The Phylogeny of Life and
The Accomplishments of Phylogenetic Biology
A symposium at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
October 11-13, 1996
Sponsored and Organized by The Research Training Group in
The Analysis of Biological Diversification
Overview: The phylogeny of life represents the genealogical relationships
among species and the broad-scale flow of genetic information through
evolutionary time. Phylogenetic biology focuses on reconstructing the
phylogenetic tree of life and on using it as the framework for interpretation
of evolutionary change. The phylogenetic approach to comparative
studies has proven itself to be indispensible for unraveling and
comprehending life's diversification.
The RTG-sponsored symposium will be a celebration of The
Phylogeny of Life and Accomplishments of Phylogenetic Biology.
Twenty four invited participants, with collective expertise covering an
immense breadth of biological diversity and evolutionary biology, will
deliver platform talks over the course of five half-day sessions. The
speakers will address new and long-standing general questions from many
realms of biology that have benefited from or contributed to a better
understanding of phylogeny.
The symposium will also include a large contributed poster session
and an evening workshop on the Tree of Life Internet project being
organized by David R. and Wayne P. Maddison.
As a common theme for discussion throughout the event all
participants will consider the future main lines of inquiry and research in
phylogenetic biology. The symposium will conclude with an open
discussion of these issues.
Participants and Topics
SUSAN BARNS, Indiana Univ., Los Alamos Natl. Lab, TBA
RICHARD BRUSCA, Univ. Charleston, The challenge of understanding
arthropod biodiversification
SIMON CONWAY MORRIS, Cambridge Univ., Early Metazoan
radiations: what the fossil record can and cannot tell us
MICHAEL DONOGHUE, Harvard Univ., Advances and controversies
in vascular plant phylogeny
SCOTT EDWARDS, Univ. Washington, Higher level molecular
systematics of birds: protein evolution and beyond
DOUGLAS ERWIN, Smithsonian Institution, The fine structure of
extinction: phylogeny and mass extinction/recovery episodes
RICHARD HALLICK, Univ. Arizona, Massive intron invasion during
evolution of chloroplast genes of Euglenoid protists
DAVID HILLIS, Univ. Texas, Tests of phylogenetic hypotheses:
Examples from vertebrates
ELIZABETH KELLOGG, Harvard Univ., The Grass Menagerie: the
genetics of phylogenetics
ANDREW KNOLL, Harvard Univ., The Early Diversification of Life
LAURA LANDWEBER, Princeton Univ., Evolution of Complexity in
Genetic Systems
DAVID MADDISON, Univ. Arizona, Tree of Life Workshop
WAYNE MADDISON, Univ. Arizona TBA
LUCINDA MCDADE, Univ. Arizona TBA
NANCY MORAN, Univ. Arizona, Diversification in bacterial
endosymbionts of insects
LISA NAGY, Univ. Arizona, Changes in arthropod morphology and the
evolution of gene regulatory networks
STUART NICHOL, Centers for Disease Control, Changing landscapes
and emerging RNA viruse
MICHAEL NOVACEK, American Museum of Natural History, The
burgeoning database on the higher level phylogeny of mammals
RODERICK PAGE, Univ. Glasgow, Genes, organisms, and areas:
phylogeny and the study of historical associations
NICHOLAS STRAUSFELD, Univ. Arizona TBA
ALAN TEMPLETON, Washington Univ., The evolution of
anatomically modern humans: what do gene trees really tell us?
RYTAS VILGALYS, Duke Univ., Mycogeography: using phylogenies to
study the biogeography of wild mushrooms
ELIZABETH WATERS, Univ. Arizona TBA
The registration fee includes entrance to all sessions; the Thursday night
mixer; Friday night workshop and a printed copy of the abstracts from the
symposium, but does not include the cost of the Saturday evening
Banquet. The deadline for submission of all registration materials is
AUGUST 2, 1996. The number of attendees is limited so please register
as soon as possible.
Faculty and other Professionals $100.00
Graduate students and Postdoctoral scientists $50.00
Saturday evening Banquet $15.00
Make checks payable to The University of Arizona Foundation/RTG.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND AND/OR PRESENT A POSTER:
You can register by mailing your check to the address below. Registration
will be confirmed by mail and additional information about poster
abstracts, accommodations and travel to Tucson will be sent at that time.
You can also request this information by emailing us at:
RTG at ccit.arizona.edu. Be sure to send us:
Your name:
Institution:
Mailing Address:
Please mail your registration and address any questions to:
Marty Wojciechowski or Anne Gerber
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona USA 85721
FAX 520P621P9190; email: rtg at ccit.arizona.edu
Updates posted to RTG Web site: http://biodiv.arizona.edu/rtg.html.
