What happens when the traditional rules that govern taxonomy, the practice of naming species and higher categories of life, predate evolutionary thinking? Do you break the rules to accommodate new discoveries? Join Jason Downs, a consummate rule follower, as he argues that rules should be followed until they no longer work—then they should be rewritten.
Dr. Jason Downs earned his Ph.D. from Yale University and has actively collected and researched Devonian vertebrate fossils for his entire professional career. He is on the faculty of the Wagner Free Institute of Science, where he teaches courses on geology and evolutionary biology, is associate professor of Biology at Delaware Valley University and research associate in the Vertebrate Paleontology Group at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.
Science on Tap is a monthly gathering at National Mechanics Bar in Old City that features public discussion on engaging science topics.