Biology Seminar Series: Saul Speaker- Marjorie Weber

There is a tiny world on the surface of every leaf. A suite of amazing leaf traits, most of which are invisible to the naked eye, mediate interactions in a rich ecosystem of plant enemies and friends. This talk will unveil hidden life on the leaf and focus on an easily overlooked cooperative interaction between plants friendly mites. By highlighting the drama playing out on the leaves of common local trees, we will uncover the hidden secrets of the leaf surface.

Marjorie Weber Bio: Marjorie Weber is an Assistant Professor at University of Michigan. Weber’s research focuses on understanding how ecological interactions have shaped the striking diversity of life that has evolved over the history of our planet. To do this, she studies cooperative interactions between plants and insects, and their implications for the generation and maintenance of biodiversity. Her work lies at the nexus of ecology and evolutionary biology and seeks to understand the role these species interactions have played in shaping branches of the tree of life. She also likes dogs, painting, and hanging out with her kids!

Sponsored by the George B. Saul II Lecture Fund,
and the Department of Biology