"A most bountiful source of inspiration": Dobzhansky's evolution of tropical populations, and the science and politics of genetic variation / "A mais abundante fonte de inspiração": Dobzhansky e sua evolução sobre as populações dos trópicos, a ciência e a política da variabilidade genética

Abstract Theodosius Dobzhansky has been studied for how he integrated field naturalism and laboratory experimentation in ways that helped produce the Modern Synthesis, as well as how he leveraged biological expertise to support liberal and cosmopolitan values amidst Second World War and the Cold War. Moreover, Dobzhansky has been central in analyses of the institutionalization of genetics in Brazil, where he spent several years. This article situates Dobzhansky's Brazilian research within the science of variation and the politics of diversity. I conclude by raising questions about how the ways in which science figured in politics depended on ideas about the role of scientists in society whichwere advanced in parallel, suggesting research on the "co-production" of natural and social orders.

Resumo Theodosius Dobzhansky tem sido estudado pelo modo como ele integrou o naturalismo de campo e a experimentação científica, que deram origem à síntese moderna, assim como a alavanca que ele deu ao conhecimento biológico para apoiar valores liberais e cosmopolitas em meio à Segunda Guerra Mundial e à Guerra Fria. Além disso, Dobzhansky tem sido fundamental para a análise da institucionalização da genética no Brasil, onde ele morou e trabalhou por muito tempo. O trabalho contextualiza a pesquisa brasileira de Dobzhansky dentro da ciência da variabilidade e nas políticas de diversidade. A conclusão levanta questionamentos sobre como a ciência figurava na política dependendo das ideias sobre o papel dos cientistas na sociedade, que foram avançando em paralelo, sugerindo uma pesquisa na coprodução das ordens social e natural.

Remembering the past - studies on evolution done by the genetics group at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)

Abstract After a brief introduction about the factors that are involved in science development, and world and Brazilian evolutionary genetics, the studies developed in Porto Alegre in this area were reviewed. Four periods in the development of this group were distinguished: (a) Origins and first expansion (1949-1961); (b) Second expansion (1962-1988); (c) Third expansion (1989-2001); and (d) The last 15 years (2002-present). The international Porto Alegre Biological Evolution Workshops (PABEWs), with five biannual events from 2007 o 2015, were also mentioned. The final message stressed the importance of the maintenance of this and other Brazilian groups of research through adequate finance and recognition.

When population and evolutionary genetics met behaviour

In this review, we analyse the impact of a population and evolutionary genetics approach on the study of insect behaviour. Our attention is focused on the model organism Drosophila melanogaster and several other insect species. In particular, we explore the relationship between rhythmic behaviours and the molecular evolution of clock and ion channel genes.