Darwin Days 2023

Age of Fishes

Darwin Days 2023 explores the Devonian-age evolution of fish and origin of land vertebrates (tetrapods)

February 6 - 12th

Darwin Day is an annual, international commemoration of the birthday and ideas of Charles Darwin, a British naturalist born February 12, 1809, and author of the seminal book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

The first organized Darwin Day events took place in 1995, and were organized by the Humanist Community of Palo Alto, California. The years since have seen Darwin Day celebrations around the world increasing annually on a steady scale.

In 2006, the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth, in collaboration with Cornell University and Ithaca College, celebrated the first official Darwin Day in Ithaca, New York, with a five-day series of panel discussions, film screenings, speakers, and workshops, aimed at increasing awareness of Darwin’s theory and its relevance today, in the Ithaca community and beyond.

Join us this year from February 6 - 12 on a journey from 400 million years ago to the present. We will explore the rise of fishes and their incredible diversity, from armored behemoths to the first "fishapods" and beyond.

Most programs for this event this year are offered free of charge, but please consider contributing to our educational programs so that we can continue to offer resources and information to our community.


2023 Calendar of Events

Darwin Days Keynote Presentation: Great Steps in the History of Life: The Origin of Limbed Vertebrates

Monday, February 6, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - Virtual

The late part of the Devonian Period (385-363 million-years-ago) was a consequential interval in the history of life and includes the origin of limbed vertebrates from finned precursors. Ted Daeschler will discuss this evolutionary transition with emphasis on recent discoveries of fossil material from the ends of the Earth, and our own "backyard".

Dr. Ted Daeschler, Associate Curator, Academy of Natural Sciences

Coelacanths, Lungfishes and Land Vertebrates: A Brief History of Lobe-Finned Fishes

Wednesday, February 8, 2023 @ 6:30 pm EST
Tompkins County Public Library

Cornell Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Willy Bemis will talk about the evolution and ecology of lungfishes. Lungfishes arose in the Devonian period, are still around today, and are the closest living relatives to the first land vertebrates.

The talk will be given live at the Tompkins County Public Library and will also be available via a live Zoom webinar; to register click here; a link to join will be sent after registration. The event will also be broadcast on PRI’s YouTube Channel

Dr. Willy Bemis, Professor, Faculty Curator of Ichthyology, Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates

Devonian Fishes! Darwin Days Panel

Thursday, February 9, 2023 @ 7:00 pm EST - Virtual

A trio of specialists on fossil fish from the “Age of Fishes” and on the origin of land vertebrates will talk about their research and answer questions about what we know about this fascinating interval of time. The panel will be part of PRI’s Science in the Virtual Pub Series.

Panelists:

  • James Boyle is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology at the University of Buffalo. He has a special interest in placoderm (armored) fish of the Devonian period and in studying extinction using the fossil record.

  • Jennifer Olori is Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at SUNY Oswego. She studies the origin of the earliest tetrapods and other ancient land vertebrates.

  • Robert Carr is emeritus professor in the Department of Natural Sciences and Geography at Concordia University Chicago. He specializes in the fossil record and evolution of Devonian fish.

Darwin Days Trivia Night

Friday, February 10, 2023 @ 5:30 pm EST
Ithaca Bakery on Meadow Street

Come test your knowledge of science and nature! Trivia night questions will be about anything related to Darwin, evolution, and the Age of Fishes (Devonian Period). Prizes for the winning teams. Maximum 6 players per team. No pre-registration required.

Darwin Fin-Tastic Family Day at Museum of the Earth

Saturday, February 11, 2023 @ 10:00 am to 1:00 pm EST
Museum of the Earth

Celebrate the birthday and works of Charles Darwin with fun activities for the whole family. Come to the Museum of the Earth for family-friendly activities about the Age of Fishes. Learn about armored fish (such as the giant Dunkleosteus!), sharks, lungfishes, and the origin of the fish that are most common today (the bony fishes).

Schedule of Activities:

  • 11 am: "Fishy Story time" in Age of Fishes Gallery. Meet the New Fish at our Museum. Explore fish from different times and make a picture of an ocean full of fish.

  • 11:30 am: Age of Fishes Gallery- Lungfish feeding. Meet our new Lungfish and see her enjoy lunch. Learn all about our new Museum fish.

  • 12p "Fish through the Ages" tour - Learn about how long ago fish lived, how we know about them, and how they changed over time as you tour the Museum with our Shark expert Nico.

Family Day at Cayuga Nature Center

Sunday, February 12, 2023 @ 10:00 am to 5:00 pm EST
Cayuga Nature Center

The Cayuga Nature Center Lodge is opening for a Family Day to enjoy winter fun! We will be celebrating science and exploring evolution through our exhibits and programs! 

  • Lodge open 10a - 5p

  • Craft and activity tables 10a - 5p

  • Amazing Animal Adaptations! Program at 1p 

Don’t forget to check out our nature trails and animal ambassadors!

 


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