Kimberly Sheldon, assistant professor in the UT Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, will kick off the spring 2020 Science Forum lecture series with “What Dung Beetles Tell Us About Climate Change” Friday, January 24.
Dung beetles are intriguing, charismatic beetles with great significance to humans. In ancient times, they were considered sacred by Egyptians. Today, we benefit from the variety of ecosystem services that dung beetles provide, including nutrient cycling, waste removal, and secondary seed dispersal. In her presentation, Sheldon will use dung beetles to understand how environmental temperatures have shaped the physiology and distributions of tropical and temperate species. She applies this information to understand the impacts of climate warming on ecological communities across latitude with the goal of identifying the taxa most vulnerable to climate change.
The UT Science Forum takes place Friday, Jan. 24 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Thompson-Boling Arena Cafe (located at 1600 Phillip Fulmer Way), Room A.
Guests are encouraged to bring their lunch or purchase it from the arena. Each presentation is followed by a Q&A. The event is free and open to the public.
We have temporary parking passes available for our guests who do not have UT parking passes. An RSVP is required for the pass. To request a pass, please email Amanda Womac.