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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Center for Behavior, Evolution, and Culture
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250428T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250428T133000
DTSTAMP:20260417T175339
CREATED:20250312T202548Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250501T191219Z
UID:7820-1745841600-1745847000@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Katrine Whiteson - May the Fiber Be with You: Gut Microbiomes from a remote Amazon village to the undergraduate lab
DESCRIPTION:May the Fiber Be with You: Gut Microbiomes from a remote Amazon village to the undergraduate lab\nKatrine Whiteson\nUniversity of California Irvine School of Biological Sciences\, co-Director\, UCI Microbiome Center\nBacterial and viral colonization of the human body has profound implications for human health\, yet our understanding of what constitutes a “healthy microbiome” remains incomplete—especially in the context of industrialization. Over the past century\, global diets have shifted dramatically\, with increased consumption of processed foods and a steep decline in dietary fiber intake. These changes have left our colons depleted of critical substrates that fuel gut microbial communities\, with potential consequences for immune function\, metabolic health\, and chronic disease risk. \nTo explore what a less industrialized microbiome might look like\, we studied the gut\, oral\, and fermented food microbiomes of women and children from 28 households in Conambo\, a remote Indigenous community along the Conambo River in the Ecuadorian Amazon. This community is largely isolated from urban infrastructure\, with minimal exposure to processed foods or modern medical care. Microbiome profiles from Conambo participants revealed high diversity and a dominance of microbial taxa such as Prevotellaceae. \nWe also analyzed chicha\, a traditional fermented manioc beverage prepared by mastication of boiled cassava tubers. Our findings revealed microbial succession during fermentation and close taxonomic overlaps with oral and gut microbiota—underscoring the intimate links between diet\, tradition\, and microbial transmission. Within Conambo\, household co-residence emerged as a strong driver of microbiome similarity across fecal\, saliva\, and chicha samples. \nFinally\, we contextualized the Conambo microbiomes by comparing them to global reference datasets\, including UC Irvine undergraduates participating in dietary fiber intervention studies. Together\, these datasets reveal how environmental exposure\, diet\, and social structure shape the human microbiome—and offer a lens into both human microbial history and the future of microbiome-informed health. \n 
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/katrine-whiteson-may-the-fiber-be-with-you-gut-microbiomes-from-a-remote-amazon-village-to-the-undergraduate-lab/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2025,Past Presentation,Presentation
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250512T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250512T133000
DTSTAMP:20260417T175339
CREATED:20250312T202757Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250527T195022Z
UID:7823-1747051200-1747056600@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Annie E. Wertz - How infants learn to eat plants (and why they may not want to)
DESCRIPTION:How infants learn to eat plants (and why they may not want to)\nAnnie E. Wertz\nAssistant Professor\, Psychological & Brain Sciences\nUniversity of California\, Santa Barbara\nLife is mostly plants. Plants constitute an estimated 80% of the biomass on Earth and are concentrated in terrestrial environments. Millions of animal species rely on plants to survive and the organismic design of plants and animals have been tightly interwoven in intricate ways over evolutionary time. Humans are no exception. Plants have been a foundational component of human diets across evolutionary time\, yet many plants can be toxic or even fatal if ingested. In this talk\, I will present research exploring the cognitive adaptations human infants use to negotiate this paradox and safely learn which plants they can eat. \n 
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/annie-e-wertz-how-infants-learn-to-eat-plants-and-why-they-may-not-want-to/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2025,Past Presentation,Presentation
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250602T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20250602T133000
DTSTAMP:20260417T175339
CREATED:20250312T202947Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250606T201621Z
UID:7826-1748865600-1748871000@bec.ucla.edu
SUMMARY:Erin Riley - Roadside primates: Balancing risks and rewards in anthropogenic environments
DESCRIPTION:Roadside primates: Balancing risks and rewards in anthropogenic environments\nErin Riley\nProfessor\, Anthropology\, San Diego State University\nIn the contemporary era it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a primate population that has not experienced some form of anthropogenic influence. Primates living in anthropogenic spaces may benefit from access to novel food resources\, such as agricultural crops or provisioned foods\, but they also must deal with potential negative outcomes from the presence of humans and their activities. The complexity of these human-primate interfaces necessitates the use of interdisciplinary approaches that draw from both the natural and social sciences. In this talk\, I will discuss my research on the human-macaque interface in Sulawesi\, Indonesia\, highlighting the mixed methods approaches my colleagues and I are using to examine how macaques and people are co-adapting to ever-expanding shared landscapes. \n 
URL:https://bec.ucla.edu/event/erin-riley-roadside-primates-balancing-risks-and-rewards-in-anthropogenic-environments/
LOCATION:352 Haines Hall
CATEGORIES:2025,Past Presentation,Presentation
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