2007 Press Releases
"Animal Venom" - Public Lecture, 7 March
Many animals secrete toxic substances either to injure or kill their
prey, or to defend themselves against attack. Being poisonous
also protects species from predation and they have often evolved bright
colour as a warning to would be attackers. At the next lecture of
the Faculty of Science Public Lecture Series at UCC on 7 March,
Professor Tom Cross will consider examples of these species.
Professor Cross will discuss well-known species such as venomous snakes
and sting rays, to less well-known ones ranging from tiny
dinoflagellates, which cause red tides; tropical box jellyfish (the
world's most venomous animal); cone shells and blue ringed octopus;
spiders scorpions and hornets; stone fish and other stinging fish;
"poison arrow" frogs and the male duck billed platypus. The
origin, nature, function and evolution of these poisons will be
considered as will the interaction of some of these species with humans.
Tom Cross DSc is Associate Professor of Zoology at UCC. A native
of Cork, he has been in UCC since 1983 and was previously Assistant
Director of the Salmon Research Trust of Ireland. His PhD on the
genetics of hybrid fishes and fish molecular genetics, is still his
major research area. He is also interested in salmon biology,
marine ecology, biomechanics of jellyfish, and venomous animals.
The lecture takes place at UCC's Boole Lecture Theatre 4 at 8pm on
Wednesday, 7 March. The highly popular lecture series, organised
by Professor William Reville of the Faculty of Science, UCC, continues
weekly until 28 March 2007. Admission to the lecture is free, and
as always, members of the public are invited to attend.
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