Meeting-The Morphological Diversity of Intromittent Organs, Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology: January 5th, 2016; Portland, Oregon

University Of The South, Sewanee TN

Investigators

Abstract

The primary goal of this symposium will be to build a synthetic understanding of the factors that interact to make intromittent organs some of the most morphologically diverse structures in the animal kingdom. The symposium will attract researchers studying functional morphology, ecological morphology, behavior, and developmental biology in both vertebrate and invertebrate taxa. The symposium will improve and broaden this field of study by encouraging new collaborations between research groups that have not previously interacted and identifying conceptual similarities among the reproductive structures of diverse taxonomic groups. Further, a special conference-wide session about effectively communicating the value of basic and seemingly esoteric research efforts to a broader audience will also occur. This symposium will break down the walls that separate scientists studying different aspects of intromittent organs, integrating researchers studying functional morphology, ecological morphology, behavior, and developmental biology and who address these questions in both vertebrate and invertebrate taxa. The speakers will also highlight new studies and methods being used in the study of intromittent organs, including molecular and genomic techniques, macro- and micro-CT, finite element analysis, and 3D reconstruction of morphology. Thus, attendees will have the opportunity to learn new methodology and share expertise, and these interactions will lead to the creation of valuable and lasting collaborative bridges. Moreover, the volume of conference papers produced for a special issue of Integrative and Comparative Biology (ICB) will serve as a valuable resource for future researchers and lecturers.