Fossil Coffee: Why larvae are not necessary for dispersal of marine invertebrates
Carole Hickman, UCMP

Vert Paleo Lunch: Sexual identification in bovid crania
Katie Brakora, UCMP (tentative)

Fossil Coffee: Lissamphibian diversity dynamics leading up to and across the K-Pg boundary in NE Montana
David Demar, University of Washington

Vert Paleo Lunch: TBA
Greg Wilson, University of Washington (UCMP alum)

Evolution is the only explanation, a UCMP short course
As we look at the biodiversity around us, we stare in wonderment at complex courtship behaviors, bizarre ornamentation and display, extraordinary adaptations to severe conditions, and unusual means of communicating, eating, and reproducing. The diversity is overwhelming and evolution is the only explanation! Come join the experts to learn more — this short course will give you a chuckle as well as an increased appreciation for life around us. As details become available, they will be available on the short course page.

Fossil Coffee: Molecular and fossil evidence on the origin of angiosperms — conflict or congruence?
James Doyle, UC Davis

East Bay Science Cafe: Astronomy and evolution: From the death of the dinosaurs to the stardust in your bones
Steve Croft, Astronomy, UC Berkeley, and Dave Lindberg, UCMP and Integrative Biology
Almost 14 billion years ago, the Big Bang created the seeds of the vast structures that we see in the present-day Universe. But how did a sea of scorching hot gas evolve to form the cosmic web of galaxies, clinging together in huge filaments and sheets and separated by enormous voids? Modern astronomers use telescopes and computers as time machines, compressing millions of years of history into the blink of an eye. The history of life on Earth is unequivocally tied to the stars. Material from space — ashes from the burned-out corpses of previous generations of stars, the complex organic molecules necessary for life, and the comets that brought us the water that makes up our oceans — has rained down upon our planet for billions of years. As well as bringing life, destruction has also come from the skies — massive extinction events were brought about by the impact of extraterrestrial objects. Life on Earth has been largely determined by events beyond our atmosphere.
This free presentation will begin 7:00 pm, Café Valparaíso at La Peña, 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley.

Vert Paleo Lunch: TBA
Randy Irmis, University of Utah (UCMP alum)

Fossil Coffee: The geochemistry of biomineralization: Corals, forams, and global change
Alexander Gagnon, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL)

Vert Paleo Lunch: TBA
Taketeru Tomita, UC Davis and University of Tokyo

Fossil Coffee: How young children handled scientific evidence: Lessons learned from our partnership with the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
Maureen Callanan, Psychology Department, UC Santa Cruz, and Jenni Martin, Director of Education, Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

Fossil Coffee: Crowns and stems: What is a brachiopod, anyway?
Sandra Carlson, UC Davis

Vert Paleo Lunch: The Irvingtonian Fairmead locality and the opening of the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County
Bob Dundas, California State University, Fresno (UCMP alum)

Fossil Coffee: Environmental drivers of marine invasions by mammals and reptiles since the Carboniferous
Ryosuke Motani, UC Davis

Vert Paleo Lunch: Feather color variation in kestrels, and reasons for their decline
Beth Wommack, Museum of Vertebate Zoology, UC Berkeley

Fossil Coffee: TBA
Gene Hunt, Smithsonian Institution

Vert Paleo Lunch: Bone histology of some marsupials
Sarah Werning, UCMP

2012 Annual Cal Day Open House
A day of displays, activities, talks, and tee shirts … all featuring fossils! UCMP's Cal Day schedule will be posted in February, but for now, take a look back at some previous Cal Days.

Fossil Coffee: Behavior and possible evolutionary importance to hominids of the African clawless otters
Alan Shabel, UCMP and Integrative Biology

Vert Paleo Lunch: TBA
Ashley Lipps, UC Berkeley