Using his own body as a lure, Mark Siddall wades into Rwandan wetlands, rain forests of Madagascar , and swamps of French Guiana in quest of intriguing leech specimens , such as the world’s largest species, the 18-inch-long Giant Amazon Leech. It's all in the name of exploring leech biodiversity, leech evolution, blood-feeding behavior, and these beasties' anticoagulant abilities. Dr. Siddall asks:
--Why does the newly discovered Tyrant Leech King, a.k.a. T. rex, favor dining on mucus membranes, such as the inside of the human nose?
--What are legitimate (as well as highly suspect) health uses for European medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) and how did these creatures evolve their anticoagulant abilities?
--How might chemicals in leech saliva be used to develop new drugs to prevent heart attacks and fight cancer?
--Is there a symbiotic relationship between leeches and the microbes that live inside them? How have advances in molecular and digital imaging transformed the study of microfauna?
Mark Siddall is curator of Annelida and Protozoa at the American Museum of Natural History, professor of invertebrate zoology at the Richard Gilder Graduate School
Before & After
--Wiggle to grooves that wriggle
--Try our naturalist-inspired cocktail of the night, the Bloody Marky
--Stick around for the hemoglobin-powered Q&A
This sanguine edition of the Secret Science Club meets Tuesday, December 11, 8 pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. Brooklyn . Subway: F or G to 4th Ave.
Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+
No cover. Just bring your smart self!
Photo courtesy of NOVA ScienceNOW.
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