The Museum partners with the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center to celebrate Darwin Day!  Spend an afternoon learning about Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection. Investigate how Darwin’s theories from 150 years ago are critical to modern scientific research and meet some of the scientists doing this work.

Special Presentations

The Life of Darwin — Fact & Myth

Dr. William Kimler, NC State University
10am, SECU Daily Planet, NRC First Floor

From the Air to the Sea: The 60-Million-Year Journey of Penguin Evolution

Dr. Daniel Ksepka, National Evolutionary Synthesis Center
11am, SECU Daily Planet, NRC First Floor 

Binturongs and Servals at the Conservators’ Center: Cool Critters with Amazing Adaptations

Jesse Anderson, Wildlife Educator, Conservators’ Center
11:30am, Windows on the World, Main Building Third Floor 

The Evolution of Chilis: Some Like it Hot (lecture and cooking demo)

Dr. Roland Kays, Director of the Biodiversity Lab in the NRC, with Angela Salamanca of Centro Restaurant
Free food samples! 
Five hardcore heat lovers will get to participate in a hot pepper eating contest!
noon–1:30pm, Environmental Conference Center, NRC Fourth Floor 

Meet the Animals: Animal Adaptations

Beth Cranford, Museum Educator
1:30 and 2:30pm (two presentations), Windows on the World, Main Building Third Floor 

The Tree of Life: How You and Every Living Thing are Connected

Michelle Trautwein, PhD, Biodiversity Lab in the Nature Research Center
3pm, SECU Daily Planet, NRC First Floor 

Displays

• 500+ Million Years of Arthropods! — NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Arthropod Zoo
• Achoo!  Virus Evolution and You — UNC-Chapel Hill
• Animal Adaptations at the Conservators’ Center (Meet Sammy the Serval!) — Conservators’ Center 
• Bone Detectives — NC State University
• Darwin and Earthworms — NC State University
• Darwin’s Fossils — NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Paleontology
• Diversity of Function: Primate Hands & Feet — NC Museum of Natural Sciences
• Earthworm Races — UNC Biology
• The Evidence of Evolution — Saint Mary’s School
• The Evolution of Carnivorous Plants — Extension Master Gardeners of Wake County
• Exploring Adaptation and Natural Selection — National Evolutionary Synthesis Center
• Expressions and Emotions in Man & Animals — NC Museum of Natural Sciences
• Human Evolution — NC Museum of Natural Sciences
• Hybridization in Spadefoot Toads — UNC-Chapel Hill
• Insect Diversity — North Carolina Entomological Society
• Is That a Dinosaur? — National Evolutionary Synthesis Center
• Join the Caterpillar Experiment! — UNC
• Mite Sampling: Meet Your Face Mites! — NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Genomics Lab 
• Our Modern Primate Cousins — NC Museum of Natural Sciences
• Plant Biology for Kids — NC State University 
• The World in a Snail Shell — Duke University
• Your Wild Life — NC State University
• and more!

Contact bonnie.eamick@naturalsciences.org for more information.