Before there were mammals on land, there were dinosaurs. And before there were fish in the sea, there were cephalopods—Earth’s first truly substantial animals and the ancestors of modern squid.

With dozens of tentacles and formidable shells, they presided over an undersea empire for millions of years. Follow along on an epic adventure from the primordial ocean to the calamari on your dinner plate!

Danna Staaf is a marine biologist, author, and artist with a longstanding love of octopus and squid. Her book Squid Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Cephalopods was named one of the best science books of 2017 by NPR. She earned a PhD in biology at Stanford University, where she also created the popular science outreach program Squids4Kids. She lives in San Jose with her husband and an unruly collection of kids, cats, and plants–and sadly, at the moment, no squid. Find Danna on twitter @DannaStaaf and facebook.

Copies of Squid Empire are available in the museum’s gift shop, and Danna will be available to sign copies after the talk.

Let us know if you'll be joining us!

In recent years traditional taxonomy has been seen as a declining discipline, but in One Stem at a Time researcher Jamie Fenneman explains its continued importance to the study of the biodiversity of flora. Watch the video here.

Researchers Revealed is an exciting new series profiling the research performed in UBC's Biodiversity Research Centre. Produced by Philippe Roberge, the series looks at new ways in which researchers harness technology to study the natural world in ways that were not possible before.

Examine our complicated relationship with the animal world in an exhibition that intersects the disciplines of natural science, fine art, and the applied art of fashion design. Examine our complicated relationship with the animal world in an exhibition that intersects the disciplines of natural science, fine art, and the applied art of fashion design.

Our lecture this year will be held at the Jack Poole Hall in UBC's Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre - put the date in your diary!   

Membership
A Beaty Biodiversity Museum membership means joining and supporting a lively community of people inspired by biodiversity, engaged with the natural world, and dedicated to conservation. 

About the Museum
The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is Vancouver's natural history museum, dedicated to building greater understanding, and a shared sense of community and wonder, around biodiversity.