Science Café Cleveland presents “Dinosaurs in Technicolor: the Evolution of Plumage Color Since the Jurassic.” Birds are among the most colorful organisms on the planet, but for years the colors of their ancestors, the dinosaurs, were limited to artists’ and children’s imaginations and were thought to be scientifically unknowable. The recent discovery of fossilized pigments within the feathers of fossil birds and dinosaurs allows us to not only reconstruct their colors with some certainty but gives insight into the origins of the astonishing diversity of birds today. Matthew Shawkey, associate professor in the Department of Biology at University of Akron, will discuss new techniques of color production in modern birds that are being used to determine what role color may have played in the deep evolutionary history of birds.
The discussion will take place at Market Garden Brewery on Oct. 10, with drinks beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the discussion starting at 7 p.m. It is sponsored by the CWRU chapter of Sigma Xi, WCPN ideastream and Market Garden Brewery.
For more information, visit case.edu/affil/sigmaxi/.