Proposed New Section for the Canadian Society of Zoologists: Comparative Morphology and Development La Nouvelle Section proposée pour la Société Canadienne de Zoologistes: Morphologie et Développement Comparatifs The proposal for this new section (below) was approved in principle by the CSZ Executive at their Nov. 28, 2004 Meeting. This new section will therefore become a reality if at least 30 paid members of CSZ indicate a desire to join it no later than Feb. 15, 2005. To support this proposed new section, please download and complete this modified CSZ membership application form, and be sure to check the box "Comparative Morphology and Development" box under "Section Affiliation". For further information about this proposal or the proposed new section, contact Rich Palmer. Find out more about the Canadian Society of Zoologists here. (Pour recevoir ces documents en français, s'il vous plaît contact Rich Palmer)

Executive Summary

(Vertebrate ontogeny; from Gilbert 1997)

As currently constituted, the Canadian Society of Zoologists (CSZ) promotes three themes, as represented by society sections: Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry, Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution, and Parasitology. Although these three sections have served the society well historically, other areas of zoological research - such as morphology, larval biology and development - do not fit comfortably within them. As a consequence, many Canadian zoologists feel a greater kinship with, and participate more actively in, the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (previously American Society of Zoologists) than with the CSZ. Therefore CSZ misses a golden opportunity to celebrate the full extent of contributions by Canadian zoologists, and to promote interaction and collaboration across the full spectrum of zoological research. We, the signatories below, therefore propose the creation of a new section to the CSZ to be called Comparative Morphology and Development. Canadian teaching and research institutions are home to many zoologists interested in morphology, larval biology and development, so we anticipate a rapid growth in membership once this new section is established. This new section will a) complement nicely the existing CSZ sections, with minimal overlap, b) increase overall membership in the CSZ, c) boost the stature of the CSZ in Canada, and internationally, by involving more Canadian zoologists, d) materially enhance the interactions, dialogue and intellectual cross-fertilization among the many Canadian zoologists working on morphology, larval biology and development, and e) broaden the scope of the society to better embrace Canadian zoology writ large. An enthusiastic group of zoologists from across Canada is ready to make this new section an exciting and vibrant element of the CSZ.

Proposal:

1) To establish a section of Comparative Morphology and Development within the Canadian Society of Zoologists.

2) To debut this new section at the 2006 CSZ annual meeting in Edmonton with an inaugural symposium on Development, Morphology, Evolution: The Eternal Cycle.

Proposed Timetable

• Nov. 2004- CSZ Council Executive asked to approve in principle the proposal to create a new section of Comparative Morphology and Development, subject to sufficient member interest. (the CSZ Council Executive approved this proposal at their Nov. 28, 2004 meeting)

• February 15, 2005- A minimum of 30 dues-paying members will agree to join the new section.

• May 2005- CSZ Council Executive asked to formally approve the new section's a) creation, b) interim chair (or co-chairs), and c) draft set of bylaws.

• May 2006- The new section of Comparative Morphology and Development will sponsor its first symposium and meet to finalize the by-laws to govern the section and elect a chair.

Full Proposal

Background

At the 2004 annual meeting of the CSZ at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, an informal meeting was held to discuss a proposal for a symposium on larval biology, to be held at a future CSZ meeting. The discussion soon expanded to reveal a long-standing disappointment with the current section structure of the CSZ. On the one hand, we agreed that annual meetings with Canadian colleagues are wonderful opportunities to exchange information relevant to collaborative grant initiatives, graduate student recruitment, innovative teaching ideas, and new research directions and discoveries. They are also a venue for welcoming young colleagues into the Canadian research community. Indeed, the Acadia meeting was an exemplary example of the many benefits of attending the annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Zoologists. On the other hand, many of us at the informal meeting admitted that we had not attended a CSZ meeting in years, simply because the Society's existing organization does not include a large sector of Canadian researchers that identify themselves as zoologists. In short, we feel that the Society's annual meeting attracts a far too restricted subset of Canadian zoologists. Many Canadian zoologists simply do not fit comfortably into any of the existing section of the CSZ.

To remedy this situation, signatories to this application submit the following proposal for a new section of the Canadian Society of Zoologists. We feel that the proposed new section will welcome a much wider segment of Canadian zoologists into CSZ and to the significant benefits this Society offers as a broader national forum for exchange of ideas relevant to teaching and research in animal biology.

Justification

Canada possesses many distinguished biologists interested in functional and comparative morphology, biomechanics, morphometrics, larval biology, development, and the evolution of development. Nonetheless Canada lacks a national society that: 1) embraces this expertise, 2) promotes an exchange of ideas within this group to nucleate new research and collaborations, and 3) disseminates accurate information to the larger Canadian academic and lay communities.

For example, evolutionary developmental biology has emerged as an exciting new discipline and many labs now study the role of development in the evolution of animal body plans. Dr. Brian Hall (Dalhousie) has been a vocal promoter of this new research thrust on the international stage. Universities throughout the world have specifically recruited new faculty within this rapidly growing area, and Canada is no exception (e.g., Sally Leys- Alberta, Mike Hart- SFU, Ehab Abouheif- McGill). Yet these new Canadian researchers have no natural home within the current structure of the CSZ. The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), the American sister group to the CSZ, originally accommodated 'evo-devo' biologists within its Division of Invertebrate Biology, but the rapidly growing popularity of this research field soon led to a separation of the Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology from its parent division within SICB. As a consequence, Canadian evolutionary developmental biologists are more likely to encounter each other at the SICB meeting than at the CSZ meeting.

Similar stories exist for Canadian zoologists interested in larval biology, functional morphology and biomechanics.

Other research areas encompassed by Comparative Morphology and Development that might attract new society members and could serve as themes for future symposia include:

1) Larval biology of marine invertebrates
2) Biomechanics of animal locomotion
3) Biomineralization and skeletal evolution
4) Function, development and evolution of modular organisms
5) Function, development and evolution of segmented organisms
6) Functional morphology of suspension feeding systems
7) Defensive strategies of planktonic invertebrates
8) Adaptive phenotypic plasticity

The 2006 annual meeting in Edmonton is a logical place to debut the new section for two reasons: a) historically, the University of Alberta is widely recognized for its contributions to larval biology and development by Dr. F. S. Chia, his students and colleagues, and b) two signatories to this proposal (Sally Leys, Rich Palmer) are evolutionary developmental biologists who currently reside there and are well-positioned to help debut the symposium and section meeting.

Finally, preliminary discussions with the current Program Officer of the SICB Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Dr. Eduardo Rosa-Molinar, University of Puerto Rico) has indicated a potential willingness to work collaboratively with the proposed CSZ section of Comparative Morphology and Development to co-sponsor (i.e., contribute some funding towards) the inaugural symposium at the 2006 annual meeting and possibly future symposia of common interest. Both societies stand to benefit from such a collaboration.

Whither CMD?

Armed with the blessing of the CSZ Executive that a new section of Comparative Morphology and Development be created (subject to adequate membership), we will work hard to bring new members into the society and to enhance the stature of the CSZ on both the national and international stage.

A.R. Palmer Home Page

(revised Dec. 20, 2004)