Sunrise Senior College Online Course Registration

Evolution is defined as the gradual, continuous process of change, growth, or development, particularly how species adapt and change over generations through mechanisms like natural selection.

Join us for a discussion on this topic with Dr. Mark Brown who, with his background in entomology, will use insects to provide examples. We will see amazing examples of adaptations between insects and the plants they feed on as well as the plants they pollinate, insect sociality, and how insects communicate with each other. Did you know that there is a beetle that feeds on ants in their nest by looking and smelling like the ant? Were you aware that there is a parasitic wasp that finds its host by smelling a chemical combined from the host insect saliva and the plant sap, and another parasitic wasp that feels the vibration of a beetle larva deep inside a tree trunk? How about an orchid in which the flower resembles and smells like a female bee and is pollinated when the male bee mates with the flower? There is a chemical war between plants and insects that eat them with plants making chemicals to repel insects and insects adapting to overcome those defenses.

Finally, Dr. Brown will offer examples of how far evolution can go to ensure the survival of insects and other organisms that exist with them.

Instructor: Dr. Mark Brown has a Master's Degree in Ecology, a Ph.D. in Entomology, and a 30-year career of research on insect ecology. He has taught several classes on entomology and evolution for the Sunrise Senior College.

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room SCI 102 and via Zoom and this class will be recorded. The presenter will be in person.

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                 IMPORTANT:  See Below

“Sunrise Senior College does not endorse any appeal or representation made by a presenter, non-profit organization or business during an SSC presentation.  SSC members attending the presentations may wish to pursue additional involvement with the organization or presenter based on the material that was presented and in doing so, they are acting on their own and not as part of SSC.”

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $20.00 fee.

Important:  If you are not a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning on joining SSC as a member today, when questioned about your membership make sure you select the response that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so the we can properly bill you for this class.

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may occur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.