Cannibalism and Infectious Disease by Alina Shubina ’19, Mathematics Colloquium today

Cannibalism and Infectious Disease by Alina Shubina ’19, Mathematics Colloquium, today, 1 – 1:45 pm, Stetson Court Classroom 101.

Abstract:  Most people have an intrinsic prejudice against cannibalism – and that applies to researchers as well. For a long time, its prevalence among species was played down, and the going assumption was that the spread of infection via cannibalism would make the trait less attractive from an evolutionary standpoint. It is only recently that scientists thought to wonder about the reverse side of that dynamic: namely, the effect that cannibalism might have on parasites. This colloquium will explore different models of disease transmission and cannibalistic behavior in animal populations and invite people to consider cannibalism in a new light – as our friend in combating infectious disease.