For the 2017-2018 year, our Distinguished Visiting Scientist will be Professor Doug Emlen of the University of Montana. We will be studying evolutionary biology with a special focus on the selective pressures, costs and constraints associated with extreme structures like horns, tusks and antlers. We will also look at armor, teeth, camouflage, toxicity and a whole host of other morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations to competition and defense in the animal world. Along the way, we will explore many specific case studies, looking at different organisms that illustrate central principles in evolution and behavioral ecology. Additionally, as we consider “animal weapons” and the evolution of specific structures involved in conflict, we will also follow the lead of our visiting researcher and reflect on parallels in human technologies that respond to many of the same driving forces and constraints that we find in the animal world. On Wednesday April 11, 2018, we will welcome Doug Emlen as our visiting lecturer and explore his research and field work together.