At 7:00 p.m., President Debbie Mullins called the meeting of the Society to order.
As we gathered online for the first talk of the series, President Mullins gave a friendly reminder to all LSNY members: “Don’t forget to renew your annual membership, either online or by mailing in a check.” She then advised members to mark their calendars for the much-anticipated annual homecoming picnic set for Sunday, September 20th, at the Heckscher Picnic Area in the heart of Central Park. The festivities will run from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the rain date is Sunday, October 1st, at the same time and location.
President Mullins then encouraged our membership to take action by composing letters to their respective City Council representatives, advocating for the Lights Out Bill and the Birds and Bees Protection Act – important initiatives for our community.
The gathering also featured the exciting Great Gull Island Birdathon results announcement. The dedicated teams raised an impressive $5,800, doubling the previous year’s total. Heartfelt gratitude was extended to Michelle Zorzi and Debbie Becker for their outstanding efforts in organizing the successful 2023 Birdathon.
Motion 1: President Mullins then announced the result of the online vote to approve the May 2023 members’ meeting minutes. The vote passed with 126 votes in favor and two abstaining.
Motion 2: The Society welcomed the following twenty-three new members, with 128 members voting in favor and none opposed. President Mullins announced that our membership now stands at 700 people.
- Ruth Rioux, Active, sponsored by Meredith Barchat and Russ Comeau
- David Schneiderman, Active, sponsored by Anne Lazarus
- Robert Kenet, Supporting, sponsored by Ken Chaya
- Richard Devereaux, Supporting, sponsored by Barbara Saunders and Nancy O’Keefe
- Noel Comess, Active, sponsored by Michelle Zorzi
- Nancy Tollefson, Active, sponsored by Kevin Sisco
- Barbara Mahoney Kent, Active, sponsored by Kathleen Howley
- Lisa Curtiss, Active, sponsored by Karen Becker
- Ann Woodhouse Plum, Active, sponsored by Mary Beth Kooper
- Timothy Ryan, Supporting, sponsored by Phillp Ribolow
- Yeree Shim, Associate, sponsored by Karen Asakawa
- Tamar Michaeli, Active, sponsored by Amanda Bielskas
- Diane Louie, Active, sponsored by Gabriel Willow
- Darlene McNeil, Active, sponsored by Doug Futuyma
- Gary Himes, Active, sponsored by Ken Chaya
- Anne Himes, Active, sponsored by Ken Chaya
- Rachael Siegel, Active, sponsored by Mary Beth Kooper
- Jeffrey Lue, Active, sponsored by Mary Beth Kooper
- Michelle Yan, Active, sponsored by Barbara Saunders
- Susie Dippel, Active, sponsored by Karen Becker
- Sonja Schmid, Active, sponsored by Mary Beth Kooper
- Marlene Pantin, Active, sponsored by Ken Chaya
- Amy Davidow, Active, sponsored by Mary Beth Kooper
At 7:10 p.m., President Mullins introduced the speaker, Liliana M. Dávalos.
Dr. Liliana M. Dávalos
Liliana M. Dávalos is a professor of conservation biology at Stony Brook University (New York). She focuses on biodiversity and conserving the world’s life-support systems into the future. In her research, she uses genetics, genomics, and statistical tools to discover mechanisms of extinction and survival. She received her B.Sc. in Biology from the Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia, and a Ph.D. in ecology, evolution, and environmental biology at Columbia University. She has published over 90 research papers, including work in high-impact journals such as Science, Nature, and Current Biology. Dávalos is a 2012 National Academies of Sciences Education Fellow in the Life Sciences, a 2013 Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow for an outstanding early career, has advised the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime on deforestation since 2007, and is a member of the Science Panel for the Amazon. She is a co-editor of The Origins of Cocaine(2018) with Professor Paul Gootenberg, a co-author of the 2016 and contributor to the 2022 World Drug Report, and a co-editor of Phyllostomid Bats (2020) with Ted Fleming and Marco Mello.
Phyllostomid Bats are a Unique Mammalian Radiation. Here’s Why
Dr. Liliana M. Dávalos Unveils Caribbean Bat Evolution
Dr. Liliana M. Dávalos presented her research on the evolutionary patterns of Caribbean bats.
The Phyllostomidae family, also known as New World leaf-nosed bats, are among the most ecologically diverse mammal families, displaying more morphological variation than any other mammalian family. This variation is demonstrated by their morphology, diets, and sensory traits. The Phyllostomidae consists of species that have evolved physical modifications for insectivory, frugivory, hematophagy, nectarivory, and omnivory.
Adaptive radiation is defined as a rapid increase in the number of species with a common ancestor, characterized by great ecological and morphological diversity. Dr. Dávalos’ research delves into why Phyllostomidae bats have exhibited this characteristic. She focused on understanding the factors contributing to the distinct bat populations on various Caribbean islands and the reasons behind certain bats inhabiting specific islands.
Over the last two decades, Dr. Dávalos and her team have analyzed living and fossil species of Phyllostomid bats and close relatives in order to discover when, where, and how their diversity has evolved and been maintained. These studies reveal that the family has diversified relatively recently and in tandem with adaptations to frugivory as well as molecular and trait diversity across the family.
This evolution suggests adaptation to establish mutualistic relationships with flowering plants. Together with our knowledge of these bats’ dominance in the night skies of tropical America, these findings have established Phyllostomid bats as a unique adaptive radiation.
Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography: A New Perspective on Bat Evolution
The equilibrium theory of island biogeography posits a balance between species immigration and extinction, where over time, the island’s debris of biodiversity remains stable. Curiously, this model was not working as predicted among the Caribbean bats.
Dr. Dávalos’s insights revealed that the missing link was the emergence of new species through local differentiation or isolation-induced speciation. This discovery provided a fresh perspective on the dynamic nature of bat evolution in the Caribbean over millions of years, proving for the first time that there was species equilibrium on the islands across the millions of years of bat colonization.
Species Extinction
Dr. Dávalos and her team made a noteworthy calculation: it would take around eight million years for the thirteen extinct bat species she found to be naturally replaced through colonization and speciation. Interestingly, most of these extinctions coincided with human arrival on the islands, a significant finding in this field of study.
Given the alarming rate of mammal extinction in the Caribbean, Dr. Dávalos collaborated with Bat Conservation International to identify the most threatened bat species. They named the Jamaican flower bat, currently listed as critically endangered by the IUCN due to its restricted range and estimated population of fewer than 250 individuals. This partnership led to a conservation program aimed at preserving the bat’s habitats, ecosystems, and the plants it pollinates.
Bat Diversity: Unraveling the Threads of Evolution
Beyond conventional speciation drivers, Dr. Dávalos introduced a new hypothesis: ecological specialization. According this hypothesis, evolution doesn’t result primarily from geographical barriers but from shifts in behavior. Bats, with their diverse diets, provide an ideal context for studying this phenomenon. The intricate relationship between bats and plants reveal a rich tapestry of species diversity shaped by their interactions.
The evening concluded with a Q&A session led by Vice President Douglas Futuyma. The Linnaean Society expressed its appreciation to Dr. Dávalos for sharing her research into Caribbean bat evolution. Her work sheds light on these mysterious creatures and emphasizes the importance of conserving their ecosystems for future generations.