A Taste for the Beautiful: The Evolution of Attraction

Dr. Michael J. Ryan is the Clark Hubbs Regents Professor in Zoology at The University of Texas at Austin. His research examines how preferences—what animals find attractive—evolve and how those preferences shape the signals animals use to communicate. From frog calls in tropical forests to the broader patterns of sexual selection across species, his work reveals how sensory systems, behavior and evolution interact to produce the remarkable diversity of courtship displays in the natural world.

A Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and recipient of numerous lifetime achievement awards in animal behavior, Dr. Ryan has published more than 400 scientific papers and five books. In this engaging talk, he will explore why beauty matters in evolution—and what animal attraction can teach us about the origins of preference itself.

This event will include a light reception, a Q&A and a book signing. Space is limited, and an RSVP is required.