Evolution Matters:
Free Public Lectures Explain Biological Links among All Living Creatures

Paul K. Mueller | November 13, 2007

Steve A. Kay, UCSD's dean of biological sciences.

Embryo growth, circadian rhythms, biological complexity, the mysteries of flower formation and primate evolution are among the topics to be explored in a new series of free public lectures presented by UC San Diego’s Division of Biological Sciences.

In each of the five lectures for “Evolution Matters: The Diversity of Development,” leading scientists will focus on common evolutionary themes that underlie different biological systems and illustrate how these themes affect the health and development of plants, animals, and human beings.

The first lecture, “Clockwork Genes: Biological Rhythms in Health and Agriculture,” will be delivered by Steve A. Kay, Dean and Richard A. Atkinson Professor of Biological Sciences at UC San Diego, at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27, in the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park. Free registration begins at 6 p.m. at the museum.

“We’re offering the lecture series to illustrate that evolution is the central tenet of biology,” said Kay. “That understanding underlies advances in health care and our responsible stewardship of the environment.”

Plants, animals and humans have developed highly accurate daily clocks, called circadian rhythms, to control behavior and metabolism. In people, these clocks control such things as our sleep-wake cycles, blood pressure, fat metabolism, and cognitive functions. In some animals, these clocks affect a wide range of behaviors, from courtship
to pollination.  Plants use their clocks to know when to flower. Kay will explore how these clocks are constructed, how they differ among organisms, and how they may eventually be manipulated to benefit health and agriculture.

Prior to being named Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences at UC San Diego, Kay served as chairman of the Department of Biochemistry, professor of cell biology and director of the Institute for Childhood and Neglected Diseases at the Scripps Research Institute. His research concerns the molecular genetic basis of circadian rhythms in plants, animals and humans.

The lectures are sponsored in part by Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Kirin Pharma.

Succeeding lectures in the “Evolution Matters” series, all to be held in the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park, are:

• “Embryos and Evolution,” by Dr. William J. McGinnis, at 6:30 p.m.
  on January 24, 2008.
• “The Evolution of Complexity: From the Human Brain to the Rainforest,”
  by Dr. Christopher Wills, at 6:30 p.m. on February 28, 2008.
• “Unraveling the Mysteries of Flower Formation,” by Dr. Martin Yanofsky,
  at 6:30 p.m. on March 6, 2008.
• “The Genetics of Primate Evolution: A Rosetta Stone for Understanding
  Human Disease,” by Dr. Ajit Varki, at 6:30 p.m. on April 24, 2008.

For more information about “Evolution Matters: The Diversity of Development,” visit www.greymatters.ucsd.edu