If any of you international readers happen to be in Cyprus on Thursday, feel free to drop by to my lecture on the evolution of central nervous systems. Cypriot readers, you’re obligated to come in any case (and I’d appreciate it if you could show me you’re coming on the Facebook events page, I like to know the size of my audience). The talk’s being done for Cyprus Freethinkers and the University of Nicosia’s student-run Human Biology Society (same as my natural selection talk).
The talk will be fairly basic – a run through some of the more exemplary nervous systems, although due to popular request, there will be an emphasis on vertebrate systems, so I won’t be going through all the animal phyla (it would take too long). Just enough to get a good phylogenetic representation. Then some words on evo-devo and deep homology, a “current standpoint” view on the original bilaterian central nervous system, and some words of warning and a call for further research. In all, a short, 30-40 minute talk, no doubt to go on a bit longer due to my usual digressions and awkward pauses.
Blog readers, as usual, I’ll be posting up my slides with explanatory text some days after the talk (no promised ETA).
