17 November, 2024

Time: 11:00

Capacity: 25 people

Access: Entrance through the Quinta gate – Rua Bartolomeu Velho, n.º 141

Panoramic Room – Quinta de Serralves

Free access, but mandatory registration via the link.

Human activities are shaping ecosystems, impacting the evolutionary adaptability of species.

The mechanisms of evolution through natural selection, as proposed by Darwin, drive adaptation to the surrounding environment. By altering the environment, humans influence evolutionary trajectories and species adaptability, resulting in what some authors term “unnatural selection.” Indeed, human activities are reshaping the environment in undeniable ways. Evidence of human impact has been documented in the Earth’s geological record, leading to the proposal of a new epoch: the Anthropocene. One key feature of the Anthropocene is pollution resulting from industrial and urban expansion. In this context, fundamental questions arise: How does contamination affect animal adaptation and evolution? How do organisms cope with rapid environmental changes? And, what are the trade-offs between ancestral adaptations and new scenarios of environmental contamination?

In this talk, we will explore the case of marine mammals due to their status as iconic species, their susceptibility to contamination, and their unique evolutionary history—specifically, how the historical contingencies of their adaptation to marine environments constrain defense mechanisms in today’s Anthropocene.

Researcher | Raquel Ruivo

More on the event here.