Evolutionary Studies at Vanderbilt

New work from graduate student Owen Hale (Behringer Lab)! The paper, "Elevated rates and biased spectra of mutations in anaerobically cultured lactic acid bacteria," was published in mBio. Hale tracked 3 species of bacteria through >1000 generations in oxygen-free conditions.

IT'S HAPPENING TODAY! 🔬🎊
Michael Lynch is here talking #evolutionary cell biology in just a few hours. If you're anywhere near campus, you absolutely need to be in show up at 3pm. This is the kind of lecture you'll be telling people about for years.

Some of my favorite Chuck D shirts #DarwinDay #evolution

YOU made the cut - good day for it, though :)

ONE WEEK OUT! 🎊
Michael Lynch is coming to challenge everything you thought you knew about cellular #evolution. His work on population genetics has completely rewritten the rules. Also - he's led FOUR major scientific societies, so you know he's got stories.
Next Tuesday, 3pm, See you there!

Vintage newspaper design announcing Darwin Day celebration on February 18, 2026. Features Michael Lynch's name in elegant script above bold 'EVOLUTION' text. Center shows black and white photo of Lynch, a man with gray hair and beard wearing a dark vest. Side panels read 'DATA! MODELS! INSIGHT!' and describe his research on genome evolution, drift, mutation, and population size. Header reads 'BREAKING NEWS' and 'SPECIAL EDITION' with 'EXPLORING THE FRONTIERS OF EVOLUTION' tagline. Bottom banner states 'SCIENCE! EVOLUTION! IMPACT!

In TWO WEEKS we're hosting Michael Lynch for Darwin Day! 🎉 His work on the drift-barrier hypothesis completely changed how we think about genome architecture.
Feb 18, 3pm,
Learn more >> https://loom.ly/LEFV6dw

Digital display sign in Vanderbilt library showing 'Celebrating 150 Years of Evolution at Vanderbilt' with plesiosaur fossil skeleton illustration on orange background. Sign advertises 2nd floor gallery exhibit.

ESI graduate students in maroon 'Evolutionary Studies' t-shirts engaging with elementary school students at hands-on science activity. Tables display human skulls, skeletal models, and educational materials. Whiteboard in background shows evolution simulator diagram. Students and educators gathered around interactive learning stations.

Brynn at Adventure Science Center outreach table with fossil specimens and educational materials. Woman with long blonde hair holds fossil specimen while explaining to visitor. Table displays include fossil casts, educational posters, and hands-on learning materials.

"Outdoor outreach table at Fort Negley with large coelacanth fish model mounted above display. Table features educational materials, fossil specimens, and sign reading 'EVOLVE' made from photo collage. Setup overlooks parking area with Nashville skyline visible in distance."

🎓 #Evolution education in action!
ESI brought research to Tennessee students: elementary school science festivals, rural high school research programs, and Girl Scout badge workshops.
Story: https://loom.ly/cACR5HY p.28-33

Science cover story reveals Turkana people evolved genetic adaptations ~5,000 years ago. In partnership with Turkana communities & Kenyan researchers. https://loom.ly/cACR5HY [p.14] #Evolution @amandalea.bsky.social

Magazine spread titled 'Horses Run Faster by Ignoring an Ancient Mutation that Says Stop'. Left side shows Dr. Gianni Castiglione standing in business casual attire. Right side features a digital illustration of a horse running past a stop sign, with dramatic lighting and flowing mane. Article text discusses how horse evolution enables extreme oxygen metabolism.

Dr. Gianni Castiglione working at his laboratory desk, viewed from behind. He sits at a computer workstation with two monitors displaying scientific data graphs. Blue circular plates or samples are visible on the desk. The caption notes he is analyzing respiration data, with reference to a DALL-E generated image of a horse blowing a stop sign.

🐴 How do horses produce extreme energy without free radical damage? They evolved to "run" a genetic stop sign - a trick previously only seen in viruses. Clinical implications for Parkinson's & epilepsy.
Story: https://loom.ly/cACR5HY [p.10] #evolution

Two people standing side by side indoors. Man on left wears Evolutionary Studies Vanderbilt University shirt and gray jacket. Man on right wears orange puffy jacket and holds a "Friend of Darwin" award plaque.

TBT - just a couple of Friends of Darwin hanging out at the ESI annual retreat! 🧬 #ThrowbackThursday #Evolution

Cover of Evolutionary Studies Magazine Fall 2025 issue featuring a black Darwin's finch with a large beak perched on green succulent vegetation. The magazine title and ESI logo appear in white text at top left. Cover stories listed include 'Kate Snyder: Evolution & Birds', 'The Evolution of Exercise in Horses', and 'The Scopes Monkey Trial Centennial Symposium'.

🎉 Fall 2025 Evolutionary Studies - the Magazine is live!
Horses that ignore genetic stop signs, humans adapting to extreme deserts, the #evolution of birdsong, and our Friend of Darwin award.
Read it: https://loom.ly/cACR5HY
#science

🔊 Job Opportunity: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Bacterial Evolution.

Looking to recruit a postdoc to join a UKRI FLF-funded project on antibiotic resistance evolution in the microbiome 🦠

3 years funding, deadline 26th Jan, please share!
hrwebapp.qub.ac.uk/tlive_webrec...

Square graphic titled “2025 Wrapped” in a bold, modern style inspired by Spotify Wrapped. Text reads: “Your most-watched video this year: Sean Carroll — Chance in Evolution (1,200+ views).” Below, additional stats read: “21 speakers” and “147 new subscribers.” The background features abstract, layered shapes in green, teal, and blue tones, with a celebratory, year-in-review feel. The layout emphasizes growth, impact, and community engagement around evolutionary science talks.

Evolutionary Studies' 2025 Wrapped. What was your favorite moment of the year? #Evolution

Wide view of the ESI Retreat trivia session. Attendees sit at round tables in a large event space, talking and collaborating in small groups. At the front of the room, a projected slide labeled “Final Question” is displayed on a screen while a host stands nearby with a microphone. The room has warm lighting, wooden floors, and a festive atmosphere.

A trivia host stands at the front of the room holding a microphone beside a projected slide titled “Round 2 – Nashville & Vanderbilt Trivia (2 points).” The slide displays a question about Diego Pavia and the Commodores. Participants seated at tables in the foreground turn toward the screen, discussing possible answers.

A projected slide reads “Round 3 – Evolution & Scopes Trial (1 point each, up to 3)” with a question asking what jobs John Scopes held during his life. The trivia host stands to the side with a microphone while attendees at nearby tables lean in to talk and think through their answers.

To end the day, we had a trivia session hosted by Mike Garvin. It was super fun and had Nashville, Scopes, and general Evolution questions! #Evolution

A four-panel collage showing CoEvoD graduate trainees presenting research talks at an indoor retreat. Each panel shows a trainee standing with a microphone in front of a projected slide, covering topics such as environmental stress, bacterial evolution, microbiomes, and health. Audience members are seated in front of the screen, and holiday decorations are visible in the background.

A large collage of photos from a research retreat showing many trainees presenting short talks. Each image features a speaker with a microphone in front of slides on topics including evolution, genomics, microbiomes, health, ecology, and computational biology. The images highlight the wide range of research areas and the diversity of speakers and presentations.

Our trainee session highlighted the incredible range of work happening across the ESI. From #outreach and education programs, to pilot grant–supported research, to CoEvoD trainee presentations - the talks reflected intellectual breadth & real-world impact. #Evolution

A faculty member presents a slide summarizing multiple research projects, with figures and portraits of trainees, while speaking to an audience seated at round tables during the ESI Retreat.

A faculty speaker gestures toward a projected slide on experimental evolution and mutation accumulation while addressing an audience at the ESI Retreat.

A faculty member presents the ESI Annual Retreat opening remarks, standing beside a projected slide as attendees watch from their seats.

A collage of faculty speakers presenting diverse evolutionary research topics during the ESI Retreat, showing multiple talks and slides across the session.

Faculty talks during the retreat highlighted the breadth of evolutionary research across Vanderbilt — from experimental evolution and genomics to ecology, behavior and global change. #Evolution @vuartsci.bsky.social

A speaker presents research on microbial domestication, gesturing toward a projected diagram that illustrates evolutionary transitions from wild microbial communities to domesticated, stable systems shaped by ecological interactions.

A speaker presents research on bridging micro- and macroevolution, standing in front of a projected slide that shows evolutionary timescales from short-term microevolution to deep-time patterns preserved in the fossil record.

A speaker stands beside a projected phylogenetic tree of eukaryotic lineages, illustrating genome evolution, endosymbiosis, and relationships among major groups such as algae, plants, and protists.

The retreat opened with talks from John Gibbons, Natasha Vitek & Jen Wisecaver, exploring evolution across scales from microbial genomes & ecology to patterns in the fossil record. A strong start that set the tone for the day
#Evolution #ScienceCommunication

Group photo of faculty, trainees, alumni, and staff from the Evolutionary Studies Initiative standing together at the ESI Retreat. The group is arranged in several rows inside an industrial event space with exposed beams and wood floors, smiling toward the camera. A holiday wreath hangs on the wall behind them, and tables with notebooks and coffee cups are visible in the foreground. The photo captures a large, interdisciplinary academic community gathered for a full-day retreat.

Last week, faculty, trainees, alumni and friends gathered for our annual retreat. It was a day of talks, trivia and conversation spanning #evolution, medicine, ecology, and genomics. A great reminder of the interdisciplinary community that makes ESI work. More retreat highlights soon…

Reminder! Our Friend of Darwin and Friend of the Planet webinar is coming up this Thurs., 12/4! Join us virtually as we celebrate 2025's award recipients. This online event is free and will include a Q&A after brief comments from the winners. Register - us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
#soundscience

It's our last week of short #Scopes100 videos on TikTok & Insta. 🥺 Check out Lee Meadow's talk on Inclusive Approaches to Teaching Evolution tomorrow thru Thursday & end the week with a final clip from Steve Brusatte's talk about #Fossils. @ncse.bsky.social

We're in the age of mammals, right @stevebrusatte.bsky.social? @ncse.bsky.social #Evolution #FossilFriday #Scopes100

This week, we're #thankful for our colleague @lizbarnes.bsky.social, who's working to promote harmony between #religion & #evolution! Tune in on Insta or TikTok through Thursday to see her #Scopes100 clips. @ncse.bsky.social

@kelleypaleolab.bsky.social did Samir finish this side quest??

A tall streetlamp glows brightly against the backdrop of a modern hotel building with rows of large windows in muted blue and beige panels. Attached to the pole is a vertical banner that reads “WELCOME! ABRCMS 2025, November 19–22, 2025, San Antonio,” featuring a colorful circular logo at the top and a floral-style icon at the bottom. The scene is overcast, giving the building a slightly hazy appearance, and a faint reflection of an interior light and a person is visible in one of the windows.

A conference booth for Vanderbilt University’s Evolutionary Biology program sits in a large exhibit hall. The booth features blue and gray curtain dividers and a simple sign overhead labeled “Vanderbilt University: Evolutionary Biology, 1029.” On the table are magazines, brochures, yellow smiley-face giveaway items, black containers, and wooden puzzles. A large banner on the front of the table spells “EVOLVE” with a group photo of ESI members filling the letters.

A view of the San Antonio River Walk showing a narrow river bordered by walkways, restaurants, and trees. A small arched pedestrian bridge crosses the water in the foreground. On the left is a building with large glass windows and a sign for a restaurant named "Macaroni Grill," with outdoor seating visible. On the right, a cluster of colorful umbrella-covered tables lines the riverside. Two people walk along the lower path near the water, and greenery frames the scene.

Come visit us this week at #ABRCMS2025! We've got great swag and a new BuzzFeed-style quiz to check out! #Evolution

Check out Brynn Wooten's work featured in @livescience.com and covered on our website - https://loom.ly/rVt1O2o! Proud alum of Fort Hays State University @vuartsci.bsky.social #HellPig

This is such an honor!!!

Flyer image. The text reads: 2025 Friend of Darwin and Friend of the Planet Awards. December 4 at 6:00 ET. Register for this virtual event to receive a link. 6 images featuring this year's recepients: Katie Hinde, a group photo of the Evolutionary Studies Institute at Vanderbilt, Randolph M. Nesse, John Toohey-Morales, a group photo of the CLEO Institute, and Kim Cobb.

The text reads: NCSE's 2025 Friends of Darwin. Join us virtually 12/4 at 6 ET. Recipients: Katie Hinde, Evolutionary Studies Initiative at Vanderbilt, Randolph M. Nesse. Images: Headshot of Katie Hinde, group photo of Evolutionary Studies Initiative at Vanderbilt, headshot of Randolph M. Nesse.

The text reads: NCSE's 2025 Friends of the Planet. Join us virtually 12/4 at 6 ET. Recipients: John Toohey-Morales, The CLEO Institute, Kim Cobb. Images: Headshot of John Toohey-Morales, group photo of the CLEO Institute, headshot of Kim Cobb.

Join us virtually on 12/4 at 6 ET as we celebrate our 2025 Friend of Darwin and Friend of the Planet recipients. Register in advance for a link - us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... #CelebrateScience #ScienceSky #ClimateSky

Welsey Roberts presents his evidence that teaching #evolution works and it doesn't have to be religion OR evolution. @ncse.bsky.social #teaching #scicomm

What can we learn from Natural History Museums? @corriemoreau.bsky.social gives some examples! #evolution #scicomm #museums @ncse.bsky.social

A promotional graphic announcing new research titled “Lost Giants, Lost Functions” from Biology Letters. In the center is a screenshot of the article webpage, showing the title “Lost giants, lost functions: palaeodietary insights into the ecological niches of Pleistocene ground sloths” by Aditya Kurre and Larisa R.G. DeSantis, published on October 22, 2025. On the left, Adi Kurre appears in graduation attire, and on the right, Larisa DeSantis holds a fossil specimen. The background is a watercolor forest scene. Below, there are three illustrations: a smiling modern sloth, a stylized brown prehistoric ground sloth, and a skeletal reconstruction of a large extinct sloth. Text at the top reads “New Research Alert! Lost Giants, Lost Functions.”

Giant ground sloths were ecosystem engineers whose disappearance reshaped the landscapes they once roamed. A new study from the DeSantis Lab reveals how diverse these megaherbivores’ diets were. @vuartsci.bsky.social #Evolution
Read more: https://loom.ly/oY_Gtzo