Professor Stephen Montgomery's inaugural lecture: Endless brains most beautiful: ecology and evolution of adaptive neural traits

Staff and students are invited to attend the inaugural lecture of Professor Stephen Montgomery in celebration of his appointment as Prince Philip Professor of Ecology and Evolution.

Abstract: Among life’s endless forms, variation in sensory and neural systems is typically hidden from view. Yet, these systems define both how an individual experiences the world around them and how they respond to it. The evolution of neural systems is therefore not only intricately shaped by the environment, but may also impact how diversity evolves. 

In this talk, I will discuss two case studies in adaptive neural evolution, focused on the perception and use of environmental cues, that illustrate this reciprocal relationship between a species’ ecology and neurobiology, and its impact across biological levels of organization.