We were so happy to welcome our first Scientist in Residence guest, Chase Brownstein, an evolutionary biologist at Yale and a TCS alum, back to campus. At the start of spring, a season of growth and new discovery, his visit was a wonderful blend of real scientific discovery and genuine curiosity.

Chase has been studying fossils and identifying new species since his undergraduate days, and he offered the children a window into how evolutionary biologists map the “Tree of Life.” Beginning with animals the children had observed that very day, he showed how scientists look for patterns, make careful observations, and build hypotheses about how living things are connected. The children were fascinated to learn that, on the Tree of Life, humans are more closely related to mice than to cats or dogs, an idea that sparked thoughtful questions and lively discussion.

Drawing from his current research at Yale’s Peabody Museum, Chase shared his work on marine fossils and the evolution of fish, including one of his favorite animals, sharks. He explained that sharks are an ancient lineage, evolving more than 400 million years ago, and that their skeletons are made of cartilage rather than bone, one of many examples of life’s remarkable diversity.

Chase also showed how new discoveries can happen close to home. He described research on small, colorful fish living in a river in Birmingham, Alabama. Though they appear nearly identical, careful study revealed that they represent five distinct species. He invited the children to hypothesize about traits that might distinguish them, such as fin shape, color patterns, and more. With excitement and creativity, they shared their ideas and were intrigued to learn that the key difference lies in the number of scales below the fishes’ dorsal fin.

Throughout his visit, Chase took the children’s thinking seriously, encouraging them to observe closely, ask questions, and test their ideas, just as scientists do. He also emphasized the importance of protecting biodiversity, noting that the newly identified fish species are already at risk due to habitat changes.

To conclude, Chase introduced the children to the remarkable deep-sea anglerfish, a species he is currently studying. They were amazed to learn about its bioluminescent “light,” made possible by a symbiotic relationship with glowing bacteria, and the extraordinary adaptations that allow anglerfish to survive in the extreme conditions of the deep ocean. Even more surprising was the idea that anglerfish and whales share a distant common ancestor, another powerful reminder of how all life is connected across time.

Growing thinkers, one question at a time.

Maureen