What is evolutionary science? Who is an evolutionary scientist? What role does evolutionary science have to play in the future of Australian science? How can we shape that future?

In late 2019 a group of 20 ECRs and MCRs from across a range of disciplines including evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, philosophy, linguistics, computer science, mathematics and medicine, met at the Shine Dome as part of the Australian Academy of Science “Future of Evolutionary Science Forum”. We were tasked with thinking about just these questions.

Seven of us took on the challenge to write a whitepaper for the Academy outlining our “big” ideas. That whitepaper is due to be released this year. In this seminar, the five ANU-based authors of the whitepaper—Dan Noble, Xia Hua, Maja Adamska, Lexing Xie and Rachael Brown—present our big picture view of evolutionary science, reflect on both the four years since 2019, and the interdisciplinary process involved in writing the whitepaper.