Dragonflies, damselflies and their ancestors were among the first creatures fly—before birds, bats or pterosaurs. On May 20, explore the origins of the Odonata insects with Dr. Jessica Ware, an entomologist at the American Museum of Natural History. Using a large genomic dataset, scientists are unlocking their evolutionary history. By studying the tree of life of Odonata, scientists are beginning to understand how flight first evolved in these enigmatic insects. Part of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s 60th anniversary webinar series.

This event will be hosted entirely online, and it will be recorded! Closed captions will be available at the live event and on the recording. By signing up on Zoom, you'll be able to watch live and receive a link to the recording a few days after the event.

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