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Explore the ancient chemical warfare between plants and insects in this morning lecture that reveals how fossil evidence illuminates a battle spanning hundreds of millions of years. Learn from Dr. Gussie Maccracken, Curator of Paleobotany at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, as she demonstrates how paleobotanical research uncovers the evolutionary arms race between flora and their insect herbivores. Discover how plants developed sophisticated chemical defenses while insects evolved counter-strategies, creating an ongoing conflict that continues to shape our modern ecosystems. Examine fossil evidence that documents this co-evolutionary relationship and understand how these ancient interactions influence contemporary plant-insect dynamics. Gain insights into the specialized field of paleobotany and its role in revealing the hidden history of ecological warfare that has fundamentally shaped life on Earth.
