Co-evolution on the Galapagos Islands

A talk by Drs Allison and John Knight. The Galapagos Islands rose steaming from the equatorial Pacific Ocean over the last 10 million years. Their sterile volcanic slopes were gradually populated by a limited range of plants and animals, mainly those that could cross the 1000 km gap from the nearest land. As Darwin found, the fascinating thing is that on each island a different combination of plants, pollinators, herbivores and frugivores has evolved together. Humans and grazing mammals arrived late on the scene; there are other parallels with New Zealand. At the Zoology Benham Building, 346 Great King Street, behind the Zoology car park by the Captain Cook Hotel. Use the main entrance of the Benham Building to get in and go to the Benham Seminar Room, Rm. 215, 2nd floor. Please be prompt as we have to hold the door open.