March 27, 2018
David Hibbett, Professor of Biology, Clark University 2017–2018 Fellow, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University
Fungi receive little attention in mainstream media, but these organisms have an enormous impact on ecosystems and on the production of food and pharmaceuticals. As decomposers, fungi recycle nutrients and are key contributors to the global carbon cycle. David Hibbett will examine the diversity of fungal decay mechanisms and how they have evolved across geologic time. He will also address the controversial hypothesis that fungal evolution contributed to the decline in coal formation at the end of the Carboniferous Period
Evolution Matters Lecture Series
Series supported by a generous gift from Drs. Herman and Joan Suit