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Seminars

February 11, 2026

12:00pm – 1:00pm Hershey Hall 158

Dr. Patrick Rohner - UC San Diego
UC San Diego

" Eco-Evo-Devo Perspective on Phenotypic Variation: How Do Plasticity, Developmental Architecture, and Symbionts Shape Evolution? "

How do organisms generate the phenotypic variation that fuels evolution, and why do some traits evolve repeatedly while others never appear? This talk explores how development shapes evolution through plasticity, developmental bias, and symbiosis. I first highlight how plasticity evolves, how it influences adaptation, and why evolution does not always repeat itself. I then ask whether some phenotypes are intrinsically easier for development to produce and whether such biases can predict evolution on different timescales. Finally, I explore how inherited gut microbes and sexually transmitted nematodes modify host development and evolution. Together, this eco-evo-devo perspective broadens our understanding of why evolution unfolds the way it does. 


Host: Karen Sears

© Copyright – UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

The UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (the Los Angeles basin and So. Channel Islands). As part of a California land grant institution, we pay our respects to the Honuukvetam (Ancestors), ‘Ahiihirom (Elders) and ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.