Rick Grosberg, a professor of evolution and ecology at UC Davis and founding director of the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute at the Bodega Marine Laboratory, will deliver a different approach to family values on Oct. 16.

His research focuses on how species of marine invertebrates, ants and fungi use competition and cooperation to maintain genetic variety.

Families are a unique arena where conflicts of interest often arise between males and females, between parents and offspring, and among siblings. Family members may often die for each other, but given the right circumstances they will also harm each other. What are the basic rules that in the rest of life that govern whether individuals should harm or help each other? In this talk, Grosberg considers this question using an evolutionary foundation from research on the family dynamics of snails, seahorses, ants, birds, and bees.

The program will begin at 6pm at 291 Country Club Drive in Incline Village on the campus of Sierra Nevada College. Cost is $5.