Research Showcase | "Opening the eyes of the beholder: Paradigm shifts in science on the importance of female animals in evolution and biodiversity"

Join us for a presentation from UT Fulbright Scholar, Gabriel Macedo.

Studies of animal communication signals have traditionally focused on males. In ornithology, for example, melodious songs and bright plumage colors that birds use to attract mates and defend territories have been more extensively studied in males than in females. However, there is growing evidence that both females and males use competitive traits to access and defend resources, broadening perspectives on how the diversity of animal signals and species have evolved. This talk will give an historical overview on how the ways that scientists have perceived the natural world introduced biases in our understanding of the importance of female animals in evolution. Contributions from women scientists were pivotal to overturn these biases and to develop comprehensive approaches to address important questions in biodiversity science.

This research come from the Derryberry Lab. It is being presented by the McClung Museum as a companion to the exhibition "Between the Hand and Sky: The Art of Elizabeth Gould" through a partnership with the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.