Dear colleagues, We are really excited to announce that we are organizing a symposium 'Socially Transferred Materials: Convergent evolution and molecular biology' at the 3rd Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology, which is taking place July 26-30 in Montreal, Canada (https://www.evolutionmeetings.org/; registration for the conference is now open; early-bird deadline May 1st). Our symposium will include examples of reproductive processes, metabolic division of labour and lesser-known transfer systems, and will include talks by Mariana Wolfner (Cornell Univ.) and Jenny Stynoski (Univ. Costa Rica). The study of socially transferred materials is a broad and emerging field of integrative biology that contains lots of parallels and research opportunities in dramatically different transfer systems that are now mostly studied in isolation. Therefore, we aim to connect researchers focusing on different forms of socially transferred materials to foster cross-fertilisation, and to collectively identify unifying concepts and experimental priorities for understanding their role in evolution as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. So, if you work on milk, ejaculate, regurgitate, mucus, eggs or some lesser-known social transfer we look forward to considering your contribution to our symposium. If you are not sure whether your topic fits, feel free to contact us. Adria LeBoeuf: acl79@cam.ac.uk Joris Koene: joris.koene@vu.nl Symposium abstract: Many organisms have evolved to transfer materials which go beyond gametes, nutrients and microbes. These are defined as socially transferred materials when they are transferred between conspecifics and include components that have been metabolized by the donor and induce a direct physiological response in the receiver, bypassing sensory organs. While these transfers benefit the donor, they can also influence the fitness of the recipient either positively or negatively, i.e. resulting in cooperation or conflict. Examples include milk, seminal fluids, eggs, skin secretions and regurgitate. In this symposium we aim to bring together experts on these and lesser-known socially transferred materials. These materials, and the genes that enable their transfer, provide a new, proximate perspective on convergent molecular evolution of very different transfer systems and is expected to lead to deep insight into ultimate, (social) selection pressures of cooperation and conflict. Dr. Joris M. Koene Associate Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam http://www.joriskoene.com Ecology & Evolution Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE) Vrije Universiteit Visiting address: De Boelelaan 1108, 1081HZ, Amsterdam Mail address: Van der Boechorststraat 3, 1081 BT, Amsterdam THE NETHERLANDS tel: +31 (0)20 5987095 joris.koene@vu.nl http://www.a-live-vu.nl https://research.vu.nl/en/persons/jm-koene "Koene, J.M. (JM)" (to subscribe/unsubscribe the EvolDir send mail to golding@mcmaster.ca)