Darwin Day 2013 (The Mating Game - Reproductive Evolution in the Natural World) was a great success!

Life only exists because it can reproduce - and living organisms  have sure found some odd ways to do it! Coinciding with Valentine's Day, this year the Crow Institute celebrated Darwin’s birthday with a guided tour of some of nature’s odder sexual strategies.

The first day of Darwin Day 2013 featured a successful teacher workshop organized by Deborah Rook and Kristin  Jenkins and an enjoyable movie night, with MCs Steve Paddock, and Chris Hittinger, showing six engaging evolution shorts around the theme of sexual selection. 

All three plenary lectures told fascinating tales of reproduction in the natural world. Kim Bostwick of Cornell University, told us the fascinating courtship behavior of manakins, and how one species came to have the ability to create a seductive buzzing noise from their wings.  Christopher Smith of Willamette University told us about the reproductive coevolution of Joshua trees and their pollinating moths.  And, Matthew Dean of the University of Southern California, explored the role of dolphin and whale pelvic bones in penis dexterity and sexual selection.

This year's Tree of Life festival, coordinated by Emily McNulty and John Hvala, featured the usual diverse and informative set of demonstrations and activities for kids or all ages. 

Thanks to the Organizing Committee (David Baum, Andy Gardner, Dana Geary, Drew Hasley, John Hvala
Kristin Jenkins, Mara MacDonald, Emily McNally, Steve Paddock, Deborah Rook) and especially this year's Darwin Day chair, Alison Scott!

In addition to the core supporters and sponsors of the J. F. Crow Institute (listed on our homepage), supporters of Darwin Day 2013 included: Town Center at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery; Wisconsin Alumni Association, and the Deptartments of Bacteriology, History of Science,  Geoscience, and Medical Microbiology and Immunology.