Evolutionary Biologists to Speak In Casper Sept. 26

September 18, 2012
Two people conversing
Peter and Rosemary Grant will discuss their research of the evolution of Galapagos Island finches. (Princeton University)

Two of the world’s leading evolutionary researchers, Peter and Rosemary Grant, will speak Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. in Room 150 of the University of Wyoming Outreach Building, 951 N. Poplar St. in Casper.

The University of Wyoming/Casper College (UW/CC) Center will host their talk, “Evolution of Darwin’s Finches.” The Grants’ research on evolution in the Galapagos Islands, where they have spent six months of every year since 1973, is well-known. Capturing, tagging and taking blood samples of the finches on the island of Daphne Major, the two emeritus professors at Princeton University continue the evolutionary work of Charles Darwin in the place that inspired his theory of evolution.

"The Grants' three-year study of the evolution of Galapagos Island finches and their adaptive responses to environmental change is one of the classic studies in biology,” says Scott Seville, zoologist and associate dean of the UW Outreach School. “Their work has been featured in many documentaries and was the focus of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book ‘Beak of the Finch’ by Jonathan Wiener."

In 2008, the Grants were among 13 recipients of the prestigious Darwin-Wallace Medal, which is bestowed every 50 years by the Linnean Society of London. They received the Kyoto Prize in basic sciences, an international award honoring significant contributions to scientific, cultural and spiritual betterment of mankind. They have written numerous articles and books on their discoveries.

For more information, call the UW/CC Center at (307) 268-2713.

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