Unlocking Evolution's Secrets
The 2010 American Society of Naturalists Awards
Celebrating Biological Breakthroughs
The 2010 American Society of Naturalists Awards recognized groundbreaking research that reshaped our understanding of evolution in a changing climate.
In the ever-evolving field of evolutionary biology, each year brings groundbreaking discoveries that reshape our understanding of the natural world. The American Society of Naturalists (ASN), one of the oldest biological societies in North America, has been recognizing exceptional contributions to evolutionary science since its founding in 1883. The year 2010 marked a particularly significant chapter in this tradition, honoring research that would fundamentally advance how scientists understand the interplay between climate change, evolutionary processes, and species diversification 7 .
Founded in 1883
One of the oldest biological societies in North America
Prestigious Awards
Recognizing exceptional contributions to evolutionary science
ASN Award Categories and 2010 Laureates
The American Society of Naturalists confers three major awards each year, recognizing distinct forms of scientific excellence.
Distinguished Naturalist Award
Recognizes mid-career investigators who have made significant contributions through exceptional natural history research (formerly E. O. Wilson Naturalist Award) 1 .
Presidential Award
Awarded for the best paper published in The American Naturalist. The 2010 recipients were Margaret E. K. Evans, Stephen A. Smith, Rachel S. Flynn, and Michael J. Donoghue for their study on evening primroses 1 .
The Winning Study: Evening Primroses and Climate Evolution
The research team led by Margaret Evans embarked on an ambitious mission to understand how climate dynamics over millions of years influenced the evolution and diversification of the "bird-cage" evening primroses (Oenothera, sections Anogra and Kleinia) 1 .
At the heart of their investigation was a central question: does evolutionary niche conservatism constrain diversification when environments change? 1
The researchers combined sophisticated phylogenetic analyses with paleoclimate modeling and niche evolution theory to reconstruct how these plants diversified across North America over approximately 25 million years 1 .
Research Methodology: Tracing Evolution Through Time
The award-winning study employed a multidisciplinary approach to reconstruct deep historical processes.
Phylogenetic Reconstruction
Built a comprehensive evolutionary tree using molecular data from multiple gene regions to visualize relationships and estimate divergence times.
Niche Modeling
Developed ecological niche models for each species using distribution data and environmental variables.
Ancestral Niche Reconstruction
Used statistical methods to infer ecological preferences of ancestral species by working backward through time.
Paleoclimate Integration
Incorporated paleoclimate data from the Cenozoic era, particularly the Miocene epoch when diversification was most rapid.
Diversification Rate Analysis
Quantified species formation rates through time and correlated these with climatic changes 1 .
Results and Analysis: 25 Million Years of Evolution
Niche Conservatism
Strong evidence for niche conservatism—species retained ancestral ecological characteristics despite 25 million years of evolution 1 .
Climate-Driven Diversification
Diversification rates were highest when global climates were changing most rapidly 1 .
Asymmetric Evolution
The two sections showed strikingly different patterns of diversification despite similar ages 1 .
Paleoclimate Correlations
Intense diversification periods corresponded with major Cenozoic climate events 1 .
The Scientist's Toolkit: Essential Research Solutions
The study exemplified how methodological innovations drive conceptual advances in evolutionary biology.
| Reagent/Material | Primary Function | Application in Evolutionary Study |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular sequencing reagents | Extracting and sequencing genetic material | Phylogenetic reconstruction and dating evolutionary events |
| Environmental data layers | Characterizing ecological niches | Modeling current and past species distributions |
| Fossil calibration points | Dating evolutionary events | Establishing temporal frameworks for diversification analyses |
| Statistical software packages | Analyzing complex evolutionary patterns | Integrating phylogenetic, ecological, and climatic data |
| Herbarium specimens | Providing morphological and distribution data | Validating models and incorporating historical collection data 1 |
Broader Implications: From Ancient Primroses to Modern Climate Challenges
The implications of this research extend far beyond understanding the evolutionary history of evening primroses. The findings provide crucial insights for addressing one of the greatest contemporary biological challenges: predicting species responses to anthropogenic climate change.
Niche Conservatism Concerns
Many species may be unable to evolve new climatic adaptations rapidly enough to track current climate change 1 .
Biodiversity Impacts
Current pace of change may outstrip adaptive capacity, potentially leading to net biodiversity loss 1 .
| Time Period | Climate Change Characteristics | Primary Evolutionary Response |
|---|---|---|
| Miocene (23-5 mya) | Gradual cooling and aridification | Gradual niche evolution and speciation |
| Pliocene (5-2.6 mya) | Continued cooling with fluctuations | Continued diversification at slower rates |
| Pleistocene (2.6-0.01 mya) | Rapid glacial-interglacial cycles | Range shifts with limited speciation |
| Anthropocene (present) | Extremely rapid anthropogenic change | Range shifts, adaptation, or extinction |
Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of the 2010 ASN Awards
The 2010 American Society of Naturalists Awards celebrated exceptional science that continues to influence evolutionary biology more than a decade later.
The Presidential Award-winning study on evening primroses exemplified how creatively integrating diverse biological disciplines can reveal profound insights into life's evolutionary mechanisms. By demonstrating the complex interplay between climate change, niche evolution, and diversification patterns, the research provided both specific answers about plant evolution and a general framework for investigating evolutionary processes across the tree of life 1 .
These awards remind us that scientific progress often comes from synthesizing knowledge across traditional boundaries—from molecular genetics to paleoecology, from microscopic analysis to planetary-scale climate modeling.
As we face unprecedented global environmental changes, the kind of integrative evolutionary biology recognized by the 2010 ASN Awards becomes increasingly vital. By revealing how species have responded to environmental changes across deep time, such research helps predict how they might respond to the rapid transformations underway today—and how we might best steward Earth's biodiversity through an uncertain future 1 7 .