or Malet Place.

The 2009 LERN field trip will provide interested members with the opportunity to visit part of the mammalian collection held in the Natural History Museum’s basement. Philippa Brewer, curator of the Mesozoic and Tertiary Mammals at the NHM has kindly agreed to give members a tour of the collection with special emphasis on the evolution of sea mammals.

The visits will be split into three dates (June 4th, June 5th and June 11th), with a possible June 12th date. The tour will start at 5:30 and last approximately one hour. Six places are available for each date, and those interested should email LERN with their name and contact information.

But hurry, there are only a few spots available!

Date: April 23rd 2009

Time: 18:00

Location: Daryll Forde Seminar Room (2nd floor of the Department of Anthropology)

Abstract:

150 years after “The Origin of Species” there is still no consensus among anthropologists for a Darwinian explanation for the most basic ape-human difference, our bipedality. Largely missing from the scientific literature about the evolution this peculiar mammalian form of locomotion is a discussion of the possible role of wading in shallow water. This presentation reviews the published work that considers the concept, and suggests that it is the idea’s mere association with the infamous, so-called “aquatic ape hypothesis” (perhaps better labelled, in the plural, “waterside hypotheses of human evolution”) which accounts for its disapproval, as specific objections are largely absent.

As extant great apes appear to be almost unique within the mammals, as species that switch from a predominantly quadrupedal gait on land, to a bipedal gait in water, and as most early hominid paleohabitats are dominated by local wetlands, I consider our findings highly relevant to the question of the origin of human bipedalism.

My research poses an intriguing question: Could waterside hypotheses of human evolution, if put into the proper context, from population genetics, of slight selection, offer a way for Darwinists to explain all the other major physical differences between humans and their ape cousins and finally reach a lasting consensus about human origins? I will argue that they do indeed.

For more information on Algis Kuliukas please click here, and to watch a youtube video about his research, please click here.

(for a map of UCL, click here)

Formal mathematical models are central to the theories of social evolution developed over the last few decades. Yet - for those of us without a mathematical background – getting to grips with these models can be difficult.

LERN is considering setting up a regular study group on the use of models in social evolution. The meetings would be based around Mathematical Models of Social Evolution; a Guide for the Perplexed by Richerson & McElreath, an introductory text that also covers models relating to genetic and cultural evolution.

This is intended as a participant-led study group for people new modelling approaches. A basic understanding of algebra is all that’s needed.

Mathematical Models of Social Evolution is available from Amazon and costs £15 - £20. Links to reviews by Daniel Nettle (PDF) and Daniel Rankin (PDF), and the first chapter of the book (PDF).

If you’re please interested email micheal.debarra {at} lshtm.ac.uk. If there is sufficient interest we will canvass ideas on how you would like the meetings to be run, as well as the best time and place.

Edit: Meetings now take place once a week in UCL anthropology department, usually on a Thursday evening. New recruits always welcome - get in touch on the email address above.

Seeing that Valentine’s day is coming up, as well Darwin’s 200th birthday, we’ve decided to go with a talk fitting for the occasion. The title of this event will be the “Duration of courtship effort as a costly signal” by Peter Sozou (Warwick an LSE).

Date: February 12th 2009 at 6:30pm

Location: Archaeology Lecture Room, UCL (Institute of Archaeology) - click here for map.

Dear all,

The LERN committee is trying to organize a tour of the Natural History Museum basement as our next field trip. This tour will be catered to LERN members (you can become a member simply by signing up - follow the link to your right), and will likely have a capped number of places. We are aiming for this to be a Spring event, and the details will be worked out at a later date.

In the meantime, because we all come from different academic backgrounds and have different (evolutionary) interests, we are conducting a survey to know which collection(s) you would be the most interested in visiting.

If you are interested in this field trip, and would like to receive an email with the link and password for the voting poll, email us at info@londonevolution.net

LERN Guest Seminar

On the use and misuse of epigenetics in evolutionary psychology
Brian Garvey (Philosophy, Lancaster University)

18:00 Tuesday 2nd December 2008

This event is free and everyone is welcome!

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been much work on the role of non-genetic factors in inheritance, development, and evolution. This has led to a re-evaluation of some traditional ideas, and in particular to a questioning of the traditional distinction between innate and acquired traits. The rejection of this distinction has been a central feature of developmental systems theory, as found in the work of Susan Oyama and others of this school. Leading evolutionary psychologists, such as Cosmides and Tooby, have also frequently asserted that the distinction is meaningless. In this paper, I will argue that there are indeed good reasons for rejecting the distinction, and that this does indeed force us to reconsider some cherished notions. However, I will also argue that the evolutionary psychologists are misusing the rejection of the innate-acquired dichotomy, in that they use it as a means to bypass perfectly legitimate questions. To show this, I will examine the kinds of questions people typically ask about the implications of evolutionary psychology – questions such as: How difficult is this or that evolved trait to change? How do we explain the variation that exists in this or that trait? The rejection of the innate-acquired dichotomy does not render these questions meaningless, so it is necessary to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate uses of epigenetics in evolutionary psychology.
Location
Drayton Ricardo LT
Drayton House
University College London
Cnr Euston Rd - Gordon St entrance
London WC1E 6BT

Information on how to reach UCL by public transport can be found here.
Click here to see a map of UCL.

Annual LERN/CEE Medawar Lecture

Bringing fossils back to life: How trilobites lived
Richard Fortey FRS (Natural History Museum)

17.00, 26th November 2008
This event is free and everyone is welcome!

Abstract
Trilobites were a very diverse group of marine arthropods that are now extinct, and without close living relatives. How can we deduce something about the ways in which these organisms might have lived? Plausible answers can be found from using a variety of criteria including classical functional morphology, geology,biogeography and experiment. We know a lot about how they grew from the larval stage, how the moulted and enrolled. They had the first sophisticated visual system in the fossil record. It was once thought that trilobites were benthic animals, but it is now considered likely that several groups adopted planktonic life habits. Of the benthic species, there is evidence that they adopted most of the lifestyles available to living arthropods as deposit feeders, predator/scavengers and modified filter feeders. Different commnities of these animals were adapted to different depth zones and speciated separately on ancient palaeocontinents. Even so there remain many enigmatic trilobites, with bizarre features unmatched in the living fauna.

Location
Medical Sciences AV Hill Lecture Theatre
University College London
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT

Click here to download a flyer for this event.

Information on how to reach UCL by public transport can be found here.
Click here to see a map of UCL.

LERN Annual General Meeting and Start of Year Party
Meet up with postgrad students from all London colleges

Date: Thursday 23rd October
Time: 18.00
Venue: Grant Museum, UCL

Refreshments will be freely provided and you will have a good chance to
look around the Grant Museum of Zoology!

All committee members are attending, as well as reps from many London
institutions. The committee positions of Chair (2), Treasurer, and
Secretary are open for 2009, so we are keen to have people come along to
find out more about the network’s future activities and the committee
positions.

If you’d like to come along, please email Fiona on info@londonevolution.net
so we have an idea of numbers - but you can of course just come along on
the evening.

Location
Grant Museum of Zoology
Darwin Building
University College London
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom

Information on how to reach UCL by public transport can be found here.
Information on how to reach the Grant Museum can be found here.

LERN Guest Seminar
City Wild: The nature of a living London
Mathew Frith (Landscape Regeneration Manager, Peabody Trust & Vice-Chair, London Wildlife Trust)

18:00 Tuesday 7th October 2008

Mathew will be speaking about biodiversity in London and urban wildlife.
This event is free and everyone is welcome!

Location
Drayton Ricardo LT
Drayton House
University College London
Cnr Euston Rd - Gordon St entrance
London WC1E 6BT

Click here to download a poster for this event.

Information on how to reach UCL by public transport can be found here.
Click 2008map.jpg to see a map of UCL.