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A collage of 25 photos featuring recipients of ESI Pilot Grants. In the center is a black circle with gold rings and the words “ESI Pilot Grants” in elegant serif font. Surrounding the title are candid photos of researchers in labs, classrooms, field sites, and presentations. Some are shown working at microscopes, giving talks, using computers, or smiling with colleagues. One image features a person posing beside a giant trilobite fossil; another shows two people with a university mascot. The collage highlights the diversity of students, postdocs, and faculty supported by the Evolutionary Studies Initiative’s small grants program.

Big Science, Small Grants: ESI Pilot Funding Powers Research Across Disciplines

Apr. 18, 2025—By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Since launching in 2021, the Evolutionary Studies Initiative’s pilot grant program has helped support more than thirty research teams across the departments of Biological Sciences, Earth and Environmental Science, Anthropology, and Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology. The premise is simple: a little funding, awarded fast, to help researchers try...

New Research Reveals Surprising Dietary Similarities Among Saber-Toothed Cats—Plus, Join Us for a Special Kids’ Day Event at Bridgestone Arena!

Apr. 4, 2025—Nashville, TN – April 4, 2025 – A innovative study led by researchers from 91�Թ�� sheds new light on the dietary ecology of the iconic saber-toothed cat, Smilodon. The study, published in a special issue on sabertoothed organisms in The Anatomical Record, reveals that Smilodon fatalis and Smilodon gracilis—two species that lived thousands to...

Castiglione Lab Discover Horses Run Faster by Ignoring an Ancient Mutation that Says ‘Stop’

Mar. 27, 2025—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator Evolution often makes a deal with the devil, creating challenges for treating human disease. By mass, the muscles of thoroughbred racehorses consume more than twice the oxygen of elite human athletes. Yet, oxygen produces free radicals, which damage organ tissues. Balancing energy production with oxidative stress is also...

Renowned Expert, Paul Koch, to Discuss Environmental Change Through the Lens of Paleontology for ESI Earth Day Lecture

Mar. 25, 2025—By Nick McCoy, Evolutionary Studies communications assistant Paul Koch, a Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will present the Earth Day Lecture at 91�Թ�� on April 16th, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in Buttrick Hall 102. The lecture is free and open to the public. Koch’s most notable...

Scopes Hotels

Jan. 15, 2025—Hotel Information The link to book in the room block at the Marriott Nashville at 91�Թ�� is here. There are several hotels in the area in a range of prices and distances from the Carmichael College. Feel free to use the information below to help make an informed decision regarding your hotel: COST Up-scale Loews...

Recap of ESI Seminars (Fall 2024)

Jan. 13, 2025—The Evolutionary Studies Initiative (ESI) Seminars last semester highlighted diverse and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding evolution. The speakers showcased research spanning behavior, genetics, physiology, and ecological systems, presenting evolution’s role in shaping life on Earth. From Anne Yoder’s exploration of speciation and conservation in Madagascar, to Ken Catania’s extraordinary look at predator-prey dynamics in emerald...

Ken Catania sitting in his office holding a staff with a skull reproduction.

91�Թ�� Researcher Finds Jewel Wasp Cocoons Can Withstand Cannibalism

Nov. 15, 2024—By Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator New research from Ken Catania, Stevenson Professor of Biological Sciences, shows another incredible result. The “Cocoon of the Developing Emerald Jewel Wasp (Ampulex compressa) Resists Cannibalistic Predation of the Zombified Host” was published in Brain, Behavior, and Evolution. Catania’s research program focuses on the weird in nature. His...

A group of people is seated on a brightly patterned mat inside a rustic room. A local man smiles and waves at the camera, while others, including two researchers using tablet devices, sit nearby. The background includes personal belongings and a small fan, giving the space a homely feel.

Beyond the Thrifty Genotype: Examining Evolutionary Hypotheses for Modern Metabolic Health

Nov. 12, 2024—By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies Scientific Coordinator A new review co-led by graduate students Layla Brassington and Audrey Arner of the Lea Lab discusses the formulation of the popular and impactful Thrifty Genotype Hypothesis. This hypothesis, proposed by James Neel in 1962, suggests that fat deposition and energy conservation were once useful traits in times...

Sylvia Cheever, a Ph.D. student in Biological Anthropology, stands outside a trace metal clean laboratory in protective lab gear, including a yellow hair cover, goggles, and a white lab coat.

Ancient Bones, Modern Insights: Investigating Mercury Exposure in Colonial Peru

Nov. 11, 2024—By: Alexandria Leeper, Evolutionary Studies graduate communications assistant Sylvia Cheever, a Ph.D. student in Biological Anthropology at 91�Թ��, is uncovering the hidden stories of indigenous communities affected by colonial exploitation in Peru. Supported by a pilot grant from the 91�Թ�� Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Cheever’s research focuses on measuring mercury levels in ancient human bones...

91�Թ�� Alumnus Uncovers Feeding Strategies of Ancient Ediacaran Organisms

Oct. 22, 2024—By: Andy Flick, Evolutionary Studies scientific coordinator A new study, led by alumnus Andrei Olaru in Paleobiology titled, “Functional morphology of the Ediacaran organism Tribrachidium heraldicum” sheds light on the functional morphology one of the earliest known large and complex animals. Using advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the research explores how this 550-million-year-old organism, characterized...

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