Abstract

Explaining biological changes is challenged by our “warm-blooded bias”.  We experience time as physiologically constant, while cold-blooded life (i.e. most life) experiences time relative to environmental temperatures (“thermal time”). I will show how thermal time changes the way we observe the world around us and explains changes within and across biological groups.  While examples will focus on my own work for life in the ocean, the ideas presented are relevant across habitats (terrestrial, aquatic) and groups (microbes, plants, insects, animals). 

Short bio

Anna B. Neuheimer is a biological oceanographer whose research explores quantitative ecology in marine animal populations to explain changes in size, abundance, distribution, connectivity, and life history. While her main focus is on fish and their prey (zooplankton), this work naturally extends to other groups including primary producers (e.g. phytoplankton) and predators (e.g. marine mammals, humans). Anna is an assistant professor at the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and fellow at the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (www.abneuheimer.org).

Anna Neuheimer's project at AIAS

What is a Fellows' Seminar?

The AIAS Fellows' Seminar is a session of seminars held by the AIAS fellow or by other speakers proposed by the fellows. In each seminar, one fellow will present and discuss his/her current research and research project, closing off with a question and discussion session.

All seminars are held in English and open to the public. Registration to the seminar is not necessary.  Read more about the AIAS Fellows' Seminar here.