RTP '02 Participant List

Last Name	First Name	Home University	Registering Year in School	Citizenship	RTP Research Advisor
Cameron	David	Pepperdine University	Junior	US	Bob Faden
Carvalho	Murilo	University of Sao Paulo	Non-graduating Senior	Brazil	Rich Vari
Cisneros-Heredia	Diego	Universidad San Francisco de Quito	Junior	Ecuador	Roy McDiarmid
Doak	Erin	Appalachian State University	Junior	US	Tom Simkin
Edmonds	Douglas	St. Louis University	Junior	US	Jim Luhr
Freeburg	Adam	Pennsylvania State University	Graduating Senior	US	Bruce Smith
Garrett	Sarah	Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University	Junior	US	John Brown
Hankins	Amie	Southeastern Oklahoma State University	Junior	US	Carole Baldwin
Hodgkins	Jamie	University of Colorado	Junior	US	Don Ortner
Iriarte	Kristen	College of William and Mary	Sophomore	US	Bill Melson
Knapp	Michelle	Harvard College	Sophomore	US	Al Gardner
McCarren	Heather	Ohio State University	Non-graduating Senior	US	Brian Huber
Newsom	Amanda	Hamline University	Junior	US	Jim Mead
Nowak	Michael	University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point	Graduating Senior	US	Scott Wing
Paustian	Megan	Bryn Mawr College	Sophomore	US	Bill DIMichele
Ramjohn	David	College of Charleston	Sophomore	Trinidad & Tobago	Bruce Collette
Runyan	Andrea	University of North Texas	Freshman	US	Dave Hunt
Seebauer	Jessica	SUNY Geneseo	Graduating Senior	US	Steve Ousley
Skeeles	Angela	Texas A&M University	Junior	US	Don Wilson
Versieux	Leonardo	Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais	Graduating Senior	Brazil	John Kress

Last Name	First Name	University	Year in School	Citizenship
Alcázar	Magdalena	Universidad de Guadalajara	Non-graduating Senior	Mexico
Bell	Alyssa	William Jewell College	Sophomore	US
Conant	Sarah	Bucknell University	Junior	US
Gomez	Felicia	Skidmore College	Graduating Senior	US
Hadiaty	Renny	University of General Soedirman	Non-graduating Senior	Indonesia
Maccubbin	Gwyneth	Pennsylvania State University	Graduating Senior	US
Thorsen	Dean	University of Florida	Junior	US
Valvo	Lisa	SUNY Geneseo	Graduating Senior	US

Research Training Program
Participant Summary
2002

Students selected to join the RTP Class of '02 should notify the RTP office by 20 March 2002 if they accept or decline participation in the summer program. The official notification form has been mailed (and e-mailed) to all selectees and must be completed and returned to Mary Sangrey to confirm placement.

Mr. Cameron is from Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is currently a Junior at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California where he is majoring in biology. He plans to further his education through graduate school and earn a Ph.D. in a biological field, although discipline of study has not yet been determined, most likely will be botany or herpetology. Last summer Mr. Cameron joined the REU program at Hope College in Holland, Michigan working with Dr. Tim Evans on the molecular phylogeny of plant genus, Aneilema.

Hypothesis: A creeping species of African Cyanotis (Commelinacese) is distinct from other species of the genus.

Title: A New Species of African Cyanotis (Commelinaceae).

Research Summary: A possible new species of plant from Africa will be investigated.

This research characterizes a new plant species of the paleotropical genus Cyanotis (Commelinaceae) using both living material from the Botany Research Greenhouse as well as specimens from the U.S. National Herbarium. This new species has previously been confused with other members of the genus including C. foecunda and C. somaliensis. This research further tests whether the proposed species can be separated into two distinct subspecies using morphology and chromosome number, and investigates possible geographic variations in the species. Further tests will examine a possible relationship between chromosome number and stomata size. If data indicates a distinct new species, it will be formally described along with possible subspecies and the description submitted to Novon for publication.

Project Description: Cyanotis sp. nov. has previously been grouped in herbaria with Cyanotis foecunda. C. foecunda has several noticeable differences from the proposed species, including a definite base as well as longer vegetative leaves. One of the proposed subspecies has been in cultivation for a number of years under the species name Cyanotis somaliensis, which may also be a synonym of C. nyctitropa. However, C. somalienisis is confined to northern Somalia and possibly Yemen, if C. nyctitropa is to be included. Furthermore, C. somalienisis is characterized by a definite base as well as large basal leaves, both of which are not found in the proposed species. Separation of the two subspecies will be similar to the distinction between Cyanotis sp. nov and other species in the genus by the use of morphology and chromosome number. The proposed subspecies is noticeably more robust. Previous chromosome counts for the proposed species by Faden and Suda (Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 1980) of a population of the proposed subspecies repens from Kenya found the plant to be diploid (2n=26), also included in the study was a population of the proposed subspecies robusta from western Uganda that was hexaploid (2n=78). We expect to find similar results from the collections in our study. Geographically, the Great Rift Valley separates the two subspecies, with subspecies robusta on the western side of the valley. There was a collection made of the proposed species just outside of the range of robusta with a chromosome count of 2n= 52, to which subspecies this collection should be grouped under remains to be determined.

Methods and Materials: Description of the new subspecies will be accomplished using both living material as well as herbarium specimens. Living plants will be grown at the Botany research greenhouse. Leaf anatomy will be studied for both of the proposed subspecies using scanning electron microscopy, whole leaf clearings, epidermal scrapes, and paraffin embedded sections. Chromosome counting will be conducted using karyotyping of the two subspecies.

A preliminary manuscript summarizing the research is due Friday, 26 July 2002. The results will be presented to the Smithsonian community during a formal seminar Monday, 29 July 2002 and a poster session Thursday, 1 August 2002. The proposed submission for publication of the results of this research are fall 2002.

Funding to support Mr. Cameron's participation in the Research Training Program is being provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program - Award number DBI-9820303.

Mr. Carvalho is from Jaboticabal, Brazil. He is currently a Senior at the University of Sao Paulo in Ribeirao Preto, Brazil where he is majoring in zoology. He plans to pursue a career in ichthyology, specifically focused on the systematics of fishes and in particular various members of the family Loricariidae (armored catfishes). He also has an interest in paleontology, especially in paleoichthyology, and would like to achieve a career that combines both ichthyology and paleontology. Mr. Carvalho is currently part of a research group working on the “Fish diversity of the headwaters and streams of the upper Paraná river system in state of São Paulo, Brazil.” This project is a long-term survey of the fish fauna of streams of the Upper Rio Paraná basin, in southeastern Brazil and is the first effort to thoroughly study the severely impacted fish fauna of that region, and the first such comprehensive study in South America.

Hypothesis: The stream associated Hypostomus fauna in the upper Rio Parana is more complex than previously hypothesized.

Title: Revision of Hypostomus species of the streams in the upper Rio Parana basin on the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil (Siluriformes: Loricariidae).

Research summary: The number of species of armored catfishes of the genus Hypostomus in the streams of the upper Rio Parana, Sao Paulo, Brazil will be investigated.

The Hypostomus fauna in the streams of the upper Rio Parana basin of southeastern South America will be examined based on recent collection of these armored catfishes from that region. The analysis will be based on the examination of various meristic and morphometric features obvious in whole specimens. These data will be processed by a multivariate analysis to possibly identify the variables that permit the discrimination of the species. Details of dentition and osteology in specimens cleared and counterstained for cartilage and bone will be examined both for the utility of that information in species discrimination and for use in a future phylogenetic study. A manuscript will be prepared describing any new species discovered during the study or in the absence of that, discussing the features that can be used to discriminate the species of the genus in that region.

Project description: Meristic and morphometric data will be taken from recently collected samples of Hypostomus from streams in various portions of the upper Rio Parana basin in the eastern portions of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. These will be supplemented by comparable data from type materials borrowed from museums in both the United States and Europe. Data on external features will be taken following procedures outlined by previous researchers who have conducted studies of this group and which have proved to be useful for discriminating species in preliminary surveys. Information from those sources will be supplemented by oservations on dentition and coloration on whole specimens, details of internal anatomy revealed by the examination of cleared and stained specimens and in the case of some specimens examined via the use of the digital radiographic system in the Division of Fishes (the latter will be used primarily for types, historically important specimens, or rare species).
Meristic and morphometric data will be examined via multivariate analysis using SAS. Information from the statistical analysis will be combined with observations on dentition and osteology to delimit discrete forms of the genus within the region of interest. These operational units will then be associated with previously described nominal species based on overall similarity and common possession of discrete characters or combinations of characters that serve to distinguish them from congeners in that region. A manuscript will be prepared summarizing the features that serve to delimit the Hypostomus species in the upper Rio Parana and any undescribed species discovered during the analysis will be described.

Materials and Methods: Examined specimens include type series and non-type specimens from the American Museum of Natural History, New York (AMNH), the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia (ANSP), the Natural History Museum, London (BMNH), the Laboratorio de Ictiologia, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil (LIRP) and the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (USNM). Specimens cleared and counterstained for cartilage and bone will be prepared using standard techniques and osteology of types will be examined using the digital radiographic system in the Division of Fishes which allows direct digital capture of radiographic images. Morphometric and meristic data will be analyzed using SAS run on a PC.

Staff and research facilities: The primary advisor will be Richard Vari, Curator, Division of Fishes. Secondary advisors are Stanley Weitzman, Curator, Division of Fishes, and Angela Zanata, Smithsonian Postdoctoral Fellow in the Division. Microscopes, computers and the Digital Radiographic system in the Division of Fishes will be utilized as appropriate.

Funding to support Mr. Carvalho's participation in the Research Training Program is being provided by the Alice Eve Kennington Endowment.

Mr. Cisneros-Heredia is from Quito, Ecuador. He is currently a Junior at Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Quito, Ecuador where he is majoring in applied ecology and business administration with a minor in American studies. He plans to further his education by earning a Ph.D. focus on Zoology, Conservation, Ecology and/or Evolution. He anticipates a career as a researcher and professor, with research focused on the systematics of several genera of Colubrids (Atractus & Saphenophis), Boids (Boa) plus Neotropical Frogs and Lizards (Anolis), as well as the study of ecological relationships and conservation status of herps and birds. Mr. Cisneros-Heredia has always been interested in wildlife research and conservation. Since he was 9 years old he has been involved with FUNDACION NATURA (WWF Ecuadorian Partner) as a summer-volunteer and worked in the Conservation Department and Library at 13 years old. Since 1993, he has participated in the Ecuadorian Ornithological Corporation, CECIA (BirdLife International Ecuadorian Partner), as a volunteer in public diffusion programs (Avifauna Bulletin Editor, Birdwatchers Club Coordinator, bird expert guide, and several lectures), and as Associated Researcher in several ornithological investigations (p.j. “Birds of the "Rio Guajalito" Protection Forest in Northwestern Ecuador and Comparisons with the Ornitofauna among Sites in the Choco, Tumbesian and Northern Central Andes EBA’s”). Through his first hand experiences in Ecuadorian biological diversity and the political, economic, social and organizational status of research, and conservation and natural resources management in his home country of Ecuador, he decided to pursue two majors, Applied Ecology and Business, with a in minor, American Studies (U.S. & UK Cultural and LanguageStudies) so as to best position himself as a leader in helping to conserve the biodiversity of Ecuador.

Hypothesis: Certain species of Centroleuid frogs from the Southern limits of wet forest in Western Ecuador represent a new species.

Title: The Glass Frogs (Centrolenidae) from the "Río Palenque" Science Center Ecuador; with the Description of a New Species

Project Summary: The amphibian fauna of Ecuador is poorly known and several species remin unknown to science. One is investigated in this study.

A new species of frog of the family Centrolenidae is described from the "Río Palenque" Science Center in northwestern Ecuador. This new species, Centrolene sp. nov., is characterized by its distinctive coloration, having a reproductive behavior similar to other species of the genus. A total of five centrolenid species are present in Rio Palenque; a description of some biological and ecological features is provided. Rio Palenque is home of several endemic or restricted-range species, however it is threatened by habitat destruction.

Project Description: Ecuador has the third highest amphibian diversity in the world with 415 described species. However, if the number of species per unit area is considered, Ecuador has 0.016 species/km2, which is almost three times the density of species from Colombia and 21 times that from Brasil (Coloma & Quiguango 2000). In the last decade, sources of data suggest, that a significant proportion of this biodiversity is endangered. According to conservative estimates, at least 26 species of Ecuadorian amphibians have declined or gone extinct (Ron et al. 2000). The reasons for this crisis are not clear but some of them have been related to habitat destruction, climate change and/or disease (Young et al 2001). Several investigators have studied the herpetofauna of Ecuador; among them Roy McDiarmid and Ken Miyata who made several research trips through 20 years. The large number of specimens and data collected led to the description of several new species (e.g. Lepidoblepharis grandis Miyata 1985, Centrolene puyoense Flores & McDiarmid 1989), however after the tragic death of Ken Miyata, several species remained to be described. One of the sites studied by McDiarmid & Miyata was the "Río Palenque" Science Center, in the western lowlands of Ecuador. This locality is considered to be one of the last remnants of tropical rainforest in the central western lowlands of Ecuador; even so, it is threatened by the expansion of the agricultural frontier and transformation of the forest remnants into oil palm plantations.

Among the species identified from this locality, were five species of glass frogs (Family Centrolenidae), one of them undescribed. The glass frogs belong to the Neotropical family Centrolenidae, which currently comprises three genera: Centrolene, Cochranella, and Hyalinobatrachium (Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch 1991). Most of them are small frogs (20-30 cm) (Lynch & Duellman 1973) and differ from other anura by a combination of characters, such as the fusion of the astragalus and calcaneum, the T-shaped terminal phalanges, and the presence of a process on the third metacarpal. The first Ecuadorian centrolenid frog described was Centrolene geckoideum (Jímenez de la Espada 1872). In 1973, Lynch & Duellman revised the 19 Ecuadorian species then known from the country. Currently, the number of glass frog species registered in the country has increased to 30, eight of which are endemic. However, many undescribed species remain, especially in the western lowlands of Ecuador (Coloma L. com pers 2001, Cisneros-Heredia D. obs pers 2001).

Material and Methods: The research to be conducted will include morphological analyses of each species, including osteological comparisons. The biology and ecology of centrolenid species present at "Rio Palenque" will be described and several behavior characteristics (e.g. calls) compared.

Description(s) of new species will be prepared.The specimens of the several expeditions made by McDiarmid and Miyata to the "Rio Palenque" Science Center are currently deposited at the National Museum of Natural History (USNM) and at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University (MCZ). Standard measurement of all specimens will be made to the nearest 0.1 mm using dial calipers, (e.g. snout-vent length and head length) for morphological comparisons. The webbing formula notations will follow Savage & Heyer (1967) as modified by Myers & Duellman (1982). The nuptial pads will be classified according to Flores (1085) and Lynch & Ruiz-Carranza (1996). Developmental stages of tadpoles follow Gosner (1960) and terminology follows Altig (1970). Calls will be analyzed with the programs available in the NMNH Sound Laboratory. The tape recordings of calls are part of the Tape Archive, Division of Amphibian and Reptiles, National Museum of Natural History. Select specimens will be cleared and double-stained for cartilage and bone using the method of Dingerkus & Uhler (1977) for osteological descriptions.

Funding to support Mr. Cisneros-Heredia's participation in the Research Training Program is being provided by a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Ms. Doak is from Seminole, Florida. She is currently a Junior at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina where she is majoring in geology and geography. She hopes to pursue studies in Igneous Petrology and/or Volcanology. She has joined field trips to various outcrops in Western Virginia and Eastern Tennessee for observation, identification, and is a student affiliate of the Geological Society of America.

Hypothesis: .Olivine crystals -- the dominant constituent of several thin, vertical intrusions (dikes) that slice thru pre-existing rocks in Northwest Skye -- came directly from deep in the Earth. Their siblings, however, were re-equillibrated in shallow chambers before being erupted in surface lavas or intruded as horizontal, near-surface sills in Nothwest Skye.

Title: The picritic dikes of Northwest Trotternish, Isle of Skye, Scotland.

Research Summary: Studying the chemical compositions and variations within crystals of olivine found in rocks of small igneous bodies on the Island of Skye, Scotland, is anticipated to reveal if all these bodies are connected by similar parentage/origin and if so, information about the structure of this old volcanic complex.

Samples collected from twelve picritic dikes of northern Skye will be tested for genetic homogeneity using their olivine phenocrysts. After this is assured, the data from these dikes will be compared to those from spatially associated picritic sills and lava flows, some which contain phenocrysts - known have been re-equilibrated during their brief cooling history beneath the surface, to look for evidence of co-genetic links.

Project Description: Seven thin sections have been made from the previously collected samples of picritic dikes in the northwestern section of the Scottish Isle of Skye. During the prior Spring semester, rudimentary petrographic analysis was conducted on these thin sections with a Leica research grade microscope and images were taken with a Spot digital camera at Appalachian State University. While at the Smithsonian, I hope to conduct further analysis on the olivine phenocrysts by the materials and methods mentioned below to determine the homogeneity of individual dikes, the possible co-genesis of all picritic dikes of northwest Skye, and their possible relationship to spatially associated picritic sills and lava flows. By doing this, I also hope to gain insight to methods of melt emplacement and phenocryst association within the melt during crystallization (e.g. flow differentiation).
Special consideration will also be given to chrome-spinels, which have been proven as sensitive indicators of melt composition and crystal/liquid equilibrium.
If time allows, additional research can be conducted to compare the dikes from northern Skye to their neighboring cousins in southwestern Skye: picritic dikes located on the western outskirts of the Cuillin Igneous Complex. Data for these dikes can be provided from the petrographic and geochemical analysis of several thin sections and associated powders.

Methods and Materials: The Electron Microprobe (EMP) will provide quantitative chemical data through x-ray spectral analysis. The Department of Mineral Sciences’ Scanning Electron Microscope will provide images for useful roadmaps in EMP analysis.
Cathodoluminescent images may prove to be useful in determining trace element compositional zoning. X- Ray Florescence analysis will provide quantitative and qualitative elemental data for the SW Skye powdered samples.

A preliminary manuscript summarizing the research is due Friday, 26 July 2002. The results will be presented to the Smithsonian community during a formal seminar Monday, 29 July 2002 and a poster session Thursday, 1 August 2002. Presentation of undergraduate thesis to the Geology Department of Appalachian State University, hopeful paper publication pending on approval from the Smithsonian Institute spring 2003.

Funding to support Ms. Doak's participation in the Research Training Program is being provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program - Award number DBI-9820303.

Mr. Edmonds is from Piqua, Ohio. He is currently a Junior at St. Louis University where he is majoring in geology. His career ambitions include studying and researching volcanoes in hopes of making a significant contribution to the science of hazard mitigation. Last summer he worked in the laboratory of Dr. John Encarnacion investigating “The Timing and Setting of the Karoo Large Igneous Province, South Africa” and “The SWEAT Hypothesis from an Antarctic Perspective.” This research included separating zircons and other minerals for age dating and experience in the Stable Isotope Laboratory.

Hypothesis: Do the Cantaro-Colima and Iztaccihuatl-Popocatepetl volcanic chains show parallel evolutionary trends in the petrology and geochemistry of their eruptive products over the past million years?

Title: Mexican Volcanic Chains

Research Summary: Do two sets of Mexican volcano chains show a similar compositional evolution?

This project will involve the preparation of GIS images using ASTER satellite imagery and other geographic/demographic data for two southward-younging Quaternary volcanic chains in Mexico (Cantaro-Colima and Iztaccihuatl-Popocatepetl). The project will also involve the evaluation of the geochemistry of their eruptive products to determine if these chains have undergone similar geochemical evolutions. The relationship of position along the chain to composition will also be addressed.

Project Description: Preparation of the GIS images starts with finding the ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) data on-line. The ASTER data will be manipulated to georegister the image and obtain true color using the software ENVI (The Environment for Visual Images). I will also apply topographical and geographical vector data and population data to the images through the use of ArcView software. Furthermore, I will be evaluating published petrological and geochemical data from volcanic rocks collected at the Cantaro-Colima and Iztaccihuatl-Popocatepetl volcanic chains and compiled for the Global Volcanism Program’s interactive CD-ROM, Volcanoes of Mexico.

Materials and Methods: The first half of the this project will be devoted to creation of the volcano images using ENVI and ArcView to generate a GIS image. I will attend Dan Cole’s two day GIS class to become familiar with the ArcView software on June 11 and 12. To complete the work I will use a Windows 2000 desktop PC with the necessary software. The second half of the project will focus on the petrological and geochemical data for rock samples for these same volcanoes.

Funding to support Mr. Edmonds's participation in the Research Training Program is being provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program - Award number DBI-9820303.

Mr. Freeburg is from Kersey, Pennsylvania. He will graduate in in May '02 from The Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania with a major in anthropology, archaeology focus, and a minor in geographic information systems. He plans to continue his education and receive an advanced degree in archaeology with the goal of becoming a professional archaeologist studying past cultures and their material remains. Mr. Freeburg's field school training wasat a site in southeastern Pennsylvania looking at the prehistory of eastern North America and he has also been involved in a recovery project to protect cultural resources where he developed an experimental archaeological project studying lithic use on hide processing. He has also been part of an international archaeological research team working in northern Peru, that served as the research site for his undergraduate honors thesis on ancient agricultural systems. Through this project he designed and created a geographic information system (GIS) database for the study area, focusing on the prehispanic canal systems. The results of this study were presented as a poster at the 2002 Society for American Archaeology meetings.

Hypothesis: Achenes and seeds of Helianthus annuus (sunflower) decrease in size in a predictable manner under carbonization.

Title: Experimental Carbonization of Helianthus annus.

Research Summary: Archaeologists and botanists study plant domestication in understand past as well as present and future processes of cultivation. Experimental carbonization of sunflower seeds will provide scientists with better standards to gauge domesticate status of sunflowers recovered from archaeological contexts.

A wide range of modern wild and domesticated varieties of sunflower seeds and achenes will be obtained from USDA and commercial sources and from the US National Herbarium. They will be carefully measured, and then carbonized at controlled temperatures for various intervals, and the degree of shrinkage will be establish. Analysis will produce conversion formulas for going from carbonized to uncarbonized size for the species.

Sunflower seeds found in archaeological contexts are often preserved through carbonization. The process of carbonization causes both seeds and their achenes to shrink in size. Because seed size is the major factor in determining whether a seed is domesticated or wild, there is an inherent problem in analysis of carbonized remains. At present, standard correction factors are used by paleoethnobotanists to estimate original size a carbonized seed. However, a recent debate has called this practice into question, claiming that the use of single uniform correction factor for each dimension of a seed is problematic. In the proposed study, I will experimentally carbonize a wide range of sunflower varieties to examine the effects of carbonization in a controlled environment.

Project Description: Plant domestication was an important technological breakthrough that has shaped society to the present day. It is important to discover and understand the processes behind domestication for many reasons, not least of all to ensure health and stability of world crops today. Much of this needed discovery comes from archaeological research. In the case of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus), most specimens recovered and analyzed are carbonized seeds. Carbonization helps to preserve the seed, yet causes problems in interpretation. Whether a seed is domesticated or wild is based on seed length. However, carbonization causes the seeds to shrink in size. To determine wild or domesticated status of a carbonized seed, scientists use a correction factor to estimate original seed size (for example, +30%). This uniform correction has recently been called into question. The only way to properly gauge the accuracy of the use of correction factors is to experimentally carbonize sunflower seeds and measure actual shrinkage of seeds that have been burned.

To ensure thorough data recovery on carbonization effects, seeds of a wide range of sunflower varieties will be acquired from several sources. Seeds acquired from commercial sources will be based on solely on variety. Results of carbonization will be compared between the same variety distributed by different sources. The commercial sources will also be contacted to discover any processes used in the preparation of seeds for planting that may affect the carbonization process. Overall achene (seed coat) length and oil content of the seed are the two major factors used to choose samples from the USDA-GRIN database. While all sizes of seeds will be carbonized, experimentation will focus on lengths near the accepted break between wild and domestic seeds (6.5 mm). Oil content will serve as a measure of the relative moisture of the seed, which is believed to be a cause of variability in shrinkage. The greatest difference in oil content is expected to be found between wild seeds and domesticated seeds especially bred to have high oil contents.

The seeds will be measured in length and width both before and after carbonization. Measurements will be taken under a stereoscope as well as with digital calipers. Carbonization will take place in several different ways. In order to precisely control the temperature of the heated environment, an electric muffle furnace will be used. The temperature of the furnace and the exposure time of each sample will differ to account for differing circumstances of carbonization in antiquity. Other samples will be carbonized by open flame, replicating another possible method of carbonization leading to the preservation of ancient seeds. Samples exposed to open flame will also vary time and heat of exposure. The method of open flame used for carbonization may vary from gas torch or bunsen burner (in a laboratory environment) to a simple wood fire (constructed out-of-doors).

Comparisons of seed and achene measurements will be analyzed to determine the relationship between non-carbonized and carbonized seeds. It is expected that all seeds will shrink in a predictable manner. However, conformity to the normal shrinkage range may depend on the variables accounted for in sample selection. The anticipated outcome of this experiment is the creation of a correction factor to be applied to archaeologically recovered seeds that will more closely estimate the original size of the seed or achene. More accurate estimates of seed size will provide a standard correction factor for all carbonized sunflower remains, as well as allow archaeologists to better understand the process of domestication of sunflowers.

Materials and Methods: Samples will be carbonized in various forms to recreate all possibilities of archaeological deposition. Whole fruits (intact achenes and seeds together), and separate seeds and achenes will be carbonized. Carbonization will take place using several methods; muffle furnace, gas torch, and wood fire. All carbonization techniques will be varied in length of time and intensity of heat. In the muffle furnace, temperature will be controlled by the digital thermometer of the furnace. Samples will be placed in ceramic crucibles so as not to damage the interior of the furnace. The gas torch will be adjusted manually, with temperature being recorded by hand thermometer. For carbonization in wood fire, different wood will be used to produce different temperatures (i.e. hard wood = hotter, soft wood = cooler). A digital timer will be used to accurately record exposure time for all samples.

All samples will be measured before and after carbonization. Length and width of each sample will be measured. Measurements will be taken in one of two ways. Wild seeds will be measured under a stereoscope by a calibrated slide. Domesticated samples do not lay flat on the slide, and cannot be measured accurately in this way.
Therefore, digital calipers must be used to accurately measure the larger seeds.
Various implements such as tongs, tweezers, and hot pads will be used to handle heated objects.

Funding to support Mr. Freeburg's participation in the Research Training Program is being provided by a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Ms. Garrett is from Abingdon, Virginia. She is currently a Junior at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University in Blacksburg, Virginia where she is majoring in biology and minoring in ecology. She has not yet decided her discipline focus but is interested in ornithology, ethology, entomology, and conservation biology. She previously conducted a research project focused on a comprehensive comparison of three small lakes in Sullivan County, Tennessee, and Washington County, Virginia, as habitat for wintering waterfowl. Currently she is investigating the territorial displays of the male lizard Anolis carolinensis by looking at sequential analysis of the multiple display patterns performed by patrolling male Anolis carolinensis lizards during various micro-social contexts. She has also participated in an internship with the Nature Conservancy identifying mussels from the Clinch River while also taking measurements of their age and growth.

Hypothesis: The total number of tortricids is above te number of moths that have been collected. Statistically we will establish the total number of species present in the Smoky Mountains.

Title: An Inventory of Leafroller Species of Moths of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Research Summary: The research, which is an inventory of leafroller moths, is a component of the on-going All Taxa Biological Inventory of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) has initiated an All Taxa Biological Inventory (ATBI) of their more than half a million acres of parkland. Although the Lepidoptera fauna is becoming increasing well known, our knowledge of this group is still scant. The purpose of this study is to identify and record all species of tortricid moths (leafrollers) that have been captured and documented in park boundaries from 1986 to the present. Through statistical means, the overall number of tortricids thought to be present, however not all captured and identified, will be established. For those tortricids that specimens have been taken, their distribution throughout different environments and changing seasons will be identified.

Project Description: The overall purposes of the ATBI at GSMNP are to understand and preserve the biological diversity of the park. Knowing the biological diversity of an area is the first step towards its conservation. Insects can be used as an indication of overall diversity of flora/fauna of an area and can be used to assess the health of an ecosystem as well as measure the effects of environmental change. Insects have interrelationships with other organisms that form important bases of biological communities (Powell, 1995). For example, Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) are the major group of plant eating insects and their presence and abundance can be related to the stability and diversity of plant communities.

This study will focus of the diversity of the insect family Tortricidae (Lepidoptera). The Smithsonian Natural History Museum houses an extensive sample of leafroller moths from the GSMNP that has been collected from 1986 to the present. This collection will serve as the main source of data for the study, although additional sources will be investigated. During the course of the study, a trip will be made to the GSMNP to compile additional data for the analysis.

A database of all specimens of leafrollers will be compiled to include species name, collection date, collecting location, and number of specimens collected. This database will be used to make a complete list of areas throughout the park where samples have been taken and will allow us to compare sites. Similarity among collection sites will be determined. Faunal similarities (FS) can be calculated by the equation FS = C / (A + B) – C. Here the ‘A’ stands for the number of species recorded at site A, ‘B’ represents the number of species recorded at site B, and ‘C’ stands for the number of species shared by both A and B. Faunal dissimilarity or complementarity (D) can also be determined by the equation D = 1 – FS (Brown, 1997).

Also from the database, we will construct a species accumulation curve by plotting the cumulative number of species documented against the cumulative number of samples taken. We expect that not all species present within the GSMNP have been sampled and therefore we will estimate the total species richness using the non-parametric statistical model ‘Chao 1’. The Chao 1 equation is as follows, St = Sob + a2/2b. Here, ‘St’ represents total species richness, ‘Sob’ represents observed species richness, ‘a’ stands for the number of species represented by a single specimen, and ‘b’ stands for the number of species represented by two specimens. The equation focuses on specimens known from only 1 or 2 individuals because they are indications of under-sampling (Brown, 1997).

Because the database will compile all dates specimens were collected, we will be able to evaluate diversity and abundance through the year. A list of ‘flight periods’ will be made for each species. The list will include only months, not specific days, and will allow us to see how different species of leafroller moths are temporally distributed throughout the GSMNP. This data can then be compiled as total species per month and transferred into graphical formatting for quick visual reference of community phenology.

Any species of leafrollers found to be endemic to GSMNP will be noted for specific conservation. These possible species may indicate the need for ecological monitoring in order to preserve their environment.

Materials and Methods: The study area is GSMNP. The park is located in two states, North Carolina and Tennessee, and encompasses 800 square miles of which 95 percent are forested. Collecting techniques include black light traps and collecting sheets at night. Black light traps consist of a 15-watt ultra-violet light to attract insects, as well an aluminum box, ca. 0.5 m x 0.5 m, a large funnel and baffle ca. 0.5 m in height. The trap is placed on the ground at night and retrieved in the morning. Sheet collecting uses a 15-watt ultra-violet light as well, however, the light is hung in front of a white sheet that is suspended between two trees (Brown, 1997). Traps are available through the Smithsonian Natural History Museum or the Systematic Entomology Laboratory of the USDA. Collected specimens will be pinned on site at a laboratory provided by the park. All possible identification is done while in the field, however, unidentified species are taken back to the Smithsonian for dissection. All specimens, identified or unidentified, are taken back to the Smithsonian to add to the current collection of leafrollers.

Funding to support Ms. Garrett's participation in the Research Training Program is being provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program - Award number DBI-9820303.

Ms. Hankins is from Durant, Oklahoma. She is currently a Junior at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma where she is majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry. After earning her undergraduate degree she plans to attend graduate school to earn a master's degree in marine biology and then a doctorate in marine ichthyology with a career goal to do sanctioned research in the Great Barrier Reef. Ms. Hankins is a Regent's Scholar and President of the Green Club.

Hypothesis: There is one species and two subspecies of Ophioblennius atlanticus (Teleostei: Blenniidae) in the tropical Atlantic ocean.

Research Summary: This project investigates if the red-lip blenny is one species, as suggested by anatomical studies or if it is more than one species, as suggested by genetic investigations.

In this project, morphology of the tropical Atlantic shorefish genus Ophioblennius will be investigated to determine if recently published molecular data, which split the single previously recognized Atlantic species into five distinct lineages, are supported by morphological data. If so, Atlantic Ophioblennius may be revised to include one or more additional species. Not only will this study be useful for pinpointing divergence in Atlantic Ophioblennius, but also examining results in the context of divergence among other Atlantic shorefishes may provide a better understanding of patterns of speciation in the tropical Atlantic Ocean.

Project Description: The blenniid shorefish genus Ophioblennius is restricted to the tropical Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Springer (1962) recognized a single Atlantic species, O. atlanticus, commonly known as the redlip blenny, and a single eastern Pacific species, O. steindachneri, the Panamic fanged blenny. For each species, Springer (1962) recognized two geographically distinct subspecies based on morphological differences. The Atlantic subspecies, O. atlanticus macclurei, inhabits the Caribbean Sea and coastal areas of the southeast U.S. and differs from O. atlanticus atlanticus, which is found in the tropical central, eastern and South Atlantic, in modally having two fewer dorsal- and anal-fin rays.

Muss et al. (2001) examined phylogeography of the genus Ophioblennius from a molecular perspective. A 630-bp region of mitochondrial cytochrome b was analyzed for 171 Ophioblennius specimens from 10 locations in the Atlantic and four in the eastern Pacific. Comparisons among nucleotide sequences revealed of genetic structuring within Ophioblennius, and divergence times among lineages can be estimated. According to their findings, six distinct lineages of Ophioblennius exist, one in the eastern Pacific and five in the Atlantic. The genetic differences between each pair of Atlantic lineages are equal to or greater than those typically observed between other fish species. The five Atlantic lineages identified in the study were grouped as follows: Azores/Cape Verde, Sao Tome, Mid-Atlantic, Caribbean, and Brazil. Muss et al. (2001) concluded that the current taxonomy might not adequately reflect the genealogical relationships within Atlantic Ophioblennius.

Springer's (1962) investigation included the study of abundant material from the Caribbean but few specimens from the western North Atlantic, Madeira Islands, Canary Islands, and Ascension (or St. Helena). Additional specimens from throughout the tropical Atlantic are now available, including material from locations not covered in Springer's study such as the Azores, Brazil, Cape Verde Islands, and Sao Tome. To distinguish between O. a. atlanticus and O. a. macclurei, Springer (1962) listed differences in the number of dorsal- and anal-fin rays. Ophioblennius a. atlanticus was found to have 33-36 dorsal rays and 24-26 anal rays, whereas O. a. macclurei has 31-33 dorsal rays and 22-23 (very rarely 24) anal rays. In addition to observing these same characters in the new material, this study will include examination of other external traits and osteology. Investigation of osteology will be facilitated by use of digital radiography and dissection and examination of specimens enzymatically cleared and chemically stained for cartilage and bone.

Materials and Methods: Three methods will be used for examination of specimens: (1) Microscopic observation of external morphology; (2) digital radiography for observation of osteology in two dimensions; and (3) clearing and staining (Potthoff, 1984) for observation of osteology in three dimensions. Digital radiography uses a computer system to take X-rays. The digital images can be saved onto a compact disk as graphics files available for viewing and editing in Adobe Photoshop. Clearing and staining is a process by which specimens are put through a series of chemical solutions to enzymatically clear all soft tissue under the epidermis, while staining both cartilage and bone.

Funding to support Ms. Hankins' participation in the Research Training Program is being provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program - Award number DBI-9820303.

Ms. Hodgkins is from Littleton, Colorado. She is currently a Junior at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado where she is majoring in anthropology and minoring in geology under the adademic advisorship of former RTP participant Dr. Dena Smith (1991). Ms. Hodgkins is considering graduate study focused on the study of ancient humans and the difficulties that humans have overcome such as disease, famine, and excessive weight barring through study of human skeletal remains. She is also interested in studying the depositional setting, climate, age, and associated animal remains at anthropological sites. As Dr. Smith's research assistant she become interested in paleoclimate and it’s affects on early non-human primate and hominid evolution and plans to focus her Honor's thesis on this topic.

Hypothesis: Human infection by brucellosis is linked to goat domestication and thus brucellosis should be found in human archaeological populations that utilized goat products.

Title: The Antiquity and Paleoepidemiology of the Infections Disease Brucellosis.

Research Summary: This research clarifies the geographical spread of the disease brucellosis by studying the bones of ancient Egyptian human samples in order to see if the disease was present in that population.

The infectious disease brucellosis typically is linked to transmission of the disease organism to humans from infected animal sources including milk and meat. A common vector is cattle which was domesticated about 8000 BP but there are several other potential animal vectors including other domesticated animals. The objective of the RTP internship will be to: (1)clarify the antiquity of various animal sources of the disease including domesticates, (2) clarify the skeletal manifestations of brucellosis on the basis of the current and earlier medical literature, and (3) analyze Old World (particularly Dynastic Egyptian) human skeletal remains for evidence of brucellosis. This research will suppliment earlier research which identified possible cases of brucellosis 5000 years ago in Jordan and more recently in Bahrain.

Project Description: Brucellosis is a disease that is caused by several species of bacteria in the genus Brucella (Capasso 1999). It is passed to humans through a variety of intermediate hosts including several domesticated animals. Brucella melitensis is the species that primarily affects goats, which are thought to be the oldest domesticates, and typically is passed to humans through the consumption of milk (Zeder, cited as personal communication in Ortner 2002). Today this disease is common in the Middle East and probably has a long history at least in that area of the world.

Brucellosis is a chronic disease that slowly affects the skeleton of the infected individual by causing destructive lesions in the bone. Due to the very chronic nature of the disease, bone remodeling takes place at the margins of the lesions. Persons infected with brucellosis can experience fever and joint pain and may have limited movement in the spine (Mohan et.al. 1990). Due to humans’ long history of coexistence with goats (back 7,000-8,000 years before present), we hypothesize that human infection by brucellosis is linked to goat domestication and should therefore be found in human archaeological populations that utilized goat products.

In order to further clarify the antiquity and paleoepidemiology of human infection by brucellosis, we will examine all skeletal elements of two archeological samples of Egyptians for evidence of lesions caused by Brucellosis. One sample is from the 12th dynasty of Egypt (1991-1782 B.C.E.) and the other is from the 25th dynasty (747-657B.C.E. The skeletons are housed in the Anthropology Department of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History Washington D.C.

Materials and Methods: Bones, particularly vertebrae, showing lytic lesions and reactive bone proliferation will be radiographed to see if there is trabecular thickening of the bone adjacent to externally visible lesions, a condition which is helpful in differentiating brucellosis from other diseases that can affect the skeleton (Mohan et.al.1990; Madkour and Sharif 1989). We will also compare archaeological skeletal evidence with published cases of brucellosis as well as the radiology and pathology of modern clinical cases at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington D.C.

Funding to support Ms. Hodgkins' participation in the Research Training Program is being provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program - Award number DBI-9820303.

Ms. Hohl is from Donnellson, Iowa. She is currently a Freshman at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa majoring in zoology. She plans to focus her education on marine studies and seek a career in the zoology/marine biology field with research in scientific analysis of environmental problems, and to use her photographic and journalism skills. She has been a Iowa Academy of Science Grant Award Winner (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001) was selected to participate in Hughes Life Science Summer Program at the University of Iowa (1999), was awarded the American Museum of History Young Naturalist Award in New York (2001), received First Place at the National Junior Science & Humanities Symposium in Orlando, Florida (2001), was selected as one of eight students to represent the United States at the International Youth Science Forum in London, England (2001), and won second place at the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Detroit, MI (2000). Ms. Hohl main research has focused tardigrade and their behavior.

Hypothesis: 1. There is only one species of tricolored squirrel, Callosciurus prevostii. 2. There are several species in this complex. 3. Geographic patterns of coat color provide clues to the genetic differences between populations. 4. Cranial morphological differences parallel differences in coat color and pattern.

Research Summary: The tricolored squirrel of Southeast Asia is now considered to be a single species, Callosciurus prevostii. It exhibits a great deal of variation in size, color, and pattern on the Greater Sunda islands and the smaller islands of the Sunda shelf. Many of these islands are being deforested, so if several species are included under the name prevostii, it is critical that they be identified and their habitats protected.

Funding to support Ms. Hohl's participation in the Research Training Program is being provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program - Award number DBI-9820303.

Ms. Iriarte is from Gainesville, Florida. She is currently a Sophomore at the College of William and Mary in WIlliamsburg, Virginia. She hopes to pursue a career as a geologist. Last summer she joined a Regional Field Geology trip with the College of William and Mary that covered visits to seven states in the western United States and included a variety of geological topics from topographic mapping to solving hydrologic problem sets to developing theories for improved land use. She also participated in the and the Keck Minnesota Sophomore Project at Carleton College in which she spent a month working in a small agricultural stream studying the effects of agricultural buffers on the both the geochemistry and geomorphology of the area. This research will be presented at the April 2002 Keck Symposium.

Hypothesis: The fatal pyroclastic flow of August 23 on Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica could have been prevented through the analyzation of seismic data as well as the mineralogy, pertology and overall structure of the rocks.

Title: Analyzing the Fatal Pyroclastic Flow of Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica.

Research Summary: This research involves studying the mineralogy, petrology and seismic data from the fatal 23 August 2000 eruption of Arenal Volcano to see if the tragic results could have been prevented.

On August 23rd, 2000, two people were killed in a pyroclastic flow from Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica without warning. The goal of this project is to investigate the science involved in this eruption to both further the knowledge of rare earth events and to discover new ways to predict such occurrences. I will use volcanic seismic data and the eruptive history to look for warnings of the event. The mineralogy, chemistry and structures of the rocks of the eruption will also be examined to infer the processes that produced the fatal pyroclastic flow.

Project Description: Natural destructive events (rare earth events) happen infrequently yet can have a major impact on human populations and on the environment. As the world’s population increases, civilization has been rapidly moving to areas previously uninhabited, including the slopes of volcanoes. Thus, rare earth events have the capability to harm human life more and more as this expansion grows. In order to prevent future catastrophic events, this project involves expanding the predictive capability of scientists studying volcanoes. The preliminary work involves researching the geologic history of the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica in order to characterize an eruption style that can be compared to the August 23rd event. Next, the petrology of the samples is to be examined, in order to ascertain the eruption style of the event in question, as well as the type of magmas involved. A statistical analysis of the seismic records from the volcano before and after August 2000 will used to see if there were any seismic clues that would have allowed prediction of the event. The synthesis of the project will be a poster or an abstract in which suggestions for ways to prevent death and destruction in rare earth events such as volcanoes will be presented. If time permits, a paper will be published on this event in the scientific journal Geology.

Funding to support Ms. Iriarte's participation in the Research Training Program is being provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program - Award number DBI-9820303.

Ms. Knapp is from Dayton, Ohio. She is currently a Sophomore at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she is majoring in Biology. She would like to pursue a career conducting research on bats, particularly behavior and communication. Originally interested in genetics and molecular biology, Ms. Knapp's interest in bats stems from her work in the Ichthyology Department of the Museum of Comparative Zoology where she discovered that she enjoyed working with whole organisms. After reading a recent research paper, that she followed up with course work in organismic and evolutionary biology, she focused on bats as her main area of interest.

Hypothesis: The buccal structures have significance in the taxonomy of phyllostomid bats.

Title: Testing the taxonomic significance of buccal structures in phyllostomid bats.

Research Summary: This research uses structural features of the bat's mouth to show relationships between groups of bats.

This project will examine the structure of the mouthparts of phyllostomid bats from South America with a emphasis on the buccal cavity (between the lips and teeth). The goal of the project is to describe these structures, assess their intra and inter taxon variation, and to hypothesize about their function, which may be related to specialized feeding habits. This will be accomplished by examining fluid-preserved specimens from the United States National Museum Mammals Collection, describing the structures found inside the mouths, developing a system of character states, and calculating the value of each taxon in terms of those character states.

Project Description: Bat phylogeny is controversial; their relatively recent appearance and poor fossil record make their history difficult to elucidate. The family Phyllostomidae, for example, has been the subject of numerous phylogenetic analyses using diverse methods (Baker et al., 1989; Wetterer et al., 2000), but different taxonomies have resulted each time. Baker et al. (1989) combined morphological, genetic, and biochemical data to arrive at their phylogeny; however, their morphological research was nowhere near exhaustive and looked at just a few areas of the body. Wetterer et al. (2000) presented the most complete


	Highlights

Research Training Program PARTICIPANT LIST 2002

Research Training Program
PARTICIPANT LIST
2002