This Weekend at the Museum of the Earth...

Arthropod Zoo
Saturday, October 31
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Come check out the Cornell Department of Entomology and Naturalist Outreach Program's Arthropod Zoo. Over 50 different live animals, including scorpions, spiders, and centipedes will be on display!



Did you know that November 24, 2009 marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin's seminal work On the Origin of Species? We'll be celebrating this milestone in several ways here at PRI and its Museum of the Earth.

For those of you who read the blog we will be posting a series of posts beginning November 1st and running until November 24th from folks around the community about what Darwin and
The Origin means to them. Do you have your own story about what The Origin means to you? Send us a submission (no more than a few paragraphs please) and we'll post it here as we count down to the anniversary. Email your thoughts to kepner@museumoftheearth.org.

Introducing...

The new and improved Teacher-Friendly Guides website!

PRI's Teacher-Friendly Guides provide a wonderful background to help understand regional and local Earth system science in terms of a basic sequence of historical events and processes. Follow the link below to learn about a particular region, find teacher resources by state, and order a guide. Guides for the Northeast and Southeast regions are completed and available; watch for the completion of other regional guides in the coming months and years!

Fossil of the Week

The Fossil of the Week this week is a bryozoan, PRI 5883, Cyclotrypa carribeana, described in Bulletins of American Paleontology by McNair in 1940. It is a paratype (which we discussed two weeks ago) from the Middle Devonian Period (390 million years ago) of Floresta, Colombia, in South America. The fossil actually has several impressions of bivalves or clams (the several sets of ridges) on the left side - the bryozoan part is the large field of small "dots" that covers most of the rock.

The species: Bryozoans are colonial animals, superficially a lot like corals. Each one of the "dots" in life was the opening of a calcified chamber in which lived one of the bryozoan animals. The animal, more properly called a zooid, extends a ring of tentacles out through the opening to filter feed, that is, to capture organic particles from the water that are then passed to the mouth. There are about 4,000 species of living bryozoans, and another 15,000 fossil species, dating back to the Early Ordovician Period (480 million years ago). Bryozoa is the only animal phylum with a fossil record that does not date back to the beginning of multicellular life - the Cambrian Period. Scientists speculate that perhaps the earliest bryozoans were entirely soft-bodied, so did not leave a fossil record during that time.
The name: This species was named after the Caribbean region, in which part of the country of Colombia lies. Some of you are probably already thinking, "They spelled the name incorrectly." Not so. Although one can argue about the correct spelling of Carribean, or Caribbean, here it does not matter. The original spelling of a taxonomic name stands even if it is misspelled. So "carribean" is correct (a species name is also never capitalized, so the lower-case "c" is correct too). Another notorious case is the clam Lucina pensylvanica (with only one "n"), which furthermore doesn't even occur in Pennsylvania!!

The author: Andrew Hamilton McNair was a professor at Dartmouth College's Department of Earth Sciences and is credited with helping to create an outstanding student-focused educational environment. He received his Ph.D. at Montana University in 1931 and joined the faculty at Dartmouth in 1935. He apparently also led an expedition to the Arctic in 1959-1960.

A Spooktacular Good Time...

Museum in the Dark
Thursday, October 29
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Presented in partnership with Cornell Astronomy and the International Year of Astronomy.
Explore the Museum after-hours Halloween-style! Make comets, go on a flashlight tour, hold some creepy crawlies, visit astronomy trick-or-treat stations, make your own cider, and more! Come dressed in your costume and we'll have a spooktacularly good time!
Members - $5 adults, $3 student/senior, $2 youth (4-17), children three and under are free
Non members - $10 adults, $7 student/senior, $5 youth (4-17), children three and under are free

Trapped in Time...

We often get calls from folks that have visited the Museum asking if we sell any of the merchandise from the Museum Shop online. Unfortunately, we aren't able to do that at this time. Instead we've decided to feature an item from the shop here on the blog. If you like the item, you can call the shop and purchase it over the phone or come by in person! (Remember, some items are one of a kind, and once it's sold, it's sold!)

Today's item of the week is a very lovely rope necklace with an amber pendant set in sterling silver. We often like to find items for the shop that are complimentary to our temporary exhibitions. (Currently we are featuring -- Amber: Letting the Past Shine Through in our temporary exhibition space. To learn more about this exhibition visit us online at: Museum of the Earth.)


Amber Necklace
Item # 3859
Quantity: 1
Cost: $75.00 + sales tax and S&H

How to order:
Contact the Museum Shop at 607.273.6623 x33

Fossil of the Week

Who knew that Ithaca has its own species of scallop!! This is PRI 28298, Aviculopecten lautus variety ithacensis, described in the second volume of Bulletins of American Paleontology by Edward Kindle in 1896. It is from the Middle Devonian Period (of course, as everything is in Ithaca), about 375 million years ago, collected from the foot of Ithaca Falls. It is only 13 millimeters wide (about one-half inch) and has fine radially ribbed sculpture, as seen in the fossil and also in the drawing that accompanied the original description. The red dot on the rock tells us that this is a holotype specimen, one of the most valuable parts of our collection (see our previous installments). This specimen was originally part of the Cornell University invertebrate fossil collection, catalog number 11556.

The Species: Scallops are very interesting animals. They are unusual bivalves in that they do not burrow beneath the sand like a typical clam. They rest on top of the sand, and can swim by clapping their two valves together using the strong, single adductor muscle (this is the part that you east as "scallops"). Their swimming method is a kind of jet propulsion - when the shells snap shut, water jets out the tiny "ears" at the back of the shell. Scallops also have dozens of tiny eyes along the rim of their shells - these don't form images, but can detect shadows and thus an approaching predator. Then it's time to swim away!

The Publication: This issue of BAP is an interesting one for anyone interested in the fossils in our home town. It includes a history of paleontological work in the Ithaca area, plus descriptions and species lists (including shells, corals, echinoderms, crustaceans, fish, and plants) from familiar-sounding localities such as Fall Creek, Forest Home, Triphammer Falls, Cascadilla Creek, University Quarry, Buttermilk Creek, Newfield, and others.

The author: Edward Martin Kindle (1869-1940) was a paleontologist educated at the University of Indiana, Cornell, and Yale. He was a long-time staff member of the Geological Survey of Canada, chief of their Paleontology Division from 1919 to 1938, and began a catalogue of Devonian type fossils. This paper was one of his early works, probably written while he worked for the US Geological Survey.

Text by Paula Mikkelsen

On the Origin...

Did you know that November 24, 2009 marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin's seminal work On the Origin of Species? We'll be celebrating this milestone in several ways here at PRI and its Museum of the Earth.

For those of you who read the blog we will be posting a series of posts beginning November 1st and running until November 24th from folks around the community about what Darwin and
The Origin means to them. Do you have your own story about what The Origin means to you? Send us a submission (no more than a few paragraphs please) and we'll post it here as we count down to the anniversary. Email your thoughts to kepner@museumoftheearth.org.

We'll also be hosting a special lecture by Dr. Warren Allmon, Director of PRI about the importance of Darwin's book and its lasting legacy:

"Why Everyone Should Read On The Origin of Species"
Friday, November 20
Doors 6:00, Lecture 6:30
Tickets $10
Join us for an evening lecture on Friday, November 20 led by our Director, Warren Allmon. He'll be discussing why Darwin's book - though 150 years old - continues to hold great importance in our modern day lives. Light hors d'oeuvres and wine will be served.
Purchase your ticket in advance by calling 607.273.6623 x11, clicking here, or at the Museum admissions desk. Tickets also available at the door.

We'll also be hosting a very special book club:

On the Origin of Species Book Discussion
Sunday, November 22
1 p.m.
Join our Director, Warren Allmon, for a guided discussion of On the Origin of Species. You can get a copy of the book from the Museum store, your favorite local bookseller, or find the text for free by visiting Darwin Online. If you can't finish the whole book by the 22nd, Warren recommends that you read the last chapter of the book (6th edition) on which we'll be focusing. This program is included with Museum admission, free for members.

If you can't make the events here in Ithaca, our director, Warren Allmon will be giving a lecture in New York City at the 92 Street Y as part of their Mysteries of Science lecture series:

"Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin"
Wednesday, November 18
7:00 p.m.
Join Warren to learn all about the man and his theory. Find out more about the event by visiting the 92nd Street Y's website.

350...

People all over the world are coming together to create an International Day of Action on October 24th through the website 350.org. The goal is to take a united stand to get the planet--and ourselves--back to 350--as in parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.

Here are some events going on in the area to build awareness of climate change:

• Saturday, October 24 - Cool It! Doing Your Part to Stop Climate Change
• Saturday, October 24 - A Very Inconvenient Truth

Details about these events are all available on our website.

What's Happening at Museum of the Earth

Museum in the Dark
Thursday, October 29
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Presented in partnership with Cornell Astronomy and the International Year of Astronomy.
Explore the Museum after-hours Halloween-style! Make comets, go on a flashlight tour, hold some creepy crawlies, visit astronomy trick-or-treat stations, make your own cider, and more! Come dressed in your costume and we'll have a spooktacularly good time!
Members - $5 adults, $3 student/senior, $2 youth (4-17), children three and under are free
Non members - $10 adults, $7 student/senior, $5 youth (4-17), children three and under are free


Arthropod Zoo
Saturday, October 31
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Come check out the Cornell Department of Entomology and Naturalist Outreach Program's Arthropod Zoo. Over 50 different live animals, including scorpions, spiders, and centipedes will be on display!


Snakes, Birds, and Bees, Oh My!
An interactive discussion for kids of all ages on selected Fridays from 1-2pm.
OCT 16 - Fruits with Derek Plotkowsi and Coming to Land with Mike Syversen
OCT 23 - Plant-Insect interactions with Amy Green and Fossils with Andrew Zuza
The presenters for each day are participants in Cornell University's Naturalist Outreach Class.


Natural History at Noon
Saturday, October 17
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
"Exploratory Journeys to Patagonia or 'Damned Land': Travelers and Scientists" with Dr. Maria A. Gandolfo. During this presentation Dr. Gandolfo will introduce the story of many travelers and scientists that visited Patagonia or the “Damned Land” as coined by Darwin in 1834. They were a different, special kind of explorers since they did not seek gold, fortune or personal recognition; they were in need of knowledge and they were driven by their necessity of describing to others the world that surrounded them. Please join her in a “journey” to Patagonia through photos that she has accumulated over more than 20 years collecting fossils in the “Damned Land”.

People all over the world are coming together to create an International Day of Action on October 24th through the website 350.org. The goal is to take a united stand to get the planet--and ourselves--back to 350--as in parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.

Here are some events going on in the area to build awareness of climate change:

• Saturday, October 18 - Ithaca 350 Climate Action Fest
• Saturday, October 24 - Cool It! Doing Your Part to Stop Climate Change
• Saturday, October 24 - A Very Inconvenient Truth

Details about these events are all available on our website.


Join us at the Geological Society of America's Annual meeting if you are in the Portland, Oregon area this October! You are invited to join us at the Friends of PRI reception at the GSA meeting. The reception is on Monday October 19 from 5:30-6:30 PM in the Lloyd Center Mt. St. Helens Room at the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland. The reception includes the presentation of the Gilbert Harris Award. This award is given annually by PRI, in recognition of excellence in contributions to systematic paleontology, to a scientist who, through outstanding research and commitment to the centrality of systematics in paleontology, has made a significant contribution to the science. It is named after PRI's founder who dedicated his career to the pursuit of systematic paleontology. We hope to see you there!


Amber: Letting the Past Shine Through
Now on Exhibit
Golden Gems from our prehistoric past shed light on a lost world. Come learn how these ancient jewels were formed and the secrets that they hold. See our extraordinary collection of amber on display. This exhibit is made possible with support from M&T Bank.

PRI History...

This past weekend, while perusing the annual Friends of the Library Book Sale, an anonymous donor came across what appears to be the complete collection of E.L. Palmer's papers. For those of you who don't know, E.L. Palmer was the husband of PRI's second director Katherine Palmer. E. L. Palmer was a professor of Natural Sciences at Cornell University.



It turns out that this collection was from Palmer's personal library.



To learn more about the history of PRI stop by our Museum gift shop and pick up a copy of The First 75 Years: The History of the Paleontological Research Institution or click on the title to purchase it online. In the mean time here's an abridged version: PRI History!

Fossil of the Week

Here's a brachiopod from our type specimen collection. This one is "paratype #1" of the species Atrypa aperanta Crickmay, 1960, from the Middle Devonian of the Northwest Territories of Canada. Brachiopods are very familiar to most fossil collectors, but by way of review, they belong to the phylum Brachiopoda, known familiarly as lampshells (because some are shaped like ancient Roman oil lamps, admittedly not terribly familiar today). "Brachs" first arose in the Cambrian Period along with most other forms of invertebrate life. They still survive in modern oceans, but are much less diverse and abundant than they were before the great Permian mass extinction. A brachiopod has two shelly valves connected by a hinge - very much like a clam (or bivalve), although internally and symmetrically, bivalves and brachiopods are very different animals. (Most obviously, a brachiopod has one valve on top and one on the bottom of its body, whereas a bivalve has one on each side.) In our collection, paratypes are almost as important as holotypes - the latter are the irreplaceable "name bearers" that forever represent their species to all scientists. Paratypes are simply other specimens that were seen at the same time as the holotype (when the species was being named) and that were labeled as paratypes by the original author. As such, their identification is certain (at least in the viewpoint of the author) and they also can illustrate the range of size, shape, or other features that naturally vary within a species. Furthermore, if anything ever happens to the holotype specimen (such as it being lost), its paratypes become even more important. This specimen is "paratype #1" from the original set - the number is actually written on the shell in india ink along with the PRI catalog number (a safety measure in case the specimen becomes separated from its label). Colin Hayter Crickmay (1899-1988) named this species in 1960 and also donated the specimen along with others from his collection. He was a member of the Geology Department at the University of California at Los Angeles in the 1920s, and later worked for Imperial Oil Limited in Calgary, Alberta (now marketed as Esso, part of ExxonMobile), from which he published several monographs.

Text by Paula Mikkelsen

Introducing...

The Museum of the Earth's mascot - Cecil!

The Silo House

The "Silo House" is a home that was designed by a team of students from Cornell University, and is Cornell's entrant in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2009 Solar Decathlon Contest. Teams from universities around the world design and build solar-powered houses. Cornell’s entry is one of 20 teams who was asked by the United States Department of Energy to compete in this years event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

One of PRI's long-time volunteers Elizabeth Munson is one of the "Specialists" on the Cornell project. We wish her and the rest of the team well!

For more information on Cornell's Silo House click here: Solar Decathlon

Columbus Day Weekend at MOTE!

Happening Now:


Amber Family Day
Friday, October 9
11 am to 3 pm
Bring the whole family to help us celebrate the opening of our newest exhibit, Amber: Letting the Past Shine Through. We'll have fun activities including crafty amber jewelry, suncatchers, and a scavenger hunt in the exhibit, throughout the day. Included with Museum admission.

Happening Tonight:


Amber Opening Reception
Friday, October 9
6 pm to 8 pm
Join us for an evening celebration of the opening of our newest exhibit, Amber: Letting the Past Shine Through. Mingle with friends, enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres, and explore the exhibit. Tickets $10. Purchase yours online by clicking here or call 607.273.6623 x11.

What's Amber: Letting the Past Shine Through?

Amber: Letting the Past Shine Through

Golden Gems from our prehistoric past shed light on a lost world. Come learn how these ancient jewels were formed and the secrets that they hold. See our extraordinary collection of amber on display. This exhibit is made possible with support from M&T Bank.

Also on Display:
Biomorphic
Recent Works by Gregory Brellochs

Fossil of the Week

This is an unidentified fossil flower from the Green River Formation (specimen K22403, Early Eocene, Butte Member, F1 Layer near Kimmerer, Lincoln County, Wyoming), approximately 48 million years old. We have featured other Green River fossils in this column (see 7/09/09 Sycamore Leaf). The Green River Formation records sedimentation over the course of six million years, in and around a group of intermountain lakes, that was deposited in very fine layers. The result was exceptionally well-preserved fossils that often include "soft-parts" like this flower. Flowering plants or angiosperms are the most diverse group of land plants on Earth today. The first land plants, approximately 425 million years old, reproduced using spores (like a mushroom). Later, seed-bearing plants evolved, and then in the early Cretaceous Period, approximately 125 million years ago, we find the first flowering plant, Archaefructus (three known species, all from China). Archaefructus was a freshwater plant, and lacked sepals and petals, so it didn't look much like this Green River flower or what we think of as modern "flowers." So why evolve flowers in the first place? Simple! To attract bees or other animals (using pretty colors and sweet smells) that will visit the flower to eat the nectar, but that will at the same time be dusted by the flower's pollen. When the bee (now properly called a "pollinator") moves on to another flower, the pollen is sprinkled on another blossum, producing a fertile seed. In this way, through the bee, the plant "sprouts wings" and increases its distributional range.

Text by Paula Mikkelsen

PRI receives nearly $500K in Stimulus Funds for Collections Upgrade

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) announces the receipt of $497,100.00 from the National Science Foundation in just released stimulus funds. This grant will complete the final step in a reorganization effort by PRI to house its world-class collections in archival-quality storage and curate them for research, education and exhibition purposes.

PRI is home to over two and a half million specimens and is among the ten largest and most scientifically important fossil collections in the United States. Among these collections are PRI’s approximately 1.5 million specimens of extant and extinct mollusks (seashells and their relatives). Currently, the mollusk collection is being held is less than favorable conditions, which is potentially hazardous for the specimens. The grant will allow PRI to house its vast collection of mollusk fossils more efficiently.

"With the completion of the process to reorganize and revitalize the PRI non-type systematic fossil and Recent mollusk collections, the collection will be essentially fully functional and accessible to researchers, students and educators from around the world," stated Dr. Gregory Dietl, director of collections at PRI. "This can be expected to result in increased numbers of loans and scientific visitors, more citations in publications, and therefore increased impact on paleobiological and evolutionary research. In addition to accessibility, the proposed reorganization will significantly upgrade the physical condition and conservation status of each section of PRI’s collection by creating space for expansion within each section, and allowing for the curation of large amounts of previously uncurated material."

Beyond the positive long-term effects that this project will have on future research on PRI’s mollusk collection, Dr.Dietl stated that this reorganization is highly likely to have significant impact in the short term on a currently active research area in the field of paleontology. “Conservation paleobiology” aims to use historical data to provide a sufficiently long time perspective to disentangle natural changes in biological systems from those induced or magnified by human activities (intentional and accidental). Archived sources of various elements of the geologic record, which capture environmental information in indirect, or “proxy,” form, such as those stored in the fossilized shell remains of mollusks in PRI’s collection, are thus becoming enormously valuable in the development of new strategies for biodiversity conservation.

Not only will professionals have access to this collection, but graduate and undergraduate students will also be able to take advantage of the reorganization of the mollusk collection. The involvement of students will train future generations of scientists and emphasize the importance of natural history collections. In addition, PRI takes part in Earth science educational programming. The mollusk collection is used to support educational outreach programs for teachers and students.

What's Going On?

This Weekend at
the Museum of the Earth


Teacher Resource Day
Saturday, October 3
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Calling all teachers! Join us for a special day devoted to you. We'll have free fossil and publications giveaways, as well as special presentations on what the Museum can offer for your classroom. Learn more here.

Opening October 3

Amber: Letting the Past Shine Through

Golden Gems from our prehistoric past shed light on a lost world. Come learn how these ancient jewels were formed and the secrets that they hold. See our extraordinary collection of amber on display. This exhibit is made possible with support from M&T Bank.

Also on Display:
Biomorphic
Recent Works by Gregory Brellochs



Coming Up
In October


Amber Opening Reception
Friday, October 9
6 pm to 8 pm
Join us for an evening celebration of the opening of our newest exhibit, Amber: Letting the Past Shine Through. Mingle with friends, enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres, and explore the exhibit. Tickets $10. Purchase yours online by clicking here or call 607.273.6623 x11.


Amber Family Day
Friday, October 9
11 am to 3 pm
Bring the whole family to help us celebrate the opening of our newest exhibit, Amber: Letting the Past Shine Through. We'll have fun activities including crafty amber jewelry, suncatchers, and a scavenger hunt in the exhibit, throughout the day. Included with Museum admission.


Museum in the Dark
Thursday, October 29
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Presented in partnership with Cornell Astronomy and the International Year of Astronomy.
Explore the Museum after-hours Halloween-style! Make comets, go on a flashlight tour, hold some creepy crawlies, visit astronomy trick-or-treat stations, make your own cider, and more! Come dressed in your costume and we'll have a spooktacularly good time!
Members - $5 adults, $3 student/senior, $2 youth (4-17), children three and under are free
Non members - $10 adults, $7 student/senior, $5 youth (4-17), children three and under are free



Saturday, October 31
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Come check out the Cornell Department of Entomology and Naturalist Outreach Program's Arthropod Zoo. Over 50 different live animals, including scorpions, spiders, and centipedes will be on display!


An interactive discussion for kids of all ages on selected Fridays from 1-2pm.
OCT 16 - Fruits with Derek Plotkowsi and Coming to Land with Mike Syversen
OCT 23 - Plant-Insect interactions with Amy Green and Fossils with Andrew Zuza
The presenters for each day are participants in Cornell University's Naturalist Outreach Class.



Fall Girl Scout Workshops
Check out our offerings for Girl Scouts this October by clicking here and register your troop today. Information and registration available by calling 607.273.6623 x13 or by emailing batman@museumoftheearth.org.


Natural History at Noon
Saturday, October 17
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Alejandra Gandolfo from Cornell University joins us to discuss her paleobotanical research in Patagonia.

Evolution in the News

I wanted to share this great article from National Geographic:

PHOTOS: Oldest "Human" Skeleton Refutes "Missing Link"

Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

See images of Ardi, the new human ancestor that could rewrite evolutionary theory.

Marcellus Shale -- an Update.

In a previous blog post we explained the role that PRI is playing in the ongoing discussion surrounding Marcellus Shale and gas drilling in the Central New York region. Yesterday the New York State DEC released their Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement On the Oil, Gas and the Solution Mining Regulatory Program.

The document is available online in PDF format that is searchable. (It's over 500 pages long.) If you would like to comment or express concerns or support of this doucment you have until November 30, 2009. The corresponds with the Marcellus Shale Summit that is being held at the Treadway Inn in Owego, NY on the same day. PRI's Trisha Smercak will be in attendance.

Here is the information regardging the public comment period:

Comments - The public comment period will be open until November 30, 2009. The Department is offering three ways in which to submit comments. We have created an on line submission system which will allow you to write comments and tag them to your areas of concern. Attachments can also be included. You may submit e-mail comments; please include your name, e-mail or return mail address to ensure notice of the Final SGEIS when it is available. Finally, written comments should be sent to: Attn: dSGEIS Comments, Bureau of Oil & Gas Regulation, NYSDEC Division of Mineral Resources, 625 Broadway, Third Floor, Albany, NY 12233-6500.

To read the full document: dSGEIS