CHENNAI: What Charles Darwin first observed about evolution was its close relation to geography. Years of research have proved that all living things have evolved to better suit their surrounding environment. Alexander von Humboldt, a Prussian naturalist and scientist, went a step further. He studied the distribution of eco-systems in tandem with their geographical space, also known as biogeography. Although known popularly for his contribution to botanical geography, his work set in motion research on Zoogeography — the study of animals across geographical areas — as well.
Every year on September 14, the International Biogeoghraphers Society organises a series of talks on the latest research in the field, to celebrate the birth anniversary of this revolutionary scientist. This year, they have collaborated with the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) to organise an additional set of talks, by biogeographers of Indian origin, about their fields of study across different locations around the world.
“We are celebrating only a facet of Humboldt’s life, which is biogeography — a powerful concept used to explain evolution and other natural phenomena,” says VV Robin, assistant professor of Biology at IISER Tirupati, who is also one among three of the organisers of the Humboldt Day. Studying the biogeography of an area can reveal many unknown secrets of the land. For example, how nutritious the soil is, the primary source of food in the area, the groundwater content, etc. “We have particularly decided to focus on the Indian biogeographers whom we have invited to speak. We have created a sub-website and poster for the same,” he adds.
The event was inaugurated by Kamal Bawa, professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts, on Monday. His talk introduced the biogeography and biodiversity of India covering his experiences fulfilling the Biodiversity Mission set up by the Government of India. Following this, a series of talks including the different kinds of centipedes by Jahnavi Joshi; biodiversity at high altitudes by Nishma Dahal; and the rodents of north India by Krishnapriya Tamma, were held. As part of the series of events, Sushma Reddy will be covering her observations of the birds of Madagascar across different biogeographies in her talk on September 17. On the same day, Rauri Bowie will be speaking about the biodiversity that one can find across different landscapes in Africa. More speakers from countries including Switzerland, New Zealand and Europe will also present their work.
Register and learn
The talks will be held until September 18. Registrations are open at http://bit.ly/3lBX5wz. The Indian as well as international talks are free of cost. For details, visit: https://humboldtday.org/events/. The talks will also be available on Facebook live at at the National Center for Biological Sciences page