EvoS Seminar Series for Spring 2026 –
Every spring semester, the EvoS seminar series brings distinguished speakers and alumni to campus to share their work on all aspects of humanity and the natural world from an evolutionary perspective.
For undergraduates and graduate students, "Current Topics in Evolutionary Studies" (EVOS451/BIOL451/580S) is a 2-credit course based on the seminar series. Every week, students read scholarly articles and write a commentary to prepare for the seminar. While visiting campus, the speakers meet with faculty and students to share ideas and explore opportunities for collaboration. In many respects, the seminar series is the hub of EvoS and is the capstone of the minor. This course is frequently rated among students' best intellectual experiences at Binghamton.
The seminars are open to the campus and local community. Lectures are typically less than an hour, followed by a brief Q&A by guests, and a longer discussion with students. Most lectures will be in-person in SL-212, with fewer lectures being delivered remotely. All can be viewed live via Zoom.*
Mondays, 4:15 pm - 6:15 pm, Science Library - Room 212
* Zoom Meeting ID: 962 6967 3100 and Passcode: 908754
Weekly seminars are on Monday, except for Tuesday, April 7.
(Note: seminar details will be added as they become available)
SPRING 2026 SERIES:
Monday, January 26 - Introduction to the Course
Rolf Quam, Binghamton University, Anthropology and Evolutionary Studies
(In-person lecture)
- Details
- Monday, January 26
- In person
Monday, Feb 2 - Darwin Day Film
Title: Monkey Trial, American Experience, PBS Video (1:18 min)
- Details
- Monday, Feb 2, 4:15 pm - 5:45 pm
- Film screening only, no Zoom
Evolutionary Studies, Anthropology Club and Evolution Club invite you to the
2026 DARWIN DAY MATINEE
“Monkey Trial”, a PBS American Experience film
The Scopes “Monkey Trail” of 1925 was not only about whether Darwin’s theory of evolution could be taught in schools, but is widely considered a bellwether event that showed the division between science and religion in America, a divide that remains pertinent over one hundred years later. This film documents the historic events of that trial and the country at the time.
This documentary will set the stage for our special guest speaker, Amanda Townley, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, who will speak on “A trial without end: Why we are still litigating Scopes a Century Later” on February 9, 4:15 pm, in SL-212.
ALL ARE WELCOME
Snacks will be served, please bring your own beverage.
Monday, February 9 - Speaker 1
Speaker: Amanda Townley, National Center for Science Education
(In person and via Zoom)
Profile: https://ncse.ngo/node/7459
Title: A trial without end: Why we are still litigating Scopes a century later
- Details
A trial without end: Why we are still litigating Scopes a century later
Amanda Townley, PhD, Executive Director, National Center for Science Education
Science Library 212, In-person and via Zoom* (meeting ID below)
Monday, February 9, 4:15pm – 5:15pm
About the seminar
A century after the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” trial, the tensions between American culture and perceptions of evolutionary science remain a critical fracture in our social fabric. Through legal battles that have shifted from banning, to balancing, to blunting, and now backsliding the underlying conflicts have evolved rather than resolved. This talk examines the legacy of Scopes and the lessons learned since that first battle of society and science, exploring why scientific progress and cultural identities often follow divergent paths. We begin by tracing the origins of the trial from New York City, where the blueprint for the modern culture war was accidentally engineered generations ago. We then explore how the stakes have shifted in the last century, from the debate over what is taught and how to the modern crisis of trust and authority. Through the lens of culture and evolution, where resistance may be viewed as a form of cultural niche construction, we seek to understand how a range of groups, from political to religious, have adapted their rhetoric to survive the changing legal environment. Ultimately, it is not a failure on the part of science that we are still litigating Scopes in the modern age, but rather a predictable outcome of two co-evolving systems – biological facts and the cultural systems that are trying to make sense of them.
About the speaker
Amanda L. Townley, Ph.D., Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, is an award-winning researcher and advocate specializing in science teacher education, evolution education research, and science literacy-focused public outreach. Townley is a deeply engaged advocate of science for all, "hands-on, minds-on" teaching and learning, and supporting the accurate and comprehensive teaching of science across levels of study. Prior to joining NCSE, she was an Associate Professor of Middle Grades and Secondary Science Education at Georgia Southern University in Savannah, Georgia. Her research centered on the intersections between science and society, specifically the acceptance and rejection of evolution and climate change, misconceptions and misuse of the nature of science in anti-science movements, and the impact of the perceived conflicts between scientific understandings and culture on science literacy.
* Zoom Meeting ID: 962 6967 3100 and Passcode: 908754
Monday, February 16 - Speaker 2
Speaker: Christopher Smith, Fairfield University-Connecticut
(In person and via Zoom)
Profile: https://www.fairfield.edu/faculty-and-staff/profile/?username=csmith2
Title: What Our Inner Ears Reveal About the Evolution of Human Movement
- Details
Speaker: Dr. Christopher Smith, Fairfield University-Connecticut
Title: What Our Inner Ears Reveal About the Evolution of Human Movement
Abstract: Our extinct hominin relatives did not move through their environments in a
single, uniform way. Fossil evidence increasingly suggests a rich diversity of locomotor
and postural behaviors across the hominin lineage. Reconstructing how our ancestors
moved, however, remains a central challenge in evolutionary research. Traditionally,
these questions are addressed through analyses of the postcranial skeleton. Emerging
research, however, is drawing renewed attention to a powerful and underutilized source
of information: the peripheral vestibular system of the inner ear.
The vestibular organs of the inner ear are fundamental to 3D spatial perception,
balance, and movement. Previous studies have documented substantial morphological
diversity in primate vestibular anatomy, yielding new insights into the evolution of
locomotion, sensory function, and phylogenetic relationships. Building on this
foundation, our lab extends this approach to the full suite of vestibular organs and
applies it specifically to evolutionary transitions within the hominin lineage. By
integrating biomechanical modeling with advanced imaging of the inner ear, our
research offers a new perspective for investigating hominin positional behavior. In this
talk, I will discuss the functional morphology of the inner ear, introduce emerging
imaging and modeling techniques, and discuss evidence for a previously unrecognized
degree of divergence in hominin vestibular sensory systems.Bio: Dr. Smith is an evolutionary biologist and anatomist interested in how
evolution shapes the sensory systems that allow vertebrates to move, perceive, and
communicate. His lab studies the interplay of structural constraints, developmental
processes, and adaptive pressures that influence the form and function of these
systems and how they ultimately shape human perception and behavior. He completed
his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Salisbury University, his Master of
Arts in Medical Illustration from Johns Hopkins University, and his Master's and Doctor
of Philosophy in Anthropology from The City University of New York Graduate Center. In
addition to his scientific work, Dr. Smith is also a board-certified biomedical illustrator.Article: Smith, C. M., Hammond, A. S., Urciuoli, A., Braga, J., Beaudet,
A., Cazenave, M., Laitman, J. T. & Almécija, S. (2025). Divergent otolithic systems in
the inner ear of Paranthropus robustus and Australopithecus africanus. Journal of
Human Evolution, 199, 103624.
Monday, February 23 - Speaker 3
Speaker: Carl Lipo, Binghamton University (In person and via Zoom)
Profile: https://www.binghamton.edu/anthropology/faculty/profile.html?id=clipo
Title: The Ontong Java Expedition and Archaeology of Oceania
- Details
In-person and via Zoom
Speaker: Carl Lipo
Title: The Search for the Origins of the Rapa Nui Moai: The 2025 Ontong Java
ExpeditionAbstract: The monumental stone statues of Rapa Nui — moai -- represent one
endpoint of a cultural tradition that spans the Polynesian triangle. Ancestral statue forms
appear throughout East Polynesia, from the Marquesas to the Australs to Raivavae,
suggesting that moai construction reflects homologous cultural inheritance rather than
independent invention. Tracing the phylogenetic origins of these traditions requires
understanding the origins of East Polynesian populations. Linguistic evidence,
particularly the subgrouping models developed by Pila Wilson and colleagues, points to
the potential ancestral East Polynesian homeland that predates the colonization of the
remote Pacific. The Central Northern Outliers, Polynesian-speaking communities
embedded within Melanesia and Micronesia, have traditionally been interpreted as
back-migrations from Polynesia proper. However, an alternative hypothesis suggests
these populations may preserve ancestral features of Proto-Polynesian culture that
were subsequently modified in the eastern expansion. Genetic, botanical, and material
culture evidence provide additional lines of inquiry for testing these competing models.
This talk presents preliminary results from a field expedition to Ontong Java, a
Polynesian Outlier atoll in the Solomon Islands. The expedition sought archaeological
evidence bearing on whether the Central Northern Outliers represent source
populations for East Polynesian colonization or derived communities resulting from
westward voyaging.Bio: Carl P. Lipo is Associate Dean for Research and Programs at Harpur
College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Anthropology at Binghamton University.
He received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Washington (2000), with
earlier degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His research integrates
archaeological science, cultural evolution, and geospatial technologies to examine the
long-term dynamics of human populations, with particular emphasis on Rapa Nui
(Easter Island), where he has conducted fieldwork since 2002. His work challenges
conventional narratives of prehistoric "collapse"; through rigorous analysis of the
archaeological record, instead demonstrating patterns of cultural resilience and sustainable resource management. In addition to many peer-reviewed journal articles,
Lipo is co-author (with Terry Hunt) of The Statues that Walked: Unraveling the Mystery
of Easter Island, which received the Society for American Archaeology Book Award for
Public Audience. He currently serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Archaeological
Prospection and has been principal investigator on grants from the National Science
Foundation, National Geographic Society, and the Department of Defense. His research
has been recently featured on NOVA, National Geographic, the New York Times, and
numerous other media outlets. Beyond academia, Lipo co-founded Allrecipes.com, now
one of the world's largest digital food brands, and the Southern Tier Land Conservancy,
reflecting his commitment to applying scientific thinking to practical challenges. He
maintains active fieldwork in the Pacific, the American Southeast, and World War II
battlefield sites in the Solomon Islands.Article: Hunt, T. L., Lipo, C. P., (2017). The last great migration: human colonization of the
remote Pacific islands. In Boivin, N., Crassard, R., & Petraglia, M. (Eds.) Human
Dispersal and Species Movement: From Prehistory to the Present, 194-216.
Monday, March 2 - Speaker 4
Instructor: Rolf Quam, Binghamton University (In person only, no Zoom option)
Profile: https://www.binghamton.edu/anthropology/faculty/profile.html?id=rquam
Title: Project Lucy: Reconstructing a Human Ancestor
- Details
In-person only (no Zoom option)
Speaker: Rolf Quam, Binghamton University
Title: Project Lucy: Reconstructing a Human Ancestor
Abstract: The human fossil skeleton known as “Lucy” is the most famous human ancestor. Discovered in 1974, it provided important evidence for the emergence of bipedalism early in our evolutionary history and was attributed to the species Australopithecus afarensis. “Lucy” showed an interesting combination of ape-like features, including relatively long arms and shorter legs and a small brain size, and human-like features, including bipedal locomotion and reduced canine teeth. Since then, numerous additional discoveries have confirmed these aspects of “Lucy’s” anatomy and provided new evidence on the evolution of this early human ancestor. 50 years later, “Lucy” remains one of the most important and complete early hominin fossils every discovered. Scientists at the American Museum of Natural History have been working for the past decade to reconstruct a complete version of “Lucy’s” skeleton. The lecture will discuss what anthropologists have learned about our early evolution as well as discuss the reconstruction process of “Lucy’s” skeleton.
Bio: Dr. Rolf Quam (PhD, Binghamton University, 2006) is a paleoanthropologist who focuses on the evolution of Neandertals. In particular, he has collaborated on a long-term research project to reconstruct the hearing capacities in our fossil human ancestors as a proxy for language abilities. For the past 30 years, he has participated in the ongoing fieldwork being carried out at the Pleistocene locality of Atapuerca in northern Spain. During the course of his research, he has personally studied a wide diversity of original human fossils from Europe, the Middle East and Africa spanning the last 3 million years of human evolution. He previously held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the American Museum of Natural History (NYC)(2006-2008). He is currently Professor and Chair in the Department of Anthropology as well as the Director of the Evolutionary Studies (EvoS) program at Binghamton University.
Article: Gibbons, A (2024) Lucy’s World. Fifty years after her discovery, the 3.2-million-year-old fossil still reigns as the mother of us all. But now she has rivals. Science. 384, 20-25.
Monday, March 9 - Speaker 5
Speaker: Quentin Atkinson, University of New Zealand (via Zoom)
University of New Zealand in Auckland
Profile: https://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/q-atkinson
Title: What language phylogenies can teach us about human cultural diversity
- Details
Monday, March 9, 4:15 pm - 5:15 pm, via Zoom
* Zoom Meeting ID: 962 6967 3100 and Passcode: 908754
Speaker: Quentin Atkinson, University of New Zealand (Remote)
Title: What language phylogenies can teach us about the human cultural diversity
Abstract: Since Darwin, it has been recognised that languages, like species, evolve via a process of descent with modification. Darwin even used the notion of a global genealogy of the world’s languages to bolster his argument for the origin of species. Yet while biologists have gone on to infer genealogical relationships between all living things, including those at the root of the ‘tree of life’, until recently there has been no widely accepted global tree of the world’s languages. Newly available data and Bayesian inference techniques now make it possible to overcome many of the limitations of earlier work and generate a posterior distribution of global language trees. In this talk, I will showcase how, despite considerable phylogenetic uncertainty, we can explicitly model the process of human cultural evolution playing out over centuries and millennia along the branches of this treeset, and gain new insights into the past, present and future of human cultural and linguistic diversity.
Bio: Quentin Atkinson is a Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland, co-Director of the University of Auckland Behavioural Insights Exchange (UoABIX) and Research Affiliate with the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford. He runs the Language Cognition and Culture Lab, which uses lab and field experiments, computer modelling and evolutionary theory to shed light on topics as varied as the origins of linguistic and cultural diversity, the function of religion, the psychology of climate change, how evolved cognitive biases shape our social behaviour and why political systems vary the way they do around the globe.
Article: Bouckaert, R., Redding, D., Sheehan, O., Kyritsis, T., Gray, R., Jones, K. E., & Atkinson, Q. (2022). Global language diversification is linked to socio-ecology and threat status. SocArXiv. https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/f8tr6_v1
March 16 - NO CLASS (Paleoanthropology and AABA meetings-Denver)
Monday, March 23 - Speaker 6
Speaker: Adriane Lam, Binghamton University (In person and via Zoom)
Profile: https://www.binghamton.edu/psychology/people/profile.html?id=alam
Title: Antarctica Expedition
March 30 - NO CLASS (Spring Break)
April 6 - NO CLASS (Spring Break)
TUESDAY, April 7 - Speaker 7
Speaker: Helene Rougier, California State University Northridge (via Zoom)
Profile: https://csun.academia.edu/H%C3%A9l%C3%A8neRougier
Title: Neandertal cannibalism in Northern Europe: Evidence and interpretation
- Details
Title: Neandertal cannibalism in Northern Europe: Evidence and interpretation
Abstract: Neandertal cannibalism has been documented at several European sites; however, its interpretation in Paleolithic contexts remains challenging due to the fragmentary nature of the available evidence. In Northern Europe, various mortuary practices have been identified among late Neandertals, including cannibalism. This presentation will review these practices, with particular emphasis on the Neandertal assemblage from the Troisième caverne of Goyet in Belgium. At this site, the integration of taphonomic, paleogenetic, and stable isotopic data, combined with a morphometric approach tailored to the fragmentary state of the skeletal remains, has led to a novel interpretation of the documented case of cannibalism. These findings contribute to our understanding of the behavioral variability of late Neandertal populations in Northern Europe during the transition from the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic—a period marked by significant environmental and demographic changes across Europe.
Bio: Hélène Rougier is a Professor of Biological Anthropology at California State University Northridge. A paleoanthropologist, she specializes in the study of the population processes that took place in Western Eurasia during the last Ice Age. Her research interests focus on the evolutionary dynamics of the Neandertal lineage during the Middle and Late Pleistocene, the population of Europe by early Homo sapiens and disappearance of Neandertals, and the diversity of Neandertal mortuary practices. Her research agenda includes both active fieldwork and laboratory research. She has initiated several interdisciplinary projects focused on revisiting old collections in France, Belgium, and Germany. These efforts have allowed Prof. Rougier to make numerous discoveries of both Neandertal and early Homo sapiens remains, including identifying the largest Neandertal collection in Northern Europe at the Troisième caverne of Goyet, Belgium.
Article: Cosnefroy Q., Crevecoeur I., Semal P., Hajdinjak M., Bossoms Mesa A., Krause J., Gnecchi-Ruscone G. A., Posth C., Bocherens H., Devièse T. & Rougier H., 2025. Highly selective cannibalism in the Late Pleistocene of Northern Europe reveals Neandertals were targeted prey. Scientific Reports 15: 40741.
Monday April 13 - Speaker 8
Speaker: Timothy A. Mousseau, University of South Carolina
(In-person and via Zoom)
Profile: https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/biological_sciences/our_people/directory/mousseau_timothy.php
Title: Chernobyl @40, Fukushima @15: Biological Lessons Learned from Nuclear Accidents
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Details
Speaker: Timothy A. Mousseau, University of South Carolina (In person and via Zoom)
Title: Chernobyl @40, Fukushima @15: Biological Lessons Learned from Nuclear Accidents
Abstract: Environmental disasters offer the unique opportunity for landscape-scale ecological and evolutionary studies that are not possible in the laboratory or small experimental plots. The nuclear accidents at Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011) allow for rigorous analyses of radiation effects on individuals and populations at an ecosystem scale. The current state of knowledge related to populations within the Chernobyl region of Ukraine and Belarus following the largest civil nuclear accident in history and the Fukushima region of Japan is reviewed. There is now a significant literature that provides contrasting and occasionally conflicting views of the state of animals and how they are affected by this mutagenic stressor. Studies of genetic and physiological effects have largely suggested significant injuries to individuals inhabiting the more radioactive areas of the Chernobyl region while considerably less is known concerning long term impacts to the biota of Fukushima. However, most population censuses for most species suggest that abundances are reduced in the more radioactive areas of both regions with consequent impacts on biodiversity.
Bio: Timothy Mousseau is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina. He obtained a BSc(Hons) from the University of Ottawa, a MSc (Zoology) from the University of
Toronto, and a PhD in biology from McGill University. He conducted postdoctoral studies
(NSERC pdf) at the University of California, Davis, before joining the faculty at USC. Past
positions include Associate Dean and Associate Vice President for Research, Dean of the
Graduate School, and Program Director at the National Science Foundation. His expertise
includes the genetics of adaptive evolutionary responses in a variety of organisms, from
bacteria to man, to climate change, and since 2000 he has focused on the effects of ionizing
radiation and other contaminants on organisms living in Chernobyl, Fukushima, and other
radioactive regions of the world. He was the first US-based biologist to conduct research in
Fukushima, Japan, starting in July 2011. His research in Chernobyl has documented a wide
range of consequences to organisms related to radiation exposure that has spawned a
paradigm shift in the understanding of how natural populations are more vulnerable to
contaminants in nature than in the lab. Most recently he has expanded his scope to include the
effects of cosmic radiation in space. He has edited or co-authored 13 books and 240+ scientific
papers, with more than 120 papers related to Chernobyl or Fukushima studies. He is an
internationally recognized authority concerning the effects of radiation on natural systems and
is among the most highly cited scientists in this field. Professor Mousseau is a fellow of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Council of Learned
Societies (ACLS), the Royal Geographical Society, and the Explorers Club. His studies have been
featured in the NY Times, 60 Minutes, CNN, and many other news outlets. Dr. Mousseau’s most
recent publications document genomic variation in the feral dogs of Chernobyl, radiation
effects on Chernobyl nematodes, the relationship between radioactive fallout during atomic
bomb testing and cancer in the US, multi-omic variation in microbiomes, and the biological
consequences of exposure to radioactive hydrogen, the predominant pollutant at Fukushima
and most operating nuclear power plants.Article: Mousseau, T. A. (2021). The biology of Chernobyl. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 52(1), 87-109.
Monday April 20 - Speaker 9
Speaker: Nicholas Hebdon, Baylor University (In person and via Zoom)
Profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nicholas-Hebdon
Title: Biology Lego Blocks: Using Simplified Geometries to build Biomechanical Interpretation
- Details
Speaker: Dr. Nicholas Hebdon, Baylor University
Title: Biology Lego Blocks: Using Simplified Geometries to build Biomechanical
InterpretationAbstract: Common questions in evolution and comparative biology research are: “Why
did an animal end up being shaped that way?” or “What about that animal makes it so
good at that task?” One of the hidden challenges in questions like these linking shape
and function is not always straightforward. Animals are complex biological machines
and any one part of their anatomy changing represents a whole array of shape changes
at once. However, modern tools in imaging, shape capture, and 3D modeling allow to
deconstruct these complex shapes into simpler parts, not unlike lego blocks. We’ll look
at two examples of how these simple theoretical shapes can be used to ask dynamic
questions about how shape and task performance are linked.
In our first example, we’ll look at ammonoids, shelled squid-like cephalopods that
narrowly survived multiple extinctions before ultimately going extinct at the end of the
Cretaceous. The coiled shells of these animals, which they would have pushed through
the water while swimming, changed dramatically over the course of their history. It has
often been speculated that the changing shape of these shells must be driven by
hydrodynamic efficiency, typically meaning being a faster swimmer. By breaking the
shape change down into smaller components in width change, coil size increase, and
coil exposure we actually find a much more complex relationship. We observe that the
blade-like shapes ammonoids adopt periodically were actually a significant hindrance
until they reached very large sizes and conversely shells with more exposed coiling
provide more consistent performance at a range of sizes and speeds.
Our second example focuses on skull shape of modern canids, specifically that of the
snout. Substantial lore exists about how humans have used selective breeding to drive
the development of purpose-made dog breeds ideally shaped for their performance at
tracking scents. But are these breeds truly distinct, and if so, what about their shape
specializes them in this way? Using 3D landmarks collected from over 100 canids we
constructed a shape space allowing us to visualize how distinct various dog grouping
schemes are as it relates to task performance. We observe that many of the characteristics of scent hounds, such as proportionally large nasal passages and elongated nasal length have little impact on performance and that the internal anatomy associated with olfaction between dogs is functionally unchanged between breeds.Bio: Dr. Nicholas Hebdon is a Postdoctoral Research Affiliate at Baylor
University, specializing in quantitative paleobiology and functional morphology. Dr.
Hebdon holds a Ph.D. from the University of Utah. His research integrates advanced 3D
modeling, physics simulation, and statistical analysis to investigate the evolution of
complex biological systems. The unique blend of technologies and techniques he
employs allows him to work on questions spanning earths history from the evolution of
swimming in extinct cephalopods and marine reptiles to the selective breeding of
domestic dogs and its role in tasks of human interest. His research has been featured
in major scientific outlets, including a recent high-impact study in Science Advances.Article: Hebdon, N., Ortega, A., Orlove, A., Wheeler, N., Pham, M.,
Nguyen, V., Gladman, J. & Waldrop, L. D. (2025). Dog skull shape challenges
assumptions of performance specialization from selective breeding. Science Advances,
11(5), eadq9590.
Monday, April 27 - Speaker 10
Speaker: Stacy Rosenbaum, University of Michigan (In person and via Zoom)
Profile: https://lsa.umich.edu/anthro/people/faculty/biological-faculty/rosenbas.html
Title: The long arm of “childhood:” what can other primates teach us about the early life origins of aging and resiliency?
- Details
Speaker: Dr. Stacy Rosenbaum, University of Michigan
Title: The long arm of “childhood:” what can other primates teach us about the early life
origins of aging and resiliency?Abstract: Early life experiences are widely thought to shape adult behavior, health, and
fitness across the tree of life. The deep evolutionary roots of these "early life
effects"—seen in organisms ranging from plants to primates—have sparked
considerable interest in their biological underpinnings. While individual variation in
responses to early life adversity is well recognized, new research suggests that species-
level differences may also be considerable. In this talk, I present longitudinal data from
wild savannah baboons and mountain gorillas showing that similar forms of early life
adversity can have dramatically different outcomes depending on the species. I explore
the socioecological factors that may drive this variation and discuss how these insights
can inform our broader understanding of aging and resilience in primates, including
humans.Bio: Stacy Rosenbaum is an Associate Professor of Biological Anthropology at
the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on the causes and consequences of
sociality in primates, including humans. She answers questions about how primates
develop and maintain relationships; what implications these relationships have for
participants; how relationships and physiology interact with one another; and how such
interactions ultimately affect health, longevity, and reproduction. As a field biologist, she
uses decades of data collected on wild primate populations to try to understand the
ways in which our closest living relatives resemble us, and the ways in which Homo
sapiens are unique.Article: Rosenbaum, S., Malani, A., Lea, A. J., Tung, J., Alberts, S. C.,
& Archie, E. A. (2025). Testing early life effects frameworks: developmental constraints
and adaptive response hypotheses do not explain fertility outcomes in wild female
baboons. Proceedings B, 292(2050), 20242485.
Monday May 4 - Discussion
Topic: Evolution: Q & A
Instructor: Rolf Quam
(In person discussion)
Past seminar series
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Archived Seminar Series (by semester)
SPRING 2025 SERIES
Monday, January 27 - Introduction to the Course
Speaker: Rolf Quam, Binghamton University, Anthropology & Evolutionary Studies
Monday, Feb 3 - Speaker 1
Speaker: Andrey Vyshedskiy, Boston University, Metropolitan College, Department of Biology
Topic: Three levels of language comprehension in modern individuals –Implications for language evolution
Monday, February 10 - Darwin Day Film
Title: Inherit the Wind; Classic film with Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly (Stanley Kramer, 1960)
Monday, February 17 - Speaker 2
Speaker: Dr. Kaeden O’Brien, SUNY Oneonta-Department of Anthropology
Topic: Paleoenvironmental Drivers of Human Evolution
Monday, February 24 - Speaker 3
Speaker: Dr. Matthew Emery, Binghamton University Department of Anthropology
Topic: Neandertal Genomics - Latest discoveries
Monday, March 3 - Speaker 4
Speaker: Dr. Mercedes Conde Valverde, Universidad de Alcala, Madrid, Spain
Topic: The Altruistic Primate
Monday, March 17 - Speaker 5
Speaker: Dr. Mariah Donahue, Binghamton University, Department of Biology
Topic: Lemur-Gut Microbiome Co-Evolution on Deep and Shallow Evolutionary Timescales
Monday, March 24 - Speaker 6
Speaker: Dr. Andrew Gallup, Johns Hopkins University
Topic: The Evolution of Yawning
Monday, March 31 - Speaker 7
Speaker: Dr. Miguel Vilar, University of Maryland
Topic: DNA meets History: Guam and Puerto Rico. Multi-Marker Human DNA Analyses of America's Two Largest Territories, and How it Informs About Settlement, History, and Identity
Monday, April 7 - Speaker 8
Speaker: Matthew Fujita, University of Texas at Arlington - Department of Biology
Topic: Parthenogenesis in Reptiles and Genome Evolution
Monday April 28 - Speaker 9
Speaker: James Lamsdell, West Virginia University
Title: A dynamic "living fossil": exploring the evolutionary history of the horseshoe crab
Monday May 6 - Final Discussion
SPRING 2024
Monday, January 22 - Introduction to the Course
Speaker: Rolf Quam, Binghamton University, Anthropology and Evolutionary Studies
Monday, January 29 - Speaker 1Topic: The Enduring Interest and Relevance of the Evolution of Human Skin Pigmentation
Speaker: Nina Jablonski, Penn State University, Anthropology and Atherton Professor, Evan Pugh Professor Emeritus of Anthropology
Monday, February 5 - Speaker 2Topic: Neanderthals and other extinct humans: tales from the teeth.
Speaker: Shara Bailey, New York University, Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Anthropology
Monday, February 12 - Darwin DayTitle: Inherit the Wind; Classic film with Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly (Stanley Kramer, 1960)
Monday, February 19 - Speaker 3Topic: Stone Tool Use of Non-human Primates
Speaker: Dr. Caroline Jones, Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania
Monday, February 26 - Speaker 4Topic: Market Integration and Transitions in Fertility, Marriage and Kinship Systems: An Evolutionary View
Speaker: Mary Shenk, Penn State University, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Demography, and Asian Studies
Monday, March 11 - Speaker 5Topic: Mammoths: On the path to de-extinction
Speaker: Emil Karpinski, Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, Department of Genetics
Monday, March 18 - Speaker 6Topic: An Engineering—and Evolutionary—Perspective on Prestige: The Case for Maintenance
Speaker: Guru Madhavan, Director, National Academy of Engineering
EvoS Retrospective - David Sloan Wilson, Professor Emeritus, Binghamton University
Monday, March 25 - Speaker 7Topic: Unraveling the evolutionary relationships of ancient echinoderms
Speaker: Sarah Sheffield, Binghamton University, Assistant Professor, Geology
MONDAY, APRIL 8 - SOLAR ECLIPSE - Seminar will begin at 4:00 PMMonday, April 8 - Speaker 8
Topic: Human-Virus Coevolution: Evidence of Virus Microevolution from SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and Monkeypox Outbreak
Speaker: Michel Shamoon Pour, Binghamton University
Monday April 15 - Speaker 9Topic: Human adaptive evolution to starch digestion upon the onset of agriculture
Speaker: Omer Gokcumen, University at Buffalo, Professor, Biological Sciences
Monday April 29 - DiscussionTopic: Evolution: A discussion and debate
Speakers: Rolf Quam and Allen MacNeill, Binghamton University
Spring 2023
Monday, Jan 23 - Seminar 1: Introduction to EvoS 451
Rolf Quam, Binghamton University, Anthropology/EvoS
Topic: Course Introduction, Syllabus ReviewMonday, Jan 30 - Seminar 2
Allen MacNeill, Binghamton University, EvoS
Title: Introduction to Tinbergen’s 4 QuestionsMonday, Feb 6 - Seminar 3
Speaker: Joseph Brewer, Earth Regenerators
Title: Cultural Evolution for the Regeneration of EarthMonday, Feb 13 - Seminar 4
Speaker: Nasser Malit, SUNY Potsdam, Anthropology
Title: Human Evolution in Africa: Evidence from the Central Highlands of KenyaMonday, Feb 20 - Seminar 5
Speaker: Adriane Lam, Binghamton University, Geology
Topic: Deep sea core sediments and climate changeMonday, Feb 27 - Seminar 6
Speaker: Laure Spake, Binghamton University, Anthropology
Topic: Alloparenting and Cooperative Breeding in HumansMonday, Mar 6 - Seminar 7
Speaker: Mercedes Conde-Valverde, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares (Spain)
Title: Sounds of the PastMonday, Mar 13 - Seminar 8
Speaker: Omer Gokcumen, University at Buffalo
Topic: Balancing selection in the hominin genomes, affecting metabolism and immunity.
Title: “Ancient trade-offs: A story of archaic ancestors, starvation, and microbes”Monday, Mar 20 - Seminar 9
Speaker: Leticia Aviles, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia
Title: Evolution of Sociality and Multilevel selection (including spiders)Monday, Mar 27 - Seminar 10
Speaker: Richard Lenski, Michigan State University
Title: Time Travel in Experimental Evolution
Topic: Long-term evolutionary experiment with E. coliMonday, Apr 17 - Seminar 12
Speaker: David Braun, George Washington University, DC
Topic: Origins of Technology
Title: Technological Origins: How Long Have We Depended on Technology?Monday, May 1 - Seminar 14
Speaker: Katie Hinde, Arizona State University
Topic: hormones in milk, primarily cortisol, and impacts on infant development
Spring 2022- Yaneer Bar-Yam, New England Complex Systems Institute
Implications of the Pandemic for Values and the Survival of Humanity - Rolf Quam, Binghamton University, Anthropology/EvoS
Mystery of the Pit of the Bones - Allen MacNeill, Binghamton University, EvoS
On Purpose: The Evolution of Intentionality - Jeremy DeSilva, Dartmouth College, Anthropology
First Steps: How Upright Walking Made Us Human - Antonio Lazcano, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
Origin of Life - Steven Brown, McMaster University, NeuroArts Lab
The Origins of the Vocal Brain in Humans - Sage Gibbons, Northeastern University
Collective Efficacy and Neighborhood Adaptability to COVID-19 - Wendy Jones, Author and Independent Scholar
The Attachment System: How and Why We Find Safety in Close Relationships - Paul Ewald, University of Louisville, Biology
The Evolutionary, Historical and Epidemiological Context of COVID - David Schaffer, Binghamton University, Visiting Research Professor
Evolving artificial brains - Tyler Murchee, McMaster University, Anthropology
Ancient DNA and Pleistocene Megafauna Extinctions - Cai Caccavari, Binghamton University, Anthropology
Graduate Student Presentation
Spring 2021- Seminar Title: Humpback whale communication in the Anthropocene \ Speaker: Michelle Fournet, Cornell, Biology
- Seminar Title: The World Recipes Project and the Biocultural Evolution of Cuisine \ Speaker: Solomon H Katz, University of Pennsylvania
- Seminar Title: The Cheating Cell: How cancer evolves inside us and how we can keep it under control \ Speaker: Athena Aktipis, Arizona State University, Anthropology
- Seminar Title: Talking with Neandertals \ Speaker: Rolf J. Quam, Binghamton University, Anthropology
- Seminar Title: Ecological Adaptation and the Origin and Maintenance of Biodiversity \ Speaker: Thomas Powell, Binghamton University, Biology/EvoS
- Seminar Title: Self-governance and the unitary veil \ Speaker: Michael Cox, Dartmouth, Environmental Studies
- Seminar Title: The Evolution of Belief: Meaning-making, belief, and world shaping as core processes in the human niche \ Speaker: Agustin Fuentes, Princeton, Anthropology
- Seminar Title: The Cultural Foundations of Cognition \ Speaker: Helen Davis, Harvard, Anthropology
- Seminar Title: Vertical Polygyny in 20th Century America: Are Americans Monogamous or Polygamous? \ Speaker: Allen MacNeill, Cornell University
- Seminar Title: The evolutionary ecology of monument construction: a Rapa Nui (Easter Island) case study \ Speaker: Robert “Beau” DiNapoli, Binghamton University, Anthropology
Spring 2020- Introductory lecture by David Sloan Wilson, Binghamton University
Tinbergen's four questions and others - Introductory lecture by Barrett Brenton, Binghamton University
Biocultural Evolution of Cuisine - Darwin Day Panel discussion with Binghamton faculty
- Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel, University of Buffalo:
Modern human cranial variation: An evolutionary morphology approach - Daniel T. O’Brien, Northeastern University
The Urban Commons: How Data, Technology, and Behavioral Science Can Help Us Rebuild Our Cities - Glenn Branch, National Center for Science Education (NCSE)
Twists and Turns in Teaching Evolution over the Years - Rolf Quam, EvoS Director, SUNY Binghamton
The Evolution of Language: Part 1 - Rolf Quam
The Evolution of Language: Part 2 - David Sloan Wilson
Nothing about the Coronavirus Pandemic Makes Sense Except In the Light of Evolution - Adam van Arsdale, Wellesley College
Race, Ancestry, and Populations in the Pleistocene and the Present - Robert Pennock, Michigan State University
An Instinct for Truth: Curiosity and the Moral Character of Science - Mark Urban, University of Connecticut
Eco-evolution in communities
- Yaneer Bar-Yam, New England Complex Systems Institute