The Siegal Lifelong Learning Program’s next Origins Science Scholars event will be held Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Tinkham Veale University Center.
Jean Burns, assistant professor of biology, will present “From Rude to Food: Plant-Soil Interactions, Invasive Species and the Food Supply.”
In her talk, she will address how Charles Darwin invited us to imagine an entangled river bank, with many species of plants, with insects and birds flitting around, and many other animals as well. From this complexity arises the phenomenon of evolution.
Many people—even those knowledgeable about animal evolution—underestimate the dynamics of plant evolution. Of course we all know plants are different from animals, but just how different can be very surprising. Their interactions with each other and with the very soil in which they grow can produce wildly different effects in growth and in their reliability as a food source for human and animal populations.
This session costs $40 for members and $48 for nonmembers. Registration is available online.
The Origins Science Scholars series will continue Tuesdays through Nov. 15. For a full schedule of events, visit case.edu/lifelonglearning/origins-science-scholars/.