Wonders of attraction
All over the world, bees, butterflies, and even bacteria are engaged in dramatic relationships about which, until recently, scientists knew little. Yet understanding these relationships is key to understanding the world around us, according to Naomi E. Pierce, a Harvard biology professor and butterfly specialist. “When I was growing up I thought plants were boring,” Pierce said in a recent talk at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, part of the “Evolution Matters” lecture series. “I had the notion that plants were just there being eaten,” when in fact, their interactions with insects define the world as we know it. As the Hessel Professor of Biology in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Pierce investigates the evolution of symbiosis – how the relationship between two species affects the evolution of each. She is particularly interested in the evolution of cooperation, or mutualism. Take orchids and bees. An orchid attracts bees with nectar,...