Despite COVID: showcasing new research in evolutionary biology from academic care-givers in the middle of a pandemic

Proceedings B2022: the year in review

“…Because of these difficulties, senior editors Loeske Kruuk (University of Edinburgh), Sarah Brosnan (Georgia State University) and Maurine Neiman (University of Iowa) were inspired to show that despite these domestic constraints, and the shrinking number of hours in a day for science, many carers continued with their academic research. This special feature ‘Despite Covid: showcasing new work in evolutionary biology from academic caregivers in the middle of the pandemic’ [4] is a collection of 20 articles led largely, although not exclusively, by women, many of whom are early career researchers. A diverse set of topics is covered in this special issue including: avian behavioural changes in response to human activity during the Covid lockdown; the evolution of host proteins associated with SARS family viruses in bats; the over-representation of females as study subjects in life-history research; and thermal niches and phylogenetic assembly of tree communities in tropical montane regions.…”