Cambridge Entomological Club Meeting Next Tuesday

[Michael LaScaleia]

Join us for a meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club!

Date: Tuesday, October 8th, 7:30 PM EST

Location: In Person in MCZ 101, or on Zoom

Title: Alfred Russel Wallace: Insects and the Discovery of Evolution

Speaker: Andrew Berry (Harvard OEB)

Summary:  In 1908, at an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of the theory of evolution by natural selection by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, Wallace addressed a simple question: why did it fall to him and Darwin (who had died a long time previously, in 1882) to make the discovery?  Why had the simple insight that is natural selection not occurred to other arguably more penetrating contemporary thinkers?  Wallace's answer: Beetles.  Both he and Darwin started their careers as naturalists as avid beetle collectors.  Historians of science have traditionally dismissed this claim as a typical instance of Wallace's modesty, but I will argue that in fact studies of beetles -- and other groups of insects -- did indeed provide the scientific foundation of the Darwin-Wallace theory. 

NOTICE: We will be holding hybrid meetings to accommodate COVID-19 precautions and audience members from around the world. You can join our Zoom meeting by clicking here.

For those able to attend, we will have an informal dinner at 6:00 pm at Cambridge Common Restaurant with the speaker, followed by our formal meeting (7:30 - 9:00 pm) in room MCZ101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (there will be signs to help direct). The meeting will begin with club announcements, followed by a 60-minute presentation by the invited speaker and Q&A. Membership is open to amateur and professional entomologists. All are welcome!