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Hybridization in Birds: Q&A Session

In celebration of the new 'Hybridization' section on Birds of the World, two Cornell Lab of Ornithology scientists will be on hand to discuss this complex phenomenon. After a short presentation that addresses the relevance of hybridization to biology, taxonomy, conservation, and evolution, Shawn Billerman and Jen Walsh will take your questions.  Please submit questions in advance on the registration form!

Shawn Billerman is Science Editor for Birds of the World and has expertise in systematics, taxonomy, and evolutionary biology. As co-author of the scholarly text Bird Families of the World, he has particular interest in higher level taxonomy and speciation. As part of his dissertation research at the University of Wyoming and postdoctoral research at the Cornell Lab, Shawn studied hybridization in sapsuckers, towhees, and orioles using genetic data, climate data, and behavior data to understand differences that can lead to the evolution of species. 

Jen Walsh is a Research Associate in the Fuller Evolutionary Biology Lab here at Cornell Lab. She uses genetic tools to study local adaptation and hybridization in songbirds, with a particular interest in adaptive capacity in response to environmental change. She employs genomic methods to identify patterns of diversification and adaptive potential across ecological gradients, spanning both micro- and macro-geographic scales.

The webinar will be 1.5 hrs. A recording will be sent out within 5 days after the event.

Mar 23, 2023 03:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)