The chicken or the egg? Science on Tap explores importance of development


Wednesday, February 25, 2015
by: Rene Abadie

HAMMOND – The old question, "What came first, the chicken or the egg?" will be discussed at Southeastern Louisiana University's next Science on Tap seminar, scheduled Tuesday, March 3.

The informal presentation – which will focus on the importance of development in life – presented by Southeastern Professor of Biology Mary White, will be held at 7 p.m. at Tope lá Catering, 113 East Thomas St., in Hammond. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The presentation is free and open to all ages.

"The discovery of master genes in development over the last few decades has allowed biologists to investigate many issues in the evolution of animal body plans," said White, a specialist in molecular and developmental biology.

She said the questions that can be addressed now sound like a modern version of Rudyard Kipling's "Just So" stories.

"Questions such as 'How did the snake lose its legs?', 'How did the swan get such a long neck?', and even a real Kipling title, 'How the Leopard got its Spots,' can now be posed in science with plausible answers," White said.

The Science on Tap lecture series is sponsored by the Southeastern Department of Biological Sciences. For more information on future presentations, contact the Department of Biological Sciences at 985-549-3740.

 




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