Big Biology

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat is the link between climate change, declining wildlife populations and conflict  between animals and humans? And how should scientists, governments and individuals manage declining populations of wildlife, especially when humans rely on them?On this episode, we explore the interface of biology and resource management with Briana Abrahms, from the Department of Biology and the Center for Ecosystem Sentinels at the University of Washington. Climate change is increasingly forcing humans and animals into conflict, often with disastrous outcomes for all parties involved. Briana studies the causes of these conflicts and their links to serious human problems like forced labor, terrorism, piracy, and poaching.We talk about collisions between whales and ships, conflict between ranchers and carnivores, and elephants running amok in India. We also talk about the illegal wildlife trade in Africa and about subsistence fishing, problems which in some places have been addressed by effective local governance. Finally, we talk about what governments, scientists, and regular people can do to help.Cover art: Keating Shahmehri

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comDoes our DNA matter for our life outcomes? Can and should we use it for better social policy? And why have these questions caused such a stir?On this episode of Big Biology, we talk with Kathryn Paige Harden, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin where she leads the Developmental Behavior Genetics lab. Paige is the author of a new book, The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality. In the book, Paige advocates for using genetic information to better understand variation in our life outcomes such as how many years of school we complete and other complex social, economic and educational conditions. She thinks that genetics can be a tool to help create a more equitable society, but her ideas have both ardent supporters and vociferous critics. We delve into why her book has been so controversial, how human genetic data might be used constructively and ethically, and whether the incorporation of more explicit evolutionary thinking about what genes actually do might prevent future misunderstanding and maybe even the misuse of genetic data.Cover art: Keating Shahmehri

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat roles does plasticity play in evolution?  Where does novelty come from, and how does it become widespread in populations?On this episode, we talk all things plasticity with David Pfennig, a professor at the University of North Carolina, and Nick Levis, a postdoc at Indiana University. Their research focuses on something they call plasticity-led evolution. Building on older ideas, David and Nick argue that novel environments release hidden, or cryptic, genetic variation in some individuals in a population, which in turn allow selection to act on trait variation that is only revealed as plasticity is induced.We discuss these ideas using a fantastic real-world example: spadefoots. These burrowing amphibians have expanded into the American Southwest, and tadpoles of some species develop dramatically different morphologies depending on what’s available to eat in their early lives. If they eat pond scum, they tend to become placid omnivores, but if they eat meat, they become giant carnivores that devour other aquatic animals…and even each other.Cover art: Keating Shahmehri

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow did life on Earth get from its humble beginnings to the dazzling array of forms we see now and in the fossil record?On this episode, we talk with paleontologist Henry Gee about his latest book, A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth. The book offers a kaleidoscopic tour through the roughly 4 billion year history of life on Earth in just 288 pages. Gee is a longtime editor at Nature, and a master writer and storyteller. He shares his approach to good writing and discusses why professional science writing is often so dull. We also touch on his favorite chapters in the short history of life on Earth, including why some species evolved such large body sizes.Cover art: Keating Shahmehri

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comDo animals dance to the beat? When is birdsong music for a bird? Humans hear music in everything, but what about other species?On this episode we talk with Henkjan Honing, professor of music cognition at the University of Amsterdam, about the biology of musicality. Among diverse species, he and his collaborators now study how and why some animals perceive elements of music but others do not.We also discuss the earliest known examples of human musical instruments and the possible adaptive value of music. All of these topics and more are covered in his recent book, The Evolving Animal Orchestra: In Search of What Makes Us Musical.Additional sound effects for this episode came from www.zapsplat.comCover art: Keating Shahmehri

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhat rules dictate trade in symbiosis? How did the complex relationship between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi evolve? What’s really going on in the world beneath our feet?On this episode, we talk to Toby Kiers, an evolutionary biologist at VU University Amsterdam, about the massive networks of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) that inhabit the soil beneath our feet. Toby studies the symbiotic relationship between AMF and 80-90% of plant species, through which the tube-shaped fungi cells trade nutrients with plant roots in exchange for carbon. We draw connections between these networks and human networks, and discuss whether economists should be taking notes from these systems.We also talk about SPUN, a non-profit initiative Toby’s group recently launched with the goal of mapping these fungal networks and advocating for their protection worldwide.Cover art: Keating Shahmehri

Happy Holidays from Big Biology! In our year end wrap-up episode, meet the team behind the podcast and hear our picks for favorite episodes and moments from the last year of the show. We also look forward to what’s in store for 2022. Thanks for your support, and we will see you in the new year!Music on the episode is from Podington Bear. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bigbiology.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comHow and when did early humans domesticate the plants that we use today? Did these ancient farmers purposefully select traits, or did they domesticate unconsciously? In the future, can breeders and farmers grow more nutritious and robust food using genomics?In this episode, we talk to Michael Purugganan, an evolutionary biologist at NYU, about some of our favorite foods, where they came from, and what to do to ensure we will still have them in the future.We also talk about rice, an essential staple crop for the world. Michael describes his genomic work with rice to make it more robust and resilient, especially in the face of climate change and a growing human population. His research is part of a global effort to make a Green Super Rice, a rice variety suitable for the diverse challenges of the future.Cover art: Keating Shahmehri

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comAre genes the primary units of selection and main drivers of adaptation? How does a gene’s-eye view of evolution fit into modern biology?On this episode, we talk with Arvid Ågren, an evolutionary biologist and Wenner-Gren Fellow at Uppsala University, about his new book, “The Gene’s-Eye View of Evolution”. The book chronicles the history of gene-centric views of evolution, which burst onto the scene in 1976 with the publication of Richard Dawkins’s book, "The Selfish Gene". In the gene-centric worldview, genes and alleles take center stage as both key units of selection and drivers of the evolutionary process. Organisms and their phenotypes, by contrast, are viewed as transient vehicles – disposable somas constructed and controlled by genes whose purpose is simply to help those genes replicate.Previous guests on Big Biology, including Denis Walsh, Denis Noble, Mike Levin and others, have argued strongly for an opposing point of view: that organisms, not genes, should be the focal level for understanding evolution. On this episode, we challenge Arvid to reconcile the gene’s-eye view with our more organism-centered views, and to account for important biological phenomena like the origin of life and adaptation. Our conflicting perspectives led to a stimulating conversation about the nature of evolution, whether the abstractions inherent to the gene’s-eye view are justifiable, and how alternative conceptions of adaptation might lead to unification in biology.Cover art: Keating Shahmehri

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit bigbiology.substack.comWhy is the Serengeti such a special ecosystem? Why does it support so many different species, and what ecological processes regulate the enormous population sizes of its dominant large-bodied herbivores?On this episode, we talk with Tony Sinclair, professor emeritus of zoology at the University of British Columbia, about his new book “A Place Like No Other: Discovering the Secrets of Serengeti”. Since the 1960s, Tony has studied the bottom-up and top-down processes that regulate wildlife populations in the Serengeti. We talk about how he discovered the major rules of regulation, the unique geography and climate of the Serengeti, the major forces driving wildebeests on epic annual migrations, and the roles that elephants play in stabilizing ecosystems into alternative stable states. We also talk with Tony about the controversial topic of rewilding degraded ecosystems. Tony argues that effective strategies for rewilding emerge only from understanding the fundamental processes that shape ecosystems in the first place.Cover art: Keating Shahmehri