The 9th ACEBB seminar for 2010 is available as a podcast. This week’s topic was “A genetic perspective on ecological specialisation.” The seminar was presented by Professor Ary Hoffmann, director of the Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation Research, Departments of Genetics and Zoology at the University of Melbourne.

Evolutionary adaptation can be rapid and help species counter stressful conditions or realize ecological opportunities arising from climate change. In this seminar Professor Hoffmann discussed the challenges around understanding when evolution will occur, and identifying potential evolutionary winners and losers, including species living near physiological limits that lack adaptive capacity. Professor Hoffman discussed the ways evolutionary processes can be incorporated into programs designed to minimize biodiversity loss under rapid climate change. These challenges can be met through realistic models of evolutionary change linked to experimental data across a range of taxa.