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Assistant Professor of Biology Amanda Ingram invited the campus to join the Biology Department Thursday for an "Adaptation Celebration. "Biology professors will regale you with tales of their favorite adaptations that evolved by natural selection," Professor Ingram had promised, which turned out to be a lot more fun than most might have guessed. The celebration marked the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth. Professor Ingram's favorite adaptation: flowers!

Professor David Polley's favorite adaptation got the party off to a good start. His favorite adaptation: Sex. "Sex, defined as the combination of two genomes in one cell, requires cell fusion and subsequently chromosome reduction through meiosis," Professor Polley explained with a reasonably straight face. "In early eukaryotes, which were unicellular, there likely was an advantage to combine resources during periods of starvation by cell fusion. Thus sex may have originated as an adaptation to stress."

Senior Andy Leshovsky enjoys the presentations.

Assistant Professor of Biology Rebecca Sparks-Thissen's favorite adaptation involves bacteria. "Bacteria can use a wide range of energy sources and are not dependent on oxygen or glucose for energy as we are," Professor Sparks-Thissen said. "This allows them to grow in all sorts of different environments that we think of as places where life doesn't exist including hot springs and high pH environments."

Assistant Professor Patrick Burton decided not to mention the fact that he has a pet rabbit running loose in his house (a reasonably good adaptation for a rabbit), but instead focused on "Hox genes and the evolution of adult body plans."

Gillian Anderson appeared onscreen for Professor Burton's presentation.

Professor David Krohne enjoyed the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, noting that "it seems only yesterday that we were celebrating the 150th."

Associate Professor Eric Wetzel said that his favorite adaptation was the alteration of host behavior by parasites.

Professor Wetzel mentioned one way parasites alter host behavior: Certain larval forms of flatworms in lake water can cause a dermatitis called "swimmer's itch," which cause swimmers to do exactly that.

Professor Krohne indicated that his own behavior had been altered by that particular parasite.

Sphinx Club President Kyle Hays ’09 enjoys Professor Wetzel's presentation.