Event Description
Want to know what’s in the water? Ask John Lundberg, PhD, about his recent research. Kryptoglanis shajii is a strange fish—and the closer scientists look, the stranger it gets. This small subterranean catfish sees the light of day and human observers only rarely, when it turns up in springs, wells, and flooded rice paddies in the Western Ghats mountain region of Kerala, India.
Lundberg, one of the world’s leading authorities on catfishes, started taking a closer look at several specimens soon after the catfish’s discovery in 2011. It’s quite puzzling, but it doesn’t seem to fit into the family tree of catfishes.
Lundberg is an ichthyologist, evolutionary biologist, and systematist. His research mainly concerns fish diversity and diversification using modern and fossil specimens and phenotypic and genetic data. He is drawn to exploration and collecting in poorly known waters and fossiliferous sediments. Lundberg joined the Academy of Natural Sciences as the curator of ichthyology, where he oversaw, grew, and promoted one of the world’s largest and most active research collections of fishes. He retired in 2013 but remains active in research.
Science on Tap is a monthly science café in Philadelphia for anyone who is interested in getting together with other people to discuss a range of engaging science topics.
It's held at National Mechanics, a relaxed, convivial bar in Old City, and features a brief, informal presentation by a scientist or other expert followed by lively conversation. |
