Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES)

Ecological and evolutionary processes are inescapably intertwined. Environmental changes affect the ecology of species causing novel selection pressures to which the species respond in an evolutionary context. The influence of human activity on earth has accelerated since the industrial revolution, and today anthropogenic impacts on the biota are of great concern to politicians, academics, and the general public alike. In order to discern how such distortion of the environment may affect future flora and fauna, we need greater awareness of how ecology determines the course of evolution which, in turn, determines future ecological dynamics. Understanding how living organisms respond and adapt to environmental changes remains a major and urgent scientific challenge.

CEES is based at the Department of Biology, University of Oslo and is chaired by Professor Nils Chr. Stenseth.

Darwin Day 2012 - Monday 13 February "Sexual selection" Speakers: Göran Arnqvist, Manfred Milinski, Jane M. Reid and Stephen M. Shuster Read more.
More on hybrid speciation in sparrows Several CEES scientists were involved in the research, published in Molecular Ecology, showing that the Italian sparrow is a hybrid species formed by interbreeding between the house sparrow and Spanish sparrow. Have a look at the research group's website, bbc.com and forskning.no (Norwegian) for further reading.
Nils Chr. Stenseth appointed as a Chevalier (Knight) in the French National Order of the Legion of Honour Read more
CEES-led team make ground-breaking discovery about the Atlantic cod immune system. Published in Nature and covered extensively in international media, including Science and Nature News Read more
ISEC2012 International Statistical Ecology Conference 2012, 3-6 July 2012, Sundvolden Hotel. Abstract submission deadline 20 January 2012 Read more

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