Science Under the Stars: Animal Weapons

Join Science Under the Stars for their October talk featuring Dr. Ummat Somjee, a Stengl-Wyer Scholar from the Department of Integrative Biology.

Elephant tusks, giraffe weevil heads, elk antlers and rhinoceros horns are all examples of animal weapons. Animals use these structures to fight, leading to some of the most extreme and elaborate structures in nature. These animal weapons can be large and conspicuous; they draw our attention and capture our curiosity. However, weapons are not always what they seem, animals have developed complex rituals around fighting and competition, many of which still remain a puzzle in the field of animal behavior. The more we study these structures, the more we find that there is so much more going on than we can actually see. What are the unexpected parallels between human boxing matches and the ritualized fights in tusked weevils?  Why are some weapons sometimes so large they seem no longer functional in fights? Why are some weapons also dazzling and beautiful? Why do some weapons appear invisible? These are just some of the questions that arise during this tour of weapons in the natural world.

Schedule:

• 7:00 pm: Kid’s activities and natural history displays of local animals and plants found at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
• 7:15 pm-7:45 pm: Guided tour of the field lab (wear sturdy shoes and bring water)!
• 8:00 pm: Settle in, because the talk begins now!
• 8:45 pm: Q&A with the speaker

The talk will be held outdoors at Brackenridge Field Laboratory and streamed live on the SUtS YouTube channel.

Science Under the Stars is a free public outreach lecture series in Austin, Texas run by UT graduate students. Events are held outdoors at Brackenridge Field Laboratory, 2907 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin, Texas 78703. Find schedules and links for each event on the SUtS blog, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube channel and Facebook page, or sign up on their listserve to get event notifications.