The Tenth Annual Smithsonian Botanical Symposium April 20-21, 2012 “Transforming 21st Century Comparative Biology using Evolutionary Trees”
Over the last 20 years great progress has been made toward assembling a phylogeny of life on Earth and our expanding knowledge of evolutionary relationships is transforming 21st century biology. This is especially true in comparative biology where phylogenetic methods and trees are proving effective tools to reveal new and often unexpected insights into how organisms evolve and adapt to their environments. These advances span new important questions and enable a fresh look at old questions that include: diversification, role of extinction, response to climate change, co-evolution, the influence of genetic architecture on morphological evolution, and patterns of community assembly and interaction. The Symposium will address the question: How do we put the knowledge of evolutionary relationships to work to better describe and understand the diversification of life on Earth? Information & Registration online at http://botany.si.edu/sbs Friday, April 20 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. - Opening Reception, The United States Botanic Garden Saturday, April 21 8:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. - Lectures and Discussion, Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History 5:45 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Reception and Dinner, Museum Rotunda, National Museum of Natural History
