The Daily Bulletin

Please join the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Center for the seminar “Deciphering the Role of Mutualism and Antagonism in Speciation,” presented by David Althoff, associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Biology at Syracuse University, on Monday, September 16, at 3:00 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 151. Attendees are welcome to enjoy coffee and cookies during the seminar.

Abstract
Interactions among species can generate strong selection that can modify many aspects of an organism’s biology. What is less certain is how reciprocal selection caused by species interactions can be instrumental in leading to the formation of new species. Despite many long-standing ideas, there is relatively little empirical evidence of the role of interactions in speciation. Using the pollination mutualism—seed-feeding antagonism between yucca moths and yuccas as a model—Dr. Althoff explores the ways in which interaction outcomes can lead to specialization and reciprocal evolutionary change that can have a direct role in the speciation process. Current results from phylogenetic and experimental approaches suggest that the antagonistic rather than mutualistic component of the overall interaction is a major driver in speciation of pollinator yucca moths.