“Avian egg colors are some of the most vividly and diversely pigmented and patterned natural products. What generates this conspicuous and complex evolutionary variation?” asks Mark Hauber. His research has involved tracking the physical structure, the chemical pigmentation, and the resulting biological function of eggshells, both within and across species. His talk will explore why some thick eggs are beige, some thin eggs are speckled — and why birds as diverse as hummingbirds, doves, and owls lay immaculate white eggs. Hauber is a Hunter College professor of psychology and the director of the school’s Animal Behavior and Conservation Program. He is also editor of The Auk: Ornithological Advances and the author of The Book of Eggs (2014).
