Darwin Day
February 12, 2002
On Darwin's 193rd Birthday,
the Dept. of Biological Sciences
at the College of Letters and Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
along with the Whitewater chapter of BBB, and
the Biology Undergraduate Honors Society presented the
Fourth Annual Darwin Day Lecture
The guest speaker was Randolph Nesse  M.D. from the University of Michigan.
Dr. Nesse spoke on Darwinian Medicine: Why isn't the Body Designed Better?
Why isnt the body designed better

e-mail Dr. Nesse at: nesse@umich.edu
Dr. Nesse related many facts about evolution, showing that apparent "advances" had constraining limitations and some odd or "poorly designed" body features had commensurate gains.  His talk seemed focused toward students who would be teaching biology in grade school and high school.
The polar bear is white -- a trait obviously evolved to help it not be seen by the seals it hunts and eats -- but what about the cold?  In the artic, wouldn't it be unadaptive to be white and reflect sunlight and heat?

It turns out that the polar bear actually has BLACK skin and the hair is not white but translucent, so the light is channeled to the skin for warmth and still makes the bear look white.
As in past years, there was a pre-talk reception
in the Biology Museum on the third floor of Upham Hall
featuring the world's largest edible tree of life!
The BBB Gang
Jeff McKinnon
Dr. Jeffrey S. McKinnon, 
BBB faculty advisor
 Professors look on
Dr. Randolph Nesse (on right)
Edible Ticks Edible Turtle
Edible Taco Clam Mystery Fish Cake
BBB President
President of BBB
Jeff and student
Jeff McKinnon and student
Professors
Dr. Daryle Waechter-Brulla (right)
More Professors
Dr. Neil W. Sawyer (left)
 Onlookers check for accuracy

Jeff divides the species
Drs. Jeff McKinnon and Rick Adams work on the tree of life
Edible tree of life
The completed Tree of Life
 Darwin Day Cartoon

UWW Darwin Day Logo
This year's tee-shirt!
 
UW Whitewater's
Darwin Day Site
Official Darwin Day Website
Professor Nesse's Homepage
Pictures from 2001 Darwin Day
Atheists & Agnostics of WI