‘Drawing Out Leviathan: The Evolution of the Whale in Art and Science’ Nov. Werner topic

Casper College Tate Geological Museum Educational Specialist Russell Hawley will present an interesting topic at the November edition of the Werner Wildlife Study Series: “Drawing Out Leviathan: The Evolution of the Whale in Art and Science,” Tuesday, Nov. 18, beginning at 6 p.m.

The presentation is both a historical and scientific overview of the biggest animals that have ever lived, the cetaceans. “Hardly anything was known about the great whales in the Middle Ages, and natural historians came up with ideas about them that ranged from imaginative to just plain weird,” noted Hawley.

During Hawley’s presentation, audience members will see some of the unusual depictions of whales in medieval art and how the invention of scuba gear changed how whales are depicted.

Hawley will also dive into what fossils reveal about ancient whales. “The origin of whales was a complete mystery for many years, but a flood of new discoveries in the last couple of decades has revealed a wealth of detail about the origin of whales and revealed the identity of their closest living relatives, and the answer may surprise you,” Hawley revealed.

The presentation is free, family-friendly, and open to the public. It will take place in the museum’s Africa-Arctic Room. For more information, call 307-235-2108.

The Werner Wildlife Museum, located off the Casper College campus at 405 E. 15th Street, is free and open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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