Thank Evolution Finalists at Filmfestival.Nescent
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FALL 2013 VOLUME 5 No. 3 www.nescent.org Newsletter of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, an NSF-funded collaborative research center operated by Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Carolina State University. iN tHis ISSUe: RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Research Highlights 1, 3 Call for Proposals 4 Coming Soon 4, 7 Job Openings 4 In the Media 4 New Awards 5 Publications 7 A study of mortality and fertility patterns among seven species of wild apes and monkeys and hunter- gatherer humans shows that menopause sets humans apart from other primates. Baboon phOtO cOUrtEsy OF sUsAN ALBErts read about the winners of the 2013 Evolution Film Festival on page 5. Watch this year’s Hot flashes? Thank evolution finalists at filmfestival.nescent. org/2013-entries/. study of mortality and fertility patterns the National Academy of Sciences, Alberts and Aamong seven species of wild apes and mon- colleagues from NESCent’s Primate Life History keys and their relatives, compared with similar Working Group compared mortality and fertility Next proposal data from hunter-gatherer humans, shows that data for seven species of wild primates to similar deadliNes: menopause sets humans apart from other pri- data for the !Kung people of Southern Africa, a dec. 1: sabbaticals, mates. human population of hunter-gatherers with lim- catalysis meetings Nonhuman primates aren’t immune to the ited access to modern medicine or birth control. Jan. 1: graduate fellowships, fading female fertility that comes with age, the The nonhuman primate data were based on short-term visitors researchers say. But human females are unique in long-term observations of 700 adult females, Jan. 15: journalists-in- living well beyond their childbearing years. including capuchins in Costa Rica, muriqui residence “Unlike other primates women tend to have a monkeys in Brazil, baboons and blue monkeys long post-reproductive life. Even before modern in Kenya, chimpanzees in Tanzania, gorillas in For more information, see medicine, many women lived for 30 to 35 years Rwanda and sifakas in Madagascar. page 4 or visit nescent.org/ science/proposals.php after their last child was born,” said co-author This is the first study to compare humans with and NESCent Associate Director Susan Alberts. multiple primate species living in the wild. In a study that appeared in the Proceedings of see HOT FLASHES, p 8 2 | FALL 2013 aBoUt NESCeNt: Letter from the director NESCent is a scientific research center dedicated to ave the date! It’s still months away, but van Heights Waterfowl Park, the largest bird cross-disciplinary research in evolution. the center’s Splanning is already well underway for park in North America; and Carolina Beach mission is to promote the Evolution 2014, to be held in Raleigh, North State Park, one of the few places in the world synthesis of information, Carolina. From June 20-24, more than 1,200 where Venus Flytraps grow wild. concepts and knowledge to scientists and science educators from across address significant, emerging, • A new feature of the program will be a or novel questions in evolu- the globe will descend on the state capital to half-day symposium on the contributions of tionary science and its share the latest research in evolution. synthetic science to the study of evolution. applications. NESCent NESCent is pleased to host the confer- achieves this by supporting The year 2014 will mark the 10th anniver- research and education ence, in collaboration with scientists from sary of NESCent, and our last year of NSF across disciplinary, institu- Duke University, East Carolina University, funding. The center has been a long-running tional, geographic, and North Carolina State University, the Univer- demographic boundaries. experiment in fostering synthetic research sity of North Carolina at within the field of evolutionary biology. The NESCent is a collaborative Chapel Hill, the Univer- symposium will include a panel discussion partnership between Duke sity of North Carolina University, the University of about the role for synthesis in evolution, North carolina at chapel hill, at Greensboro, and the the lessons learned from ten years’ experi- and North carolina state North Carolina Museum ence with NESCent, and the challenges and University, and is funded by the of Natural Sciences. National science Foundation opportunities for synthetic evolutionary (award #EF-0905606). For We’ve received a num- biology research looking forward. more information about ber of suggestions for the research and training opportu- ALLEN 2014 meeting, and we’re Other highlights include… nities at NESCent, visit www. rODrIGO taking note. Here’s how nescent.org. • Undergraduates and biologists at minority- the program is shaping serving institutions will be invited to apply seNior leadersHip: up, and how you can get involved: for travel awards to attend the meeting. Calls allen rodrigo, Director • As in previous years, the meeting will kick for applications typically go out in February. susan alberts off with a K-14 education workshop, society To receive details via email then, subscribe to Associate Director council meetings, and a welcome reception, the NESCent news list at nescent.org/about/ of science and synthesis followed by four full days of symposia, post- contact.php. todd Vision Associate Director of ers and concurrent sessions. Those interested • Scientists and science educators of all stripes Informatics in the intersection of biology, software and will be invited to enter the fourth annual NES- Brian Wiegmann mathematics will also be able to participate Cent Evolution Film Festival. The finalists will Associate Director of Education and Outreach in the 5th annual iEvoBio conference on be screened at Evolution 2014, where attend- evolutionary informatics. ees will view and vote on their favorite films. stay iNFormed • If this is your first trip to the Piedmont The winners will receive a travel allowance to subscribe to the NESCent region of North Carolina, forget textiles and attend the scientific meeting of their choice. quarterly newsletter to receive news about the center, tobacco. Most conference events will take • To continue the meeting’s commitment to research and training opportu- place at the LEED-certified Raleigh Con- providing a family friendly environment, nities, and upcoming events. comments, story ideas and vention Center in the heart of downtown childcare will be available. photo contributions are Raleigh, just steps from the city’s restaurants welcome. please send corrections and suggestions and hot spots. Attendees will be able to get We expect registration to begin in early for future newsletters to robin around downtown on foot, or on the city’s R- January 2014. Find the latest updates at smith at [email protected] Line, a free hybrid bus service that connects evolution2014.org/, or follow the planning for to unsubscribe fill out our more than 140 restaurants and clubs, art the meeting on Twitter at @Evol2014. online form at bit.ly/qIuEWu. galleries, entertainment venues, museums and I look forward to seeing you all at Evolu- you can also visit NESCent on twitter, Facebook, and hotels in the downtown area. Buses run every tion 2014, and I wish you a productive fall. youtube. 10-15 minutes, with a stop directly outside Writer/Editor: robin smith the Convention Center. (919) 668-4544 [email protected] • We’ll also have a full slate of field trips. Highlights include visits to the Duke Lemur Graphic Design and Layout: Vanessa DeJongh Center, the world’s largest sanctuary for rare and endangered prosimian primates; the Syl- FALL 2013 | 3 ReseaRch highlights Art and science meet to explore the human genetic journey hen artist Lynn Fellman submit- Wted a sample of her DNA for genetic ancestry testing through the not-for-profit Genographic Project in 2005, the news that she could trace much of her heritage to Northern Eu- rope was no surprise. But what got her attention was the revolution then un- derway in human genomics, and what the public was doing to take part. “Who wouldn’t want to know the gene story of human evolution and be part of the discovery process? It was hap- pening in real time, and I sent my DNA into the lab right away,” Fellman said. Since then, Fellman has worked with scientists and scientific organizations all over the world to translate com- plicated stories of human migration and evolution into art and narrative. During a three-month artist’s residency at NESCent, Fellman worked to write, illustrate, narrate and produce her Artist Lynn Fellman has created an interactive e-book which introduces basic evolutionary concepts with colorful illustrations and a narrated story. latest project — a digital storybook, or e-book, that draws its inspiration from an explanation of the science behind the Where did the idea for the project advances in molecular anthropology, art and story. Designed to engage people come from? sociology and human genetics. in evolutionary science and ease them into I was at a personal Genomes meeting at In the following interview, Fellman the land of personal genomics, the e-book cold spring harbor Laboratory in 2010 told us more about her process for appeals on multiple intellectual levels. when Bogi Eliasen, a program director at creating the book: the two characters are real people. I’m the the Faroe Islands Ministry of health, artist in the story, which is loosely based presented a visionary plan. he described What is the book about? on my real-life journey of integrating FarGen, a project to sequence all 50,000 “Gene stories” is an interactive e-book concepts of evolutionary genomics into citizens of the Faroe Islands. speaking with about two girls, an artist and a dancer, my creative work. the dancer is Luisa Bogi after his talk he told me, ‘science exploring genomic science to understand Eliasen, a 14-year-old middle school needs creative people from the arts and their genetic ancestry.