How do entirely new traits, like the use of venom, arise in the natural world? The evolution of novelty is one of biology’s most intriguing questions. In this talk, evolutionary biologist and National Academy of Sciences member Sean B. Carroll examines how snakes serve as powerful models for understanding the origins of evolutionary innovation. “New traits” refer to biological features or functions that did not exist in an ancestral organism, such as fangs, toxins, or molecular defenses, that emerge through genetic change and natural selection.
Using the story of venom evolution as a guide, Carroll will explore the diversity of snake venom types, the genomic origins of venom toxins, and the biological arms race between venomous snakes and their prey. He’ll also discuss the evolution of snake antitoxins and the intriguing prospect of a “natural” antivenom.
Sean B. Carroll is an internationally recognized biologist, award-winning author, and Emmy and Peabody award-winning film producer. Sean’s pioneering scientific research has centered on the genes that control animal body patterns and play major roles in the evolution of animal diversity. For his scientific contributions, he has received the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences and been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the European Molecular Biology Organization, as well as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Sean is the author of six books for general audiences, including The Serengeti Rules, Brave Genius, The Making of the Fittest, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, A Series of Fortunate Events, and Remarkable Creatures, which was a finalist for the National Book Award for non-fiction. Sean also wrote a regular feature, “Remarkable Creatures,” for the New York Times Science Times. In 2016, Sean received the Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science. Sean was the architect of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) filmmaking initiative to bring great stories about science and nature to broad audiences. He was Head of Tangled Bank Studios until late 2023, where he served as executive producer of nearly 50 feature or educational films. The studio’s All That Breathes was the first film to win best documentary at Sundance, Cannes, and London, and went on to earn an Academy Award nomination. Other notable films include the Emmy Award-winning documentaries “The Farthest“ and “The Serengeti Rules,“ the latter of which was based on Sean’s book of the same title.
He is currently a Distinguished University Professor and Balo-Simon Chair of Biology at the University of Maryland and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is also Professor Emeritus of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the University of Wisconsin- Madison.
