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Class
of '04
Information
about the Research Training Program:
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Updated:
11 August 2004
29 May 2004 - 7 August 2004 A total of 19 undergraduate students joined the RTP Class of '04, including 2 students from the Notre Dame partnership program. The RAMHSS and RET programs were canceled. Schedule
of Events |
Poster |
Program
Summary
Meet the
2004 participants Research
Training Program Results of summer research projects are presented in a variety of formats. To read the student's professional, research abstract, click on their name. To view a picture of the student with their advisor as well as read a description of their research and results presented in a general audience format click on "Abstract." To view their presentation poster, click on "Poster." To learn more about the students in the RTP Class of '04, click on the link titled "Summary." And, to read their closing letter about the summer check out the "Letter of Gratitude." Read the student personal summaries about their summer Program Summary This summer the Research Training Program celebrates 24 years (1980 - 2004) of inspiring the next generation of scientists by hosting the 25th group of RTP students. REU at the Smithsonian: Research Training Program is a ten-week, museum-based research experiences for undergraduates site featuring the unique opportunity for undergraduate students to explore research and study in the natural history sciences through unparalleled access to the collections, facilities and scientific community of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Established
in 1910, the NMNH is home to one of the best assemblage of natural history
collections and professional scientists. The community of 189 professionals
from more than three agencies plus visiting researchers and graduate students
represents the world's largest collective of scientists dedicated to the
study of natural and cultural history. The research environment features
125 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites,
and human artifacts from worldwide locations. The collections provide
inspiration for new discovery and essential evidence for much of what
we already know about the world around us, including documentation of
changes in the earth and climate, evolutionary history of plants and animals,
and human origins and culture. Since 1980 the Research Training Program has actively participated in the education and inspiration of the next generation of scientists in the biological, geological, and anthropological sciences. Encouraging confidence and competence in the research process is the cornerstone of this program. Emphasis is placed on providing a first-time opportunity for undergraduate students, especially underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities, to be involved in active research participation in the natural history sciences including students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to engage in research projects such as students from institutions where research opportunities in the natural history sciences are limited. Participants are provided housing, travel, stipend, and research support. Under the mentoring guidance of one of Smithsonian's expert research scientists, participants pursue individualized, hypothesis-testing research topics in the biological, geological or anthropological sciences. Research findings are shared through a variety of media including electronic publications, written manuscripts, and oral presentations. To conduct their research, participants are given exceptional, full and free access to all NMNH facilities and resources including the extensive collections, libraries and laboratories. Participants come together several times each week as a group to join an interactive series of lectures, discussions, workshops, field trips, social events, and collection tours highlighting the diversity of scientific disciplines, research techniques, and career choices available in the natural history sciences. Community interaction and communication is fostered through the Academic Resources Center (ARC), a community gathering space reserved for students in-residence at the NMNH to gather.
When circada Brood X next emerge in 2021, where will the RTP Class of '04 be? Stay tuned. 
Notes:
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Last Name
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First Name
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Home University | Year in School | Citizenship | Research Advisor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Research
Experiences for Undergraduates
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| Aldabe | Joaquin | Universidad de la Republica | Non-graduating Senior | Uruguay | Carla Dove | |
| Alvarez | Anthony | University of California, Santa Barbara | Junior | US | Scott Wing | |
| Aschliman | Neil | Texas A&M University | Junior | US | Bruce Collette | |
| Ashley | Arden | Macalester College | Junior | US | Dave Pawson | |
| Brown | Megan | Arizona State University | Freshman | US | Tim McCoy | |
| Chen | Jonathan | Oberlin College | Sophomore | US | Ted Schultz | |
| Copes | Lynn | Columbia University | Junior | US | Rick Potts | |
| Garcia | Amie | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | Sophomore | US | Mike WIse | |
| Haro | Xavier | Catholic University of Ecuador | Non-graduating Senior | Ecuador | Harold Robinson | |
| Moran | Emily | University of Michigan | Junior | US | Vicki Funk | |
| Morgan | James | Fort Valley State University | Sophomore | US | Neal Woodman | |
| Pinto Baez | Christian Miguel | Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador | Non-graduating Senior | Ecuador | Al Gardner | |
| Sussman | Adrienne | Simon's Rock College of Bard | Freshman | US | Dick Thorington | |
| Mejia | Mauricio | Universidad Industrial de Santander | Non-graduating Senior | Colombia | Rich Vari | |
| Velez | Jorge | University of Puerto Rico | Non-graduating Senior | US | Matt Carrano | |
| Zelewicz | Lee | Lycoming | Sophomore | US |
Sorena Sorenson |
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|
University of Notre Dame Internship in Anthropology |
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| Gaudreau | Andrew | University of Notre Dame | Sophomore | US | Jane Homiak | |
| Musica | Kathryn | University of Notre Dame | Junior | US | William Billeck | |
Research
Training Program
2004
Meet the
whole 2004 ARC Team
Molly Grove, Michelle Nestlerode, Yvette Osborne,
Wendy Wiswall, Mary Sangrey, and Elisa Maldonado
In 2004, all of Natural History's academic appointments and programs, including the Research Training Program, were managed through the Academic Resources Center (ARC). Amy Adams (missing from the photo above)was is the ARC funds manager. She helped one day each week taking care of our purchasing and reconciling. Students selected for placement in our paid appointments worked with Amy to, among other things, arrange their travel and stipend payments. We asked Molly Grove to join us for a few hours each afternoon this summer to fix the broken links on our old web pages and update some of our statistics. We borrowed Michelle Nestlerode, (RTP Class of '98), for the summer, taking her away from her duties as Research Assistant to Klaus Ruetzler so as to help with our funds management. Yvette Osborne worked mornings to assist with intern registration and monitor the office. Although officially assigned to higher level administration at NMNH, Wendy served as the ARC back-up always lending a helping hand as needed. Elisa Maldonado came back to the ARC for four weeks this summer, taking a break from her graduate school studies at Scripps, so as to work with the RTP group. Diana Specht (also missing form the photo above) designed and maintains the ColdFusion programming that runs our on-line application process. And Mary, well, I do the rest to keep Natural History's academic appointments and programs going including maintaining the web pages.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
_______________________________________________________
Morpological Adaptations for Terrestrial Habits of the Scimitar-biller Woodcreeper (Drymornis bridgesii)
|
Joaquin Aldabe Carla Dove, Ph.D. |
 |
Woodcreepers are arboreal birds that forage almost entirely by gleaning and probing along trunks and branches using their tail feathers as a body support. However, there is one species, the Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper (Drymornis bridgesii) of south central South America that forages mainly on the ground where it feeds by probing loose soil with its long bill. Osteological characters, claw morphology, and tail feathers were examined and compared with other species within the strong-billed woodcreeper clade. The results show that Drymornis has clear anatomical modifications that support the ground foraging habits that characterize this species. The proportion of metatarsal length related to the whole leg was larger in Drymornis than the rest of the genera studied, an adaptation to increase movement capability on the ground. The tip width of the central feathers of the tail in Drymornis is markedly smaller than the strictly arboreal forms; presumably because Drymornis does not need a strongly feathered tail to support its weight. However, no differences in claw curvature were found, a fact that reflects the tree climbing ability that Drymornis still retains. This study also suggests that some of these characters may be used to predict the feeding behavior of fossil birds.
This research was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives
Fund.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
GIS Prediction of the Outcrop Area of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum
|
Anthony Alvarez Scott Wing, Ph.D. |
 |
The Paloecene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), a period of ~140,000 years during which global temperature rapidly increased (~10,000 yrs), then returned to background conditions, is represented by sediments in the uppermost Fort Union and lowermost Willwood Formations over a wide area of the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming. Using both plant and vertebrate fossils researchers have been working to identify and analyze the impact of these environemental changes on ecological systems. Locating additional outcrops that preserve the PETM is an important goal for field work. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to help locate the 30-40 meter-thick set of of deposits that were laid down during the PETM. (PETM deposits are a very small part of the >1km thick section of Paleocene and Eocene strata in the Bighorn Basin. Stratigraphic, elevation and spatial information about known PETM deposits were synthesized in the GIS system in order to predict where undiscovered PETM deposits should be exposed within the research area. High resolution (1 pixel=1 meter) aerial photos provided important information because some PETM marker beds can be identified and traced long distances by simple visual inspection. Additional work using the GIS system will include three-dimensional modeling of the PETM strata and calculation of the intersection of this sediment package with the current topography.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation
Research Experience for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
Relationships of sauries and needlefishes (Teleostei: Scomberesocoidea) to the internally fertilizing halfbeaks (Zenarchopteridae) based on the pharyngeal jaw apparatus
|
Neil Aschliman Bruce Collette, Ph.D. |
 |
The pharyngeal jaw apparatus in both saury genera was examined to evaluate the 40 life history, myological, and osteological characters from Tibbetts (1992) to determine if the Scomberesocidae are more closely related to the Zenarchopteridae, to the needlefishes, or to the halfbeaks and flyingfishes. Data were analyzed using PAUP*, and eight equally parsimonious trees were found (70 steps, CI 0.814, RI 0.938). This analysis indicates that sauries are most closely related to needlefishes, validating the historical superfamily Scomberesocoidea. A caudal displacement of the origin of the retractor dorsalis muscle is a tentative additional synapomorphy for all four saury species. Zenarchopteridae is strongly supported as a valid family sister to the Scomberesocoidea (decay index = 19, bootstrap = 100). Resolution of the internal structure of the Belonidae and the Hemiramphidae requires the identification of additional morphological characters and examination of a greater number of taxa.
This research was supported by a grant from the Alice Eve Kennington Endowment
and Battelle.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
Intergeneric Hybridization between the sand dollars Encope michelini and Mellita isometra (Echinodermata: Echinoidea: Mellitidae)
|
Arden Ashley Dave Pawson, Ph.D. |
 |
In 1974, several unusual sand dollars were collected off of Fort Pierce, FL. They are unlike any known species, and they cannot be referred to any of the existing genera. They exhibit some characteristics of the genus Mellita and some of the genus Encope. It is hypothesized that these unknown sand dollars are hybrids, the result of an interbreeding event between these two genera. If they are not hybrids, they must be regarded as representing a new genus in the Family Mellitidae. Research was aimed at clarifying the status of these unknown sand dollars. Measurements were taken of various morphological characteristics of specimens of the presumed parent taxa, Mellita isometra and Encope michelini, and of the presumed hybrids. In some characteristics (curvature of spines from the oral side of petal IV, number of pores per petal, and relative positions of the mouth and anus, as well as position of the highest point of the test), the hybrids fell directly within the broad limits of variation of the proposed parents. In other cases (relative size of the feeding apparatus or Aristotle's lantern, spine lengths), the presumed hybrids seemed to be quite distinct, falling outside the range of variation of the presumed parent taxa. Further study is required, including additional breeding experiments, DNA analysis and additional morphometric data sampling, including examination of the plate structure and analysis of the internal skeleton.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512 and
Battelle.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
Sulfur
depletion on 433 Eros: Analyzing meteoritic analogs to compare possible causes
|
Megan Brown Tim McCoy, Ph.D. |
 |
One of the most surprising findings of the NEAR mission was a marked depletion of S on the surface of asteroid 433 Eros (Nittler et al., 2001). Although micrometeorite bombardment producing S volatilization was the favored mechanism to explain this depletion, partial melting and removal of an Fe,Ni-FeS cotectic partial melt could not be excluded as the cause. We have studied possible meteoritic analogs to 433 Eros to further constrain these two models. Derivation of Mn/Si and Cr/Si ratios (Lim et al., 2003) from NEAR X-ray spectra might provide additional constraints. We have studied the acapulcoites and lodranites Acapulco, EET 84302 and Lodran to document the effect of partial melting on these ratios. Modeling suggests that efficient removal of chromite should reduce Cr/Si dramatically and Mn/Si slightly. Evidence for chromite removal is observed in reduced chromite abundances in Lodran compared to Acapulco. Chromite appears to be removed with the Fe,Ni-FeS melts, with which it is associated in EET 84302. Non-chondritic Mn/Si and, particularly, Cr/Si ratios for 433 Eros would strongly favor partial melting. If impact volatilization is the primary cause of the sulfur depletion, we would expect to see similar effects in ordinary chondrite regolith breccias. The dark portions of these meteorites are rich in solar wind gases and sample ancient regolith. The Dwaleni H6 regolith breccia has a bulk S/Si ratio typical of ordinary chondrites (Jarosewich, 1990) and we found no difference in troilite abundance between the dark, regolith-exposed portions and the light, unexposed clasts. It is possible that ancient regolith breccias do not sample, in bulk, the same material present in the upper hundred microns of modern regolith. We have, however, observed a single taenite-troilite particle which includes numerous orthopyroxene blebs less than 5 microns in diameter. This particle appears to have formed by melting and may be the equivalent of a sulfur-cemented, asteroidal agglutinate. To examine the possible role of volatilization during formation of this particle, ToF-SIMS analyses of chalcophile elements with a range of volatilities are planned.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
The advent of yeast cell cultivation in Cyphomyrmex
|
Jonathan Chen Ted Schultz, Ph.D. |
 |
The genus Cyphomyrmex belongs to the tribe Attini, a group of New World ants distinguished by their ability to grow fungus. Cyphomyrmex is divided into two groups, the strigatus group and the rimosus group, differing in the states of three morphological characters: the preocular carinae, the mid-pronotal tubercles, and the number of teeth on the mandibles. This division of the genus based on morphology corresponds with a division based on an important behavioral characteristic. Some, but not all, members of the rimosus group grow yeast gardens (consisting of clumps of unicellular yeast cells) rather than the typical mycelial gardens (consisting of connected hyphae) grown by members of the strigatus group and by the rest of the attines. A cladistic analysis of 19 morphological characters and 22 Cyphomyrmex and one outgroup species produced a phylogeny in which the strigatus and rimosus groups are sister clades, and in which the yeast-growing rimosus-group species are monophyletic. The monophyly of this subset of the rimosus group is consistent with the hypothesis that yeast gardening is a derived trait. Although the gardening behaviors of some of the species within this group are currently unknown, its monophyly suggests that those species probably also cultivate yeast gardens. Additional phylogenetic and behavioral data will be required to fully test these conclusions.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
The Stratigraphic Precision of Paleoenvironmental Data in Relation to Hominin Localities in the Turkana and Olduvai Basins, East Africa: how much fuzz exists?
|
Lynn Copes Rick Potts, Ph.D. |
 |
This study sought to test the hypothesis that paleoenvironmental evidence (stable isotopes, faunal assemblages and fossilized plant remains) from the Olduvai and Turkana Basins in East Africa comes from the same stratigraphic levels as the hominin and archaeological material from these areas. Another hypothesis tested was that the localities-Koobi Fora, Nachukui and Shungura at Turkana, and Beds I and II at Olduvai-would all show similar patterns of evidence. A set of tests were established to determine the percentage of "hits" at each site -the number of hominins that matched precisely with paleoenvironmental data. The percentage of hominins with environmental matches ranged from 7 to 50%. This left the hypotheses unsupported, as the sites differed greatly in their percentages of hominins with exact matches, and no site was able to boast of more than half of its hominins associated exactly with paleoenvironmental indicators.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
A cathodoluminescence study of microcline from the Morefield pegmatite, Virginia
|
Amie Garcia
Mike Wise, Ph.D. |
 |
The Morefield pegmatite of the Amelia pegmatite district, Virginia is a mineralogically complex, internally zoned, rare-element granitic pegmatite enriched in Be, Nb, Ta, and F. Microcline is a major component of the primary zones and varies in color from tan to green. Tan-colored microcline occurs in the 1st intermediate zone, and green-colored microcline (amazonite) develops in the 2nd and 3rd intermediate zones and the core. Bi-colored microcline crystals with tan and green regions occur locally in the intermediate zones. The green color of amazonite increases in intensity from the 2nd intermediate zone to the core. Cathodoluminescence (CL) was used to study the textural relationships between tan-colored microcline and amazonite from the pegmatite. Amazonite samples show a blue-green color in CL whereas tan-colored microcline displays a blue color. Within bi-colored microcline samples, both CL colors are visible. Microcline immediately adjacent to albite lamellae sometime displays areas of non-luminescence. This feature is very prominent in amazonite samples, and occurs infrequently within tan microcline. Microcline exhibiting the non-luminescent CL contains lower Na2O contents (0.3-0.4 wt. %) compared to the microcline with blue or blue-green luminescence (Na2O = 0.6-0.8 wt. %). Textural evidence obtained from the CL images confirms that amazonite from the Morefield pegmatite developed as a result of a post-magmatic replacement process. Aqueous fluids that were introduced along fractures and cleavage planes of the original primary tan-colored microcline, aided in the transformation to amazonite.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
Can the species of Critoniopsis from Ecuador be easily identified?
|
Xavier Haro Harold Robinson, Ph.D. |
 |
Seventeen species of Critoniopsis (Vernonieae, Asteraceae) were previously credited from Ecuador. In order to make a key for the country, the Ecuadorian species were reviewed. Two of the species cited for the country have been withdrawn from the Flora. Critoniopsis bogotana, recorded for one collection, has been re-identified under C. floribunda, a well represented Ecuadorian species. Critoniopsis elbertiana has been withdrawn because the specimens identified under this name exhibit considerable differences from the type collection. Critoniopsis jelskii, a northern Peruvian species, is newly recorded for eastern Ecuador, and four species are currently being proposed as new. Two specimens previously identified as C. elbertiana are being proposed as a new species, as well as two others, one closely related to C. pycnantha, and one to C. sevillana. Additionally, a new sample acquired in the US National Herbarium collection during the period of this project, has been identified as new. A key, including all the newly proposed species, is presented, and the number of Ecuadorian Critoniopsis is expanded to 20 species.
This research was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives
Fund.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
A
Morphological Revision of the Genus Erato DC (Compositae: Liabeae)
|
Emily Moran Vicki Funk, Ph.D. |
 |
Erato DC (Compositae, tribe Liabeae), is a genus of five species distributed from Costa Rica to Bolivia with its main center of diversity in Ecuador. The genus has never before been revised. This morphological study was based on specimens of Erato available in the US National Herbarium. The revision includes descriptions of the genus and of each species, a key to the species, and distribution maps. In addition, a cladistic analysis was performed using 25 morphological and 2 genetic characters, with Munnozia, Chrysactinium, and Philoglossa serving as outgroups. In the course of the study, a new species endemic to Costa Rica was described: Erato sp. nov. E. Moran & V.A. Funk. Morphological and molecular data strongly support Erato as a monophyletic group sister to Philoglossa. The relationships within Erato, however, have only weak bootstrap support. The results of the cladistic analysis and the degree of similarity among taxa suggest that the genus may be a recent radiation.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
Skeletal Morphology of Mammals, Soricid Feet in Relation to Phylogeny
|
James Morgan
Neal Woodman, Ph.D. |
 |
Morphological variation in the forefeet of shrews (Family Soricidae) of the genus Cryptotis has been used previously to help understand taxonomic and evolutionary relationships. However, few skeletons of shrews are available for study. For this study digital x-rays were used to closely observe the forefeet of 101 dried skins in which the bones of the forefeet were preserved. These specimens included eight taxa from four species-groups that are hypothesized to represent distinct evolutionary lineages within the genus Cryptotis: C. p.parva and C. p.floridana (C. parva-group); C. nigrescens and C. mera (C.nigrescens-group); C. meridensis (C. thomasi-group); C. mexicana, C. goldmani, and C. goodwini (C. mexicana-group). The left forefoot of each specimen was digitally x-rayed, the resulting image edited, and the bones measured using Photoshop computer software. This research primarily focused on the bones of digit III because digit III of all specimens appeared most variable. The variation is useful in distinguishing among species and groups of species. For example, C. meridensis has a long metacarpal relative to all other taxa. The length of the distal phalanx relative to the length of the middle phalanx distinguished three groups of species. In four species (C. p.parva, C. mexicana, C. goldmani, C. goodwini), the distal phalanx is less than 90% the length of the middle phalanx. In C. meridensis, the distal phalanx is greater than 100% but less than 120% and in C. mexicana, C. goldmani, and C. goodwini, the distal phalanx more than 150%.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
Testing the Ceramic Chronology Sequence of the Steed-kisker Phase
|
Digna Ortiz William Billeck, Ph.D. |
 |
Using portions of broken vessels from Steed-Kisker phase (ca. AD 1100-1350) archaeological sites from near Kansas City, Missouri, decorative ceramic types were identified and the chronological significance of the decorative sequence evaluated. The results are compared to an existing chronological sequence. This research focused on classifying ceramics from several Steed-Kisker houses to determine the relationships between the houses based on similarities and differences in ceramic decoration. The vessels forms and decoration of the Steed-Kisker phase ceramics were also compared to those from the Middle Mississippian tradition site of Cahokia near St. Louis, Missouri, and to the nearby archaeological sites of the Central Plains Tradition to assess their relationships with the Steed-Kisker phase.
This research was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
Identity of an atypical bear from Alaska: The first documented wild hybrid bear (Ursus americanus X Ursus arctos)?
|
Christian Miguel
Pinto Baez Al Gardner, Ph.D. |
 |
Some years ago a remarkable bear was hunted in Alaska. This bear shows characteristics of brown and black bears, a big size but black fur. In order to identify this unusual bear we analyzed the shape of the last upper molar of brown and black bear series and the atypical specimen, using Relative Warp Analysis after Procrustes superimposition. We could distinguish general patterns for both species; however, some specimens have intermediate characteristics. The atypical specimen matched in the group of black bears. When we add centroid size and fur coloration to the regression analysis, both groups were excluded completely and the specimen matched just in the middle between the two species. These evidences strongly suggest that this specimen is a hybrid and not a melanistic brown bear.
This research was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives
Fund.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
The
beautiful squirrel of South East Asia: cranial morphology and variation
|
Adrienne Sussman
Richard Thorington,
Ph.D. |
 |
Callosciurus prevostii is an arboreal squirrel found on the Sunda shelf in South East Asia. The species is composed of 21 subspecies, which vary widely in peltage and size. (Walker's Mammals of the World, 1997). This variation and the complex paleogeographic history of the Sunda shelf put the current taxonomic classification of C. prevostii into question. This study investigated cranial morphological variation among eight C. prevostii subspecies to determine whether sufficient differences exist to justify taxonomic reclassification. After taking 33 cranial measurements on each skull, several multivariate analyses were performed. It was found that the skulls of the different subspecies are indeed distinguishable, even when controlled for size; a Jackknifed Classification Matrix was able to correctly identify an average of 63% of the subspecies based on their cranial measurements, with the identification rate ranging from 40% to 80% in each subspecies. In particular, squirrels on some of the smaller islands of the South China Sea were found to be quite distinct from other subspecies, and strong differentiation was also found among some of the subspecies on the island of Borneo. The results from this study and the history of the islands' geographic isolation indicate that the squirrels are in the process of allopatric speciation; further genetic testing will be required to assess whether or not a new taxonomic classification is in order. Some preliminary genetic analysis on two of the C. prevostii subspecies has indicated a 4.2% divergence rate in cytochrome b, placing the date for separation of the two species at 0.46 to 2.1 million years ago (Leonard, pers. comm.). This study thus has interesting ramifications in regard to the paleogeography of the Sunda shelf; although the islands were connected by land bridges until as recently as 9,500 years ago (Gorog, Sinaga, and Engstrom, 2004), this squirrel diverged long before that, indicating that some other factor must have affected faunal distribution.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
A new Creagrutus (Teleostei: Characiformes) from Colombia and its phylogenetic position within the genus
|
Mauricio Torres
Mejia Richard Vari, Ph.D. |
 |
Creagrutus Günther (1864) has currently 66 recognized species, which are distributed through much of South America and Panamá. The members of the genus are most abundant and diverse in swift currents and piedmont rivers. Even though Creagrutus has been recently revised, increasing dramatically the number of its recognized species, it is striking that the intrageneric diversity continues to rise as consequence of continued collecting in many poorly explored regions of South America. The species described here was captured in a low order river within the Río Magdalena basin, and includes morphometric and meristic data, including vertebral accounts. Some specimens were dissected to observe myological and osteological characters, with the latter examined in specimens cleared and double-stained for bone and cartilage. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of morphometric, meristic, and morphological features. Data gathered was used for a phylogenetic analysis based on data sets previously published. The phylogenetic position of the new species within the genus and various aspects of its ecology and behavior are discussed.
This research was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives
Fund..
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
________________________________________________________
The microvertebrates of Quarry Nine of the Morrison Formation; what environment were they living in?
|
Jorge Velez
Matthew Carrano, Ph.D. |
 |
Although the formation holds one of the richest dinosaur-bearing deposits in the world, the paleoecology of the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation (Wyoming) is poorly understood. For this study fossils collected from a quarry of the Morrison formation, called Quarry Nine, were studied. This research focused on a detailed investigation of specimens collected at the site so as to better understand this ancient ecosystem and highlight the importance of microvertebrate fossils in reconstructing the paleoecology of a formation. To understand the paleocology of a site, it is important to develop a detailed study of the fossils found in the formation. The fossils collected from this quarry yielded the single most important collection of small vertebrates from the Late Jurassic, offering unique insight into the Late Jurassic environment. Fossil flora and fauna of Quarry Nine include mammals, chelonians, fishes, theropods, ornithopods, sauropods, anurans, urodelans, squamates, rhynchocephalians and crocodilians as well as freshwater snails and plants. New additions to the list of fossils vertebrates of Quarry Nine include one chelonian, two fishes, one squamate, one anuran, one pterosaur and one sauropod, two ornithopods and five theropods. The theropods were identified by measuring the fore-aft base length of the teeth and the amount of serrations per millimeter. The occurrence of fossilized remains of frogs and salamanders provide evidence that freshwater lacustrine conditions were prevalent at the site. This is also supported by the abundance of turtle and crocodile remains and by the occurrence of freshwater plant fossils. The results of this research indicates that Quarry Nine was a lacustrine environment formed during seasonal wet and dry extremes, similar to the modern environment in the Gran Chaco plain of central South America.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
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Cathodoluminescence
Analysis of Six Bayon Style Sculptures from Angkor Wat, Cambodia
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Lee Zelewicz Sorena Sorenson, Ph.D. |
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Six samples from Khmer sandstone sculptures dating to the 12th-13th centuries from the collections of the National Museum of Cambodia were studied by cathodoluminescence (CL). Macro- and some microscopic study suggested that these six sculptures from Angkor Wat appear to be carved from the same sandstone. Thin-sections, small samples roughly 1 cm by ½ cm and cut paper thin, were obtained from each sculpture. These thin-sections were observed with CL a technique that images the distribution of trace elements within mineral grains. To use CL, the sample is placed under a vacuum, and an electron beam is directed on the sample. Minerals luminesce in different colors, which makes it possible to differentiate among mineral types. CL images were taken of each sample and compiled into a composite showing the whole sample as imaged with CL. These CL mosaics were modified in Photoshop to create color-maps, showing each mineral subtype in a different color, so they can be identified and categorized to obtain a pixel percentage of each mineral subtype within a sample. The six samples are similar in composition, and thus most likely have a common geological provenance. Quartz and feldspars, which are the predominant mineral components of these sandstones, showed similar luminescence features and class proportions. Other grains in the sandstones were derived from altered rock sources are in present in similar proportions. The results of this study corroborate other types of petrographic analysis of these samples, and further supporting the hypothesis that the sandstone of these sculptures came from the same geological unit, and perhaps even the same quarry.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation
Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI-0243512.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
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Discovering Rastafari: A Case Study of Transnationalism
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Andrew Gaudreau Jake Homiak, Ph.D. |
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Rastafari is a social, political, and religious movement which originated in Jamaica in the early 20th century. It is a response to the legacy of slavery and cultural marginalization and the oppression of Blacks under European colonialism. Rastafari is inherently a resistance movement which espouses social equality and justice, as well as an emphasis on repatriation to Ethiopia/Africa. During the last three decades, the Rastafari movement has gained considerable momentum and membership across the African Diaspora and on the African continent. It has become "transnational," transcending barriers such as race, language, nationality, ethnicity, and gender. This globalization has been facilitated by certain key factors: the philosophy of Pan-Africanism, the popularization of reggae music (particularly through the impact of Bob Marley), increased travel by Rastafari elders, the accelerated networking of Rastafari communities throughout the world, and a political climate in the African Diaspora that has supported reparations and repatriation. This project has examined a number of processes of Rastafari globalization in preparation for a forthcoming exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History entitled "Discovering Rastafari." Work has included the transcription of videotape material from fieldwork, as well as the digitization of postcard, photograph, and slide collections which document Rastafari as a transnational movement. By working with these and other materials, it has been concluded that Rastafari has essentially been transnational since its inception (born out of specific global occurrences and ideologies) and that basic symbolic ambiguities in core Rastafari themes serve to facilitate the ongoing globalization of the movement. These ambiguities (such as whether Rastafari is an exclusively Black heritage or a universal faith for all) invite communicants to resolve basic existential and historical problems. Note that Rastafari has no formal positions of authority or doctrinal precepts. Rather, the structure of the movement encourages individuals to achieve personal meaning and value within a broad ideological framework. Although differences may occur between various Rastafari sects and localities, the common experience of African displacement has nonetheless united individuals who seek spiritual and/or physical repatriation within a single, strengthening movement.
This research was supported by a grant from the University of Notre Dame
NMNH Internship Program in Anthropology.
Smithsonian
Institution - National Museum of Natural History
Research Training Program
2004
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NMNH or Bust — Museum Sculptures of Native Americans
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Kathryn Musica
William Billeck, Ph.D. |
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The Anthropology Department at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History houses approximately 200 busts of individuals. The busts are plaster casts that display the facial features, hair, and shoulders of individuals and were primarily made from the 1870's to the 1930's. Face molds, head measurements, and photographs taken of several hundred living individuals from throughout the world were used by sculptors to create the busts. Research was conducted to ascertain all possible background information on the Native American busts, and more specifically on the Cheyenne, Blackfoot, Crow, and Osage Tribes. The original accession data, catalogue cards, ledgers, personal correspondence, and Smithsonian publications such as the Annual Report and the Proceedings of the US National Museum were searched for information on the field collection or museum manufacturing of the face positives and busts. Several of the Cheyenne subjects produced ledger artwork while imprisoned at Fort Marion in the late 1870s, and a publication on their artwork provides information on the bust subjects. The busts and face positives were examined for markings or details, such as name and tribe, to verify the museum records. Photos taken of the individuals at the time the facemasks were made were used to link the busts, molds, casts, names, and pictures together for a complete integrated record of as many individuals as possible. Digital photographs were taken to share the images of the bust with the descendants of the subjects and tribal representatives and for use on a future website.
This research was supported by a grant from the University of Notre Dame
NMNH Internship Program in Anthropology.
PERSONAL SUMMARIES FROM OUR SUMMER
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Joaquin Aldabe My main interest in research biology is systematics and specifically of birds. I feel a deep passion for ornithology. The project that I carried out with my advisors Dr. STORRS OLSON and CARLA DOVE consisted in identify the morphological adaptations of a terrestrial bird species that occurs in Uruguay and it is different to the rest of its family that is arboreal. Storrs proposed me this project after his visits to Uruguay where he realized the particularity of this bird. Fortunately I identified several morphological adaptations in this species. But it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of several people at the Smithsonian Institution. CHRIS MILENSKY constantly collaborated in providing specimen and tools to carry out this research. Msc. MARCY HEACKER was constantly helping me during the whole program, specially in the statistical anaysis. DR. HELEN JAMES helped me with the data analysis as well as with other question that I had. REBBECA SHNEIDER helped me to quantify and compare the claw curvature of the group of birds we studied. SCOTT WHITTIKER collaborated in this research by taking photos and in the electronic microscope studies. PAUL SWEET from the American Museum Natural History helped me with in providing specimen collections at that museum.The results of this research may be useful in interpreting the habits of extinct species for which nothing is known about behavior, such as some of the Hawaiian Drepanidini, a study that Helen James and Storrs Olson are carrying out. Other things I did during the summer: 1. American Ornithologist Union Meeting. (16 August to 22 August 2004). Will attend meeting and present a poster. 2. Behind the scenes
tour for visiting interns. Hosted the bird section of the tour and presented
a demonstration on my RTP project. 3. Visited the American Museum of Natural History to examine specimens and tour the exhibits. (12 July to 15 July 2004). What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: Attend graduate school to get my Ph. D degree. |
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Tony Alvarez I worked with SCOTT WING as my primary advisor. JENNIFER YOUNG was also a great help to me, and always had an answer for every question that I would ask. Between the two of them I was able to put together a Geographic Information System (GIS) that means amazing things for the work in Wyoming in the future. I was able to find detailed and complex orthographic photos which showed so much detail that people were able to identify anthills from the air. Pieces of my project were passed among scientists right there in the field and I have already gotten requests to send the document in full to others. While I was in the field I was able to see how science is implemented. We were met by over 30 different scientist that were from more then five other organizations and work with them for various periods of time, including DANIELLE ROYER (RTP Class of '03). I learned how many types of geological samples are taken including isotope samples, dating samples, and vertebrate and plant fossils. I learned about how much information can be discovered from what basically amount to trace samples. I learned how logistically you run a large camp, and later how to run a small one. The lectures and collections tours of the NMNH taught me what it was I wanted to learn most. I was curious how different collections were stored and cared for. How collections and exhibits are stored and organized. What types of jobs people with different job titles are responsible for, and even had a chance to watch candidates present their work in hopes of getting a position at the museum. It was an extraordinary learning experience for me and demystified much of the inner workings of government museums. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Cody Museum of Natural History (9 July 2004). While I was in Wyoming I took one of my days off to visit their Natural History Museum. The Buffalo Bill Cody Museum also has a plains Indians section which I saw as well 2. Yellowstone National Forest. (8 July 2004) I took the previous day that weekend to see the natural wonders of the US’s first National Park. We visited all of the big sites (including Ol’ Faithful, Upper Geysers Flats and Yellow Stone Lake) along with some other (Mud Pots, other assorted geysers, outcrops of geological formations) 3. Big Horn National Forest (25 June 2004). Traveled down Highway 14/16 that travels through dozens of different geological formations and time periods culminating in an alpine hike where Francesca Smith from Penn State University identified various plants and birds. 4. Additional Anthropology Collections Tour. The weekend I returned from the field I asked the collections manager for an additional tour of the Anthropology section of the Museum Support Center. 5. Additional Department of Fishes Tour (23 July 2004). With the permission of his advisor, Mauricio Torres, a fellow RTP student, gave me a tour of the fresh water fish collections that he and his advisor are working on. 6. Trip to the National Zoo (19 June 2004). Went and saw the creatures, and in some cases plants, that I and my fellow students were working on as part of the RTP. 7. Botanical Lecture (July 2004) I was able to watch a botanical lecture given by a candidate in the hopes of being hired by the museum 8. Anthropology Department Meeting (June 2004) The Anthropology Department was considering buying a device that could tell you the chemical composition of metals after a simple measurement of waves that it gives off. It was an amazing demonstration and a good chance to meet the rest of the Repationriation/Anthropology scientists and see how they decided to buy equiptment. What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: I am going to finish my B.A. in anthropology and religions studies at the University of California Santa Barbara. During the summer I am going to apply to graduate schools and plan on beginning next fall. Graduate school will be a long commitment, but afterwards I hope to have a post doctoral appointment. |
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Neil Aschliman Although my ichthyological
research has in the past focused on cartilaginous fishes such as sharks,
skates, and rays, at the NMNH I had an opportunity to study bony fishes.
I was introduced to an exciting problem in the classification of an order
of fishes comprising the needlefishes, sauries, halfbeaks, and flyingfishes
at the annual meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
in May 2004. My research advisor (Dr. BRUCE COLLETTE) and others suggested
that a morphological analysis of the sauries could clarify the systematics
of this order. Using characters from the Ph.D. dissertation of Dr. IAN
TIBBETTS of the University of Queensland, who is second author of the
manuscript I later produced, I examined bone and muscle elements of the
pharynx of the two genera of sauries. Dr. VICTOR SPRINGER and Dr. G. DAVID
JOHNSON, who produced a monograph describing this region in all families
of ray-finned fishes, helped to clarify problems I encountered and generously
provided literature resources, materials, and working space. Dr. LYNN
PARENTI assisted with clearing and staining protocols of sauries and related
species suggested for examination by Dr. Collette. SCOTT WHITTAKER patiently
instructed me in scanning electron microscopy and helped to prepare my
samples. Dr. THOMAS ORRELL later helped perform the phylogenetic analysis
using the computer program PAUP*. SANDRA RAREDON assisted in photographing
specimens, and KEIKO MOORE provided advice and materials for producing
line drawings. Several individuals including Drs. Tibbetts, Springer,
and CAROLE BALDWIN revised the manuscript in preparation for submittal
to "Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington." The
results of the analysis support a recent hypothesis advanced by molecular
data and may have identified a new diagnostic character for the sauries.
The data produced will likely assist Drs. Collette and Tibbetts in future
research on this order of fishes. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Lecture: Coelacanths (June 2004). Attended a lecture on the Indonesian coelacanth Latimeria menadoensis. 2. Biological Society of Washington (15 June 2004). Attended the annual meeting of the Biological Society of Washington. 3. Lecture: Shedding Light on Speciation and Bioluminescense in Cypridinid Ostracodes (27 July 2004). Attended a lecture by Dr. Elizabeth Torres, California State University. 4. Independent Ichthyology Research. Surveyed the elasmobranch collection at the Museum Support Center for potential specimens of rays and skates to use in research at home institution. 5. Lecture: Forensic
Ornithology (29 July 2004). Attended a lecture by Dr. Carla Dove, NMNH. What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: Before graduating from Texas A&M University in Spring 2005, I will conduct research on otic placode development in the zebra fish (Danio rerio) with Dr. Bruce Riley and continue research on the systematics of rajid fishes with Dr. John McEachran. I plan on applying to Ph.D. programs in either ichthyology or developmental biology to begin the subsequent semester. Work: Continued research (please see above), scientific illustration for Dr John McEachran and others. Other: I plan to travel extensively after graduation, meeting colleagues and visiting institutions and aquaria in Japan and Australia. |
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Arden Ashley My RTP project focused on the study of some sand dollars that appear to be hybrids between two different genera, Mellita and Encope. The idea for this project was proposed by my advisor, Dr. DAVID PAWSON, who has recently been working with resolving the debate regarding the number of species in Mellita. I conducted the morphological portion of this study by measuring various characteristics of the sand dollars and then comparing the results. I also used the information from the fertilization experiments already conducted by Dr. Pawson. I found that the characteristics of the proposed hybrids often were intermediate between those of the parent stocks. I also found that the number of genital pores (which are taxonomically relevant in Encope and Mellita) varied amongst the hybrids, indicating that it is unlikely that these individuals represent an undescribed genus and species. DORIS VANCE, Dr. Pawson's assistant, taught me several of the laboratory techniques. This project involved SEM analysis of the spines with assistance from SCOTT WHITTAKER of the NMNH SEM laboratory. Measurements of the Aristotle's lantern were made by using x-ray photographs were taken with the guidance of SANDRA RAREDON at the NMNH x-ray laboratory. We are hoping to publish the results of this study in the Bulletin of Marine Science in the Autumn of 2005. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Systematics Discussion Group (Throughout the Summer). Attended several meetings to discuss a current issue in systematics. 2. Smithsonian Folklife Festival (June 23-July 4 2004). Attended the several cultural events during the festival on the National Mall. 3. Services and Scientists Lunch -- Tim McCoy (July 1). Attended a lunch presentation about meteorite research. 4. Services and Scientists Lunch -- Douglas Owsley (July 8). Attended a lunch presentation about forensic anthropology 5. Intern Open House (July 9). Served as host of the Invertebrate Zoology portion of the open house for interns inside and outside of NMNH. What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: I will be studying abroad in Ireland (University College Cork, Cork City, Ireland) for the Fall 2004 semester shortly after the end of the program. I will be participating in a special program on Irish Ecosystems and I intend to take courses in natural history areas such as Coastal Ecology, Invertebrate Zoology and Paleontology. Work: I intend to work at my on-campus job at the Information Desk when I return to Macalester in the winter. Other: I hope to continue my research with the hybrid sand dollars. I am also planning to volunteer at a new Montessori high school (grades 7-12) which will be opening in St. Paul, MN this year. |
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Megan Brown I have known geology
was going to be my career since I was a small child. Receiving this internship
allowed me to learn the process for conducting research. Coming out of
my freshman year in college I had no experience in research geology or
in the field my advisor Dr. TIMOTHY McCOY conducted research in, meteoritics.
Dr. McCoy suggested my project of studying meteoritic analogs of an asteroid,
433 Eros, to try to determine the cause of sulfur depletion detected by
the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Mission. We looked at the two theories
associated with the depletion. To determine if the depletion was caused
by partial melting, I looked at three meteorites of varying percentages
of partial melting. I focused my research on the effects of partial melting
on the element Cr present in the mineral chromite. I found that there
was a trend associated with the Cr. If a ratio between Mn/Cr was found
that was non-chondritic, partial melting had occurred. With the help of
LISA COLLINS, a recent graduate of University of Maryland, CARI CORRIGAN,
a postdoc, and RHIANNON MAYNE, a PhD student at University of Tennessee,
I took x-ray maps of the meteorites Lodran and Acapulco on the Scanning
Electron Microscope. With these maps, I put together mineral maps of the
meteorites from which I could calculate the percentage of chromite present
in each meteorite. I found the more partially melted meteorite to have
less chromite. I also took x-ray maps of a grain in EET 84302 to see the
interaction between chromite and Fe,Ni metal. This can be used in the
future, once Cr and Mn data is available from the NEAR Mission, to help
determine if partial melting occurred on 433 Eros. To test the second
theory for the sulfur depletion, that micrometeorite impacts caused sulfur
volatilization, I looked at the ordinary chondrite regolith breccia Dwaleni.
Using digital imaging software and microscope, I took pictures of Dwaleni
in reflected and transmitted light. All the images were put together using
Photoshop to create a full image of the meteorite sample. Using these
pictures, I was able to find grains of troilite, the host of the sulfur,
to study. With the help of my advisor, I looked at different grains of
troilite in Dwaleni on the Electron Microprobe for evidence of impact
volatilization. I then took an x-ray map of the sample to determine the
overall amount of sulfur present. We found a grain of unusual texture
and decided to look at it closer. The SEM was used to take an x-ray map
of the grain. We then went to the Carnegie Institution of Washington and
LARRY NITTLER Nittler helped us use the Field Emission Gun SEM to study
this grain closer. We found that the texture was actually tiny silicate
inclusions in the troilite grain. With this finding, we analyzed this
grain using the Time of Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer and the
help of DETLEF ROST. This gave us a close look at all the elements present
in the grain. We found that the grain is probably an agglutinate indicating
Dwaleni underwent micrometeoritic impact. Other things I did during the summer: 1. “The Search for Evidence of Life on Mars” Daniel Glavin. (3 June 2004) Presentation on astrobiology given by Daniel Glavin from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. 2. Tour of Mineral Science Department for the RTP Open House. Helped organize the tour for interns from Philadelphia and the NMNH in the Mineral Sciences department. 3. Services & Scientists Lunch Discussion: Timothy McCoy (1 July 2004). Attended the talk on meteorites and other planetary geology research given by Timothy McCoy. 4. "Environmental Mineralogy of Apatite: Fundamental mechanisms of metal sequestration, and applications in radionuclide waste disposal and contaminant remediation." John Rakovan (Miami U. of Ohio). (26 July 2004). Mineralogist interview presentation. 5. "Phosphate Oxygen Isotopes, Marine Biogeochemistry, and the Detection of Ancient and Extraterrestrial Nutrient Cycling". Albert Colman (Carnegie Institution of Washington). (27 July 2004). Mineralogist interview presentation. 6. "Bacteria-Formed Minerals: From Earth to Mars" Hexiong Yang (Florida International University). (28 July 2004). Mineralogist interview presentation. 7. Geological Society of America Annual Meeting (6 November 2004 - 10 November 2004). Will present my poster on the research done at the Smithsonian Institution during the RTP Program. Will attend several of the lectures and social events. What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: I will be a sophomore at Arizona State University. I will be taking my mineralogy and structural geology classes, as well as continuing my general requirements. Other: I will be volunteering at the ASU Geology Museum for a second year. I will help with cataloging minerals and with displays. I also will be working in a research group conducting research in the structural geology realm. I will also attend the GSA Annual Meeting in Denver, CO in November and present my poster on the research conducted this summer. |
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Jonathan Chen My initial project assignment was to photograph all the fungus-growing ant species occurring in the countries of Panama, Costa Rica, and Colombia to create a visual guide supplementing a taxonomic key. However, I wanted a more engaging and intellectually stimulating project. Through discussing some ideas with my advisor, DR TED SCHULTZ, and familiarizing myself with the subject we thought that creating a phylogeny of the genus Cyphomyrmex would cover all the basises I was looking for. FARIDAH DAHLAN, EUGENIA OKONSKI, and JEFFRY SOSA were all part of my advisors lab and although I didn't need it, they assisted me thoughout the internship. The outcome of my project was a phylogenetic tree that contradicted what we had expected. My results are not conclusive, but the product of the research encourages further studies to confirm or disprove my findings. Other things I did during the summer: none What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: Be accepted into a travel abroad program |
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Lynn Copes This summer, I investigated the relationship between hominin fossils, archaeological material, paleoenvironmental evidence, and stratigraphy in the Turkana and Olduvai Basins. These East African sites (this study focused on Shungura, Koobi Fora, and Nachukui at Turkana, and Beds I and II at Olduvai) have each been excavated for signs of hominin presence (fossilized bone and archaeological material) and any evidence to help reconstruct the paleolandscape. There are many ways to determine ancient environments, this study focused on three. The percentage of alcelaphines (grazers like wildebeests) to total bovids in an archaeozoological assemblage is an indication of the area's climate: a high ratio means a dryer, more savanna-like climate. Fossilized pollen and wood are direct indications of the flora of the time. Stable isotopes of both carbon and oxygen are present in rocks in different ratios, which give clues to both the global temperature and the local flora. All of these indicators are found at precise geological layers in archaeological excavations. When found in direct association, or at the same stratigraphic position, as hominin activity markers, they can provide a very accurate picture of the environment in which our ancestors lived and our species evolved. If they are not found at precisely the same layer as the hominin material, however, they should not be used to determine a specific fossil hominin's environment, as the climate and landscape of areas can change quickly (even instantly in cases like volcanic eruptions), recorded in the geology in very small layers. If the paleoenvironmental evidence is either vaguely published (within members or sub-members, but not to any microstratigraphic level) or not exactly matched with the hominins whose environment it is used to determine, it is an inaccurate method. I found that no more than 50% of hominins at any of the four sites (and as few as 7% at one) had precise matches with any type of paleoenvironmental data. This indicates that future studies should be designed to collect environmental indicators from stratigraphies containing hominins in order to better understand past climates and landscapes, and thereby increase our knowledge of the world in which our ancestors evolved. Both my advisor, DR. RICK POTTS, his assistant JENNIFER CLARK and DR. RENE BOBE, from the paleobiology department provided essential guidance in the completion of my project. Other things I did during the summer: I spent 4 weeks (June 25-July 27 2004) at Rick Potts' field site, Olorgesailie, Kenya. While there, I 1.) Learned to excavate, working mainly at Site 15, an ancient elephant, bovid and zebra butchery site. 2.) Gave tours of the Olorgesailie Site Museum to the Kenya Prehistory Club during their visit, explaining the catwalk site and the Leakey's first discoveries of the Olorgesailie handaxes in 1942. 3.) Learned from DR. BERNIE OWEN about diatoms, Jennifer Clark about microfauna, Drs. JOHN YELLEN and ALISON BROOKS about Middle Stone Age technology, and Dr. KAY BEHRENSMEYER about geology. 4.) Received much needed and appreciated advice about finding, visiting and applying for graduate school, especially in the field of paleoanthropology. 5.) Took a day trip to the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi to use their library. There I met MEAVE LEAKEY, many permanent and visiting researchers, and learned the challenges of running a museum with only one photocopier. What are your plans for the upcoming year? School/Research: I plan to return to Columbia University in New York City to complete my senior year where I am a Biological Anthropology major. This summer I learned the importance of statistics to any career in science, so I'm planning to take several classes to increase my statistical literacy as well as concentrate on finishing my anthropology courses. Rather than write a senior thesis, I am planning to get four or five projects I have been working on ready for publication, including a study of the geographical distribution of frontal grooves and a chapter on cranial morphology in a monograph on the Inuit population from Point Hope, Alaska. Most of this work was done at the American Museum of Natural History, where I volunteer as a research assistant one day a week. I plan to present my research from this summer at one of several professional anthropology conferences in the spring of 2005. Work: I hope to continue my participation at Community Impact, Columbia's largest community service organization. There I serve as a student executive (treasurer), teach in an after-school literacy program at a local elementary school, and teach a weekly GED class in math or science. My work study job this year will be in the physical anthropology lab. Other: This fall I will be applying for several fellowships to attend grad school, as well as participating in the ritual of applying to grad school itself (taking the GRE: urgh!). |
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Amie Garcia Before coming to the Smithsonian, mineralogy was a subject that I was seriously considering to pursue in my future. My advisor (Dr. MICHAEL WISE) has made mineralogy even more exciting by teaching me some of the techniques and by helping me to think critically about it. One of the first things that I learned when I got here was how to use the CL (cathodoluminescence). CATHE BROWN showed me how to use it and what helped me to understand what kinds of things I was looking for when using CL. Using CL, I identified that there were different shades of blue were luminescing. With the help of AMELIA LOGAN and my advisor, we did further analysis with the electron microscope and the SEM. My advisor and I analyzed the results and came up with some conclusions. This research will hopefully be continued when I return to school with the help of my advisor at the Smithsonian and possibly my professors at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. My results from this project will be presented at the Geological Society of America’s Annual Conference in Denver, CO in November. I hope to either continue this project of an extension of it for my senior research as well. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Services and Scientists Lunch Discussion with Tim McCoy (1 July 2004). A lunch discussion on meteorites, how scientists find them, and what research is being conducted on them. 2. Behind-the-scenes tour of the NMNH for Academy of Natural Sciences REU interns. (9 July 2004) Hosted the mineral sciences section of the tour. 3. John Rakovan (26 July 2004). "Environmental Mineralogy of Apatite: Fundamental mechanisms of metal sequestration, and applications in radionuclide waste disposal and contaminant remediation." Miami University of Ohio 4. Dr. Albert Colman. (27 July 2004) “Phosphate Oxygen Isotopes, Marine Biogeochemistry, and the Detection of Ancient and Extraterrestrial Nutrient Cycling” Carnegie Institution of Washington What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: I will be continuing at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. In my Junior year, I will be focusing a lot more on geology and geology related subject. I will be taking an average credit load of 16 credits each semester. This coming spring, I will be going on a geology field trip to another country to fulfill a geology credit, and next summer doing field camp. Work: I have a part-time job outside of school that I will be continuing with. At my job, I work about 15-20 hours a week. Other: I hope to continue with the research that I started this summer at the Smithsonian. |
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Xaier Haro Studying scientifically Neotropical plants have been passion since my freshman year of college. In the RTP I have been given the opportunity to treat a group of plants from my country, Ecuador. I have explore the fields of taxonomy, learned how a taxonomic treatment is done, and how the species are sorted in taxonomic keys. I proposed to work with plants related to my country, and with the agreement of my advisor, HAROLD ROBINSON, we started a project doing a taxonomic key of a group of Vernonieae from Ecuador. This project allowed me also to learn new techniques such as the SEM in order to find diagnostic characters to key out my specimens. With the assistance of SCOTT WHITTAKER I made SEM samples of the leaves and stems of all my species., and with the assistance, and help of my advisor, Harold Robinson, and his technician, MARJORIE KNOWLES, I founded different characters useful to sort the specimens in a key like the pubescence, type of hairs, form and characteristics of the leaf blade, etc. In the process of sorting and keying out my specimens, I found a new record for my country, two species that apparently were cited from Ecuador but do not occur there, and four new species. Critoniopsis, the genus in which I worked has been poor treated, and that is why we decided to work with it, so that we can make an important contribution in further studies of the flora of Ecuador. I never expected my project to become so big, finding new species, withdrawing species from the Ecuadorian list, and recording new species for the country. I could make the key I was expected to do. As a result of this project, a nine level key for the species of Critoniopsis from Ecuador is presented, and the number of Critoniopsis is expanded to twenty. Unfortunately, I have not been able to make the description of the new species, so that a complete work within this genus could have been done. My project leaves new work to be done, and completed. The new species must be named, some types collections must be reviewed, and a deeply herbaria analysis must be done to confirm the status of the withdrawn species. I hope to finish this project in further studies, so that I can publish my work in a scientific journal. I am very satisfied with what I have done, and will put all my effort, keeping in touch with my advisor, and hopefully coming back for a short period of time to finish the remain work. The RTP have been a bridge to new opportunities, and this project, when publish, will be one more step in my carrier in Science. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Behind the scenes tour of the US National Herbarium (Friday, 4 June, 2004) Host the Botany collection tour. 2. Optional Botany workshop. Plant Anatomy Laboratory, Plant processing, mounting & preserving, and Botanical Scientific Illustration (Friday, 4 June, 2004) Host the botany optional. 3. NMNH Open House. (Friday, 9 July, 2004) Host the Botany collection tour to the US National Herbarium. 4. Lunch optional meeting (summer, 2004). Assistance to the lunch discussions. 5. Independent Epiphyte Diversity Measurement Research. Conducted an independently library research in Epiphytic Flora Identification, and diversity measurement. What are your plans for the upcoming year? Work: Working with the GTZ from Ecuador, with whom the field work of my thesis will be done, and a publication will be done. Other: Taking GRE, and TOEFL preparation exams and courses. |
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James Morgan Although my major is plant science-biotechnology, I greatly enjoyed working with mammals, specifically shrews. My expectations for the Research Training Program was to better understand the physiological and phylogenetic factors governing shrews, but I learned much more during my stay. My research involved investigating morphological variation in the bones of the forefeet in and among species of small-eared shrews of the genus Cryptotis. This project was a continuation of a project started by my advisor (Dr. NEAL WOODMAN) in 1999. He showed that some species of small-eared shrews have variation in the forefeet, but was unclear about how much variation there actually was within the species. My task was to digitally x-ray the forefoot of dried skins from eight species of Cryptotis and then measure the bones of the forefeet to determine the length and width of each bone. Digit III appeared to have more variation than all other digits so I focused my study on it. To x-ray the feet of the specimens, I used the Kevex-Varian Digital X-ray system, (courtesy of SANDRA RAREDON in the Division of Fishes). For scale, I placed a pin that measure 0.52 mm in width, next to each specimen as I was taking x-rays. I used Photoshop computer software to measure the image in pixels and converted to actual length and width in millimeters. I then compared each bone using length and width; and by converting measurements to percentages of head and body length and of total digit length. I determined that intraspecific variation exceeds interspecific variation and that different characteristics distinguish individual species or groups of species. This project is not yet finished because of the immense amount of data we obtained, but I would like to continue working on this project in the future. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Plant Histology (4 June 2004). I observed various techniques including microtomy, mount clearing, critical point drying, etc. I also had an opportunity to perform preparation techniques. 2. Botanical Scientific Illustration (4 June 2004). I learned different methods of botanical illustration and experimented with tools used by professional illustrators to do pen and ink line drawings. 3. Paleobiology - Calvert Cliffs Formation (5 June 2004). I attended a lecture on Calvert Cliffs formation and had an opportunity to collect fossils. 4. 84th Annual Meeting of the Society of Mammalogists (12 June 2004 – 16 June 2004). I went to a meeting of more than 400 global Mammalogists in Arcata, California. I observed more than 90 presentations, interacted with Mammalogists, went to various workshops, social events and toured the local Redwood forested area. 5. The Mineral Sciences Sample Preparation Lab (25 June 1996). Techniques used to cut and alter rock structure were demonstrated and hands-on were available for rock sectioning and polishing. 6. Staff Picnic (29 June 2004). Sampled different cuisines and enjoyed music from various countries such as Haiti, Mid-Atlantic Maritime, and Latin America. 7. Communicating research results through publication (30 June 2004). I learned when, where and how to publish my research results and the key rules to remember when I decide publish. What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: I plan to attend science and engineering conferences where I will present my research to the public, professors, scientists and fellow peers. I will incorporate valuable methods used in collection and preservation, and start a small library of plants and animals of interest of my own. I plan to do collaborative research with my college advisor and with great hope, create work worth publishing. I greatly enjoy the field so I plan to do lots of traveling and further independent study on my summer project. Work: At my college, I am a tutor in mathematics and various areas sciences. I intend to help my peers by incorporating my newfound knowledge from my summer experience into my teaching sessions. This will allow me to retain information I learned during my time of research as well as provide others with a new branch of knowledge. |
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Emily Moran Although my interests within the field of biology are quite broad, most of my training and research up until this summer has been focused on plant ecology. I had long had an interest in systematics, but I had never had a chance to learn much about research in this area, so I was very pleased to be part of the RTP. Initially, the goal of my project was to perform a morphological characterization of the genera of the plant tribe Liabeae (Compositae). However, upon consultation with my project advisor, Dr. VICKI FUNK, we decided to focus on one genus within that tribe, Erato, which had never before been revised. Besides creating descriptions for genus and species, a key, and distribution maps, we planned use morphological characters in a cladistic analysis to determine the phylogenetic relationships among the species of Erato and the most closely related genera. Using information from specimen labels, I used maps and gazetteers to find the approximate latitude and longitude of nearly every specimen of Erato. With the assistance of TOM HOLLOWELL, I used Arc-GIS to produce distribution maps for each of the five species. I designed data sheets using typical characters for descriptions of genera and species of the Liabeae, as well as characters peculiar to Erato. I used these sheets to record measurements for all available herbarium specimens. Florets and involucral bracts were rehydrated and mounted with Hoyer’s mounting solution for closer examination under the dissecting microscope. I then used this information to write a description for each species and for the genus. While I was collecting this data, I noticed that the specimens labeled as Erato vulcanica from Costa Rica differed in several important characteristics from the E. vulcanica from South America, and suspected that they might belong to a different species. My advisor agreed, and we described this population as a new species, Erato sp. nov. E. Moran & V.A. Funk. An illustration of this species was created by ALICE TANGERINI. After all five species had been described, I used the most distinctive features of each species to write a key. At the same time my advisor and I collaborated to identify the most useful characters for cladistic analysis, and used PAUP to construct a cladogram for Erato and the three most closely related genera, Munnozia, Chrysactinium, and Philoglossa. Our findings were incorporated into a manuscript for submission to the journal Systematic Botany, and were also presented during the RTP oral presentations and poster session. We sought the advice of HAROLD ROBINSON on certain aspects of this project, and PEDRO ACEVEDO helped with the translation of the abstract and key into Spanish. This project arose from a continuation of my advisor’s long standing interest in the Liabeae, and the evolution and taxonomy of the Compositae in general. Early in the summer, I also accompanied Dr. Funk and CAROL KELLOFF on a short collecting trip to Nevada to look for Hecastocleis, an unusual monotypic genus of composite. My advisor and I were both eager that I should have the experience of field collection, but Erato was not expected to be in bloom during a convenient period of the internship. Hecastocleis has been found only in a few very specific sites in Nevada and California. I identified the first plant, and we collected samples from several individuals for genetic analysis and for herbarium specimens, as well as taking numerous detailed photographs. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Systematics Discussion Group (June 1, July 27 2004 ) Attended and participated in two of the three discussions held during my stay. 2. Collecting trip, Nevada (June 4-7 2004). In addition to assigned RTP project, accompanied Vicki Funk and Carol Kelloff to collect samples of Hecastocleis, an unusual monotypic genus of Composite. 3. Botany Job Talk (June 10) Attended lecture given by candidate Jun Wen. 4. Behind-the-Scenes tour of Paleobiology (June18) Given by Dave Bohaska. 5. NMNH Intern Open House (July 9) Co-hosted tour of botany with Xavier Haro. 6. Smithsonian Film and Lecture Series (July 16, July 23) Attended lectures “The 17 –Year Cicadas: Last Call!” and “Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab”. What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: This will be my last year at the University of Michigan. I plan on continuing my ongoing research projects on mycorrhizal fungi, and finishing up my honors thesis. Having finished nearly all my required classes, I also will be taking plenty of biology classes in a variety of subdisciplines. I will also be taking the GRE subject exam and applying to graduate schools. |
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Digna Ortiz
Other things I did during the summer What are your plans for the upcoming year? |
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Miguel Pinto When I applied for the RTP, I wanted to work with opossums, rodents or bats. However, I was completely surprised when I read the project proposal that my advisor, ALFRED (AL) GARDNER posted on the web: “A probable hybrid bear?”. I thought, why no to try? This project allowed
me to explore the novel field of Geometric Morphometrics, a bunch of morphometric
tools that allows comparing the shape of organism. I received support
of many people who introduce me to this area and statistical analyses:
ANDREA CARDINI, RALPH CHAPMAN, RICHARD THORINGTON. Otherwise, my advisor
plans to include in this research molecular data. JESÚS MALDONADO
is currently working in this aspect. The addition of molecular information
will be very useful to the appropriate identification of this atypical
specimen. Additionally, I received a lot of help from ROBERT FISCHER,
JEREMY JACOBS and SUZANNE PEURACH. We plan to publish our findings about
morphological variation in brown and black bears, and if the molecular
evidence confirms the hybrid identity of this bear we will publish it.
In addition my advisor is interested in present our results in the next
Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists. I could devote some time to other interesting things. I brought some rodent specimens from Ecuador to identify them. I collected these specimens, and they are very important for my B.Sc. thesis dissertation. I brought two specimens of an unidentified species of rodent bot fly to compare with the specimens of the USNM insect collection, I could confirm my suspects. These specimens belong to an undescribed species. Now, the idea is to describe this new species with the help of NORMAN WOODLEY. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists in Arcata, California. I attended to several talks and I met researchers and I could so some contacts for grad school. Even I run the 5 Km race “Run for Research”. 2. RTP activities. I participate in a wide arrange of activities such as: the open house for interns, several lunch discussions, many behind the scenes tours. 3. Rodent research. I could devote part of my time to identify rodent specimens from Ecuador. This information is valuable for my B.Sc. thesis dissertation. 4. Bot fly research. I could compare some specimens that I brought from Ecuador with identified specimens in the USNM entomological collection. I corroborated my idea: the Ecuadorian specimens are an unnamed species!!! Otherwise, I submitted a paper about Argentinean bot flies to the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. Norman Woodley helped me with both things. 5. I attended to zoology seminars organized by the division of amphibians and reptiles. 6. I extend my RTP session to finish my extra research topics and start new ones with dental diseases of bears, and skull morphological variation. What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: The upcoming year I am going to obtain my B.Sc. degree in biology, and probably I will start my graduate studies. Work: I will continue doing scientific research with emphasis in small mammals from the neotropics. |
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Adrienne Sussman Although I have always been interested in mammals, before entering the Research Training Program, I had very little experience in scientific research and no real expertise within a field. Thus, I had very high goals for the program: I hoped to learn exactly what is involved in research science, especially how to use new equipment and techniques, how to write a research paper and make a poster, and how to make a scientific presentation. My project was proposed by my advisor, Dr. RICHARD THORINGTON, as part of his ongoing studies of the squirrels of South East Asia. This study, like his previous study on Ratufa bicolor, examined cranial morphology and its implications in taxonomy, evolution, and paleogeography. The project involved measuring Callosciurus prevostii skulls from the museum collection. KATHERINE FERRELL helped me in the use of the microscribe for measuring, as well as assisting me throughout my research, especially in making maps, photographing specimens, and using statistical computer programs. I measured more than 200 skulls using the microscribe, and was given assistance in using the collections from JEREMY JACOBS, CRAIG LUDWIG, and ROBERT FISHER. After measuring my specimens, I performed data analysis with Dr. Thorington’s help and some assistance from fellow RTP intern MIGUEL PINTO. For my analysis, I created spreadsheets to calculate distances between three dimensional coordinates, and then performed Canonical Variate Analysis, Principle components analysis, and correlation analysis with my the averages from my data, running each test for four different specimen groupings, both including and controlled for size. I read multiple articles on Callosciurus prevostii and the paleogeographic history of the Sunda shelf, provided by Dr. Thorington, Katherine Ferrell, and myself. I created a poster for the RTP summer program, and I plan on performing further analysis of my data and working with my advisor to submit a paper for publication in Acta Zoologica Sinica journal by next year. I also plan on presenting a poster of my results at the American Society of Mammalogists meeting in 2005. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Systematics Lunch Discussion- “Genetic structure of the purebred domestic dog” (1 June 2004) Discussed an article from Science with staff members from different departments 2. Department of Mineral Sciences Lecture (3 June 2004) Learned about “The search for evidence of life on Mars” from NASA scientist Daniel Glavin 3. Botanical scientific illustration workshop (4 June 2004). Received demonstration of scientific illustration techniques from Alice Tangerini, learned to do ink and line drawings 4. American Society of Mammalogists Annual Meeting (12 June 2004- 16 June 2004). Attended more than 90 lectures, viewed posters, and attended social events. 5. Bird Skinning and Specimen Preparation (21 June 2004) Received a demonstration of how Smithsonian specimens are prepared from Chris Milensky. 6. Tour of forensic ornithology facilities (22 June 2004) Learned about feather identification research with Carla Dove. 7. Mineral Sciences Sample Preparation Lab (25 June 2004) Learned how geological samples are prepared and cut through demonstrations and hands-on activities 8. Staff picnic (29 June 2004)- Attended the folk life festival with other Smithsonian employees 9. Communicating research results through publication (30 June 2004) – Received advice from museum curators on how, when, and where to publish research results 10. Tour of NMNH for REU interns from Natural Academy of Sciences in Philadelphia and Smithsonian interns. (9 July 2004) Hosted the mammals section of the tour. 11. Services and Scientists Lunch Discussion (22 July 2004) Spoke with Neal Woodman about careers in biology and education 12. Systematics lunch discussion- “Early Duplication and Functional Diversification of the Opsin Gene Family in Insects” (27 July 2004) 13. Discussed an article from Molecular Biology and Evolution with staff members from different departments 14. Services and Scientists Lunch Discussion (29 July 2004) Learned more about forensic ornithology with Carla Dove. What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: I will be entering my sophomore year at Simon’s Rock College of Bard, and earning my AA degree by spring 2005. I will also be looking at other schools and planning to transfer to another college or university for the 2005-2006 school year. Other: I hope to help
doing field work and research with several professors in my college, particularly
Robert Schmidt. I will be looking for another REU internship opportunity
for the summer of 2005. |
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Mauricio Torres I captured the samples
of the species of fish described through this project. After my admission
in the RTP, my advisor RICHARD VARI considered the description of this
species an interesting project. To observe some characters of the bones
and cartilages some specimens I cleared and stained with Richard's supervision.
During one month my advisor was out of the city and STANLEY WEITZMAN assisted
as advisor. SANDRA RAREDON taught me to use the x-ray and to take digital
pictures of fishes. T. B. GRISWOLD also taught me his own technique to
photograph fishes. The final product of our summer work is a manuscript
in preparation with the description of the new species, possibly in Copeia.
The poster about this project will be presented in the National Lymnology
Seminar at Colombia. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Extra lectures: Bufo phylogeny, Ostracods bioluminescence evolution and Stenocercus Systematics. 2. Participation in one systematic lunch group discussion and two Fish Division Friday meetings, four Thursday Scientific lunch lectures (Neal Woodman, Rob Faden, Dave Pawson, Tim McCoy). 3. Fish Photography session with T. B. Griswold. 4. Participation in All interns Lunch, chat with NMNH and NMAH directors. 5. Travel to Philadelphia and New York to Museums and to talk with ichthyology researchers. 6. Visit to George Washngton University to John Burns histology laboratory and to Carla Doves laboratory at NMNH to chat about feathers and airplanes. 7. Bird preparation
workshop with Chris Milensky. What are your plans for the upcoming year? |
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Jorge Velez My interest is in
paleontology, especially vertebrate paleontology. I had several goals
for the RTP that included learning more about vertebrate osteology and
paleontology and to experience research in a museum environment. As part
of my research project I was able to examine microvertebrate fossils from
the Morrison Formation that were collected over 100 years ago. My research
advisor, Dr. MATTHEW CARRANO gave me the opportunity of looking at these
fossils in search of clues that helped in the determination of the paleoenvironment
in which these organisms were living. This led not only to the determination
of the importance of microvertebrate fossils in the determination of paleoenvironments,
but also reporting 14 additional organisms to an existing faunal list.
I was able to identify different theropod dinosaurs based on the differences
in their teeth; this was done by measuring the for-aft base length of
the teeth and the amount of serrations per millimeter in the cutting edges
of the teeth. JENNIFER YOUNG, KAREN MORENO, and JASON HEAD provided help
in the identification of some of the specimens and gave helpful recommendations.
Dr. WALTER JOYCE collection manager of fossil vertebrates at the Peabody
Museum of Natural History, provided access to microvertebrates from the
Morrison Formation during my visit to that institution and I also had
the opportunity of identifying some of the microvertebrates from their
collection. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Field work in Wyoming (13 June 2004 - 28 June 2004). Conducted field work, collecting fossil vertebrates in localities from the Sundance Formation, Morrison Formation and Cloverly Formation, in Wyoming. 2. Research at the Peabody museum of Natural History (20 July 2004 – 22 July 2004). Conducted research at the Peabody Museum of Natural History vertebrate paleontology collection. 3. Independent Vertebrate Paleontology Research. Conducted independent library and collection research on reptile osteology, fossil sirenians, fossil sharks, fossil turtles and Quaternary fossils mammals. 4. Graduate school
recommendations. Talked with research advisor Dr. Matthew Carrano, research
fellow Jason Head and Walter Joyce (Peabody Museum) about graduate schools
and research involving fossil reptiles. What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: Take the classes needed to finish my undergraduate degree in Geology. Work: Work at the Geology Museum at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, giving museum tours, and with the maintenance of the fossil exhibits. |
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Lee Zelewicz I am an Anthropology
major, and the RTP project that I spent my summer working on represents
a combination of Anthropology and Mineral Sciences. The focus of my research
was primarily in the field of Mineral Sciences, but the implications of
my finds could be anthropological. I worked with six sandstone thin-sections
that come from six samples from ancient temples in Cambodia, most of which
came from Angkor Wat. The statues date from the 12th - 13th centuries
and were carved during the height of the Angkor kingdom. I started by
digitally imaging all the samples. It took 60-70 images to photograph
one sample. These images were then compiled into a mosaic that showed
a complete image of the sample. I then used these mosaics as maps when
photographing the samples when under Cathodoluminescence (CL). The CL
is a technique that images the distribution of trace elements within mineral
grains. To use CL, the sample is placed under a vacuum, and an electron
beam is directed on the sample. Minerals luminesce in different colors,
which makes it possible to differentiate among mineral types. CL images
were taken of each sample and compiled into a composite showing the whole
sample as imaged with CL. Then I worked with my advisor, SORENA SORENSEN,
to identify the subtypes that were contained on the samples and began
creating inventories of each sample's subtypes. JANET DOUGLAS helped to
focus my work, and I started to measure the largest and smallest example
of each subtype that was present on each sample. These measurements were
used to establish mineral Ranges. I had begun entering my collected information
into Excel worksheets. Each mineral had its own worksheet, except K1703
and K935, which both had 3 worksheets. K1703 and K935 did not contain
one piece of rock in their thin-section slides, and therefore, each fragment
that was studied from each slide was treated as a sub-part and needed
to have its information recorded separately. In the end the information
obtained from three fragments on K1703 was compiled into one worksheet
which held the totals, and the same was done for K935. Next, I began obtaining
information by using Photoshop to create color-maps, showing each mineral
subtype in a different color, so they can be identified and categorized
to obtain a pixel percentage of each mineral subtype within a sample.
These percentages were then used to compare the samples. TIM ROSE also
asked me to select the most important images for his files to document
what work had been done with the CL. Janet Douglas and Sorena Sorensen
are starting preliminary work to present the findings of my project with
a set of other information about Khmer Culture to be presented at the
Freer / Sackler Gallery next summer, 2005. I may be returning to help
with the presentation next summer. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Services and Scientists Lunch Discussion with Tim McCoy (1 July 2004). A lunch discussion on meteorites, how scientists find them, and what research is being conducted on them. 2. Behind-the-scenes
tour of the NMNH for Natural Academy of Sciences REU interns. (9 July
2004) Hosted the mineral sciences section of the tour. What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: I will be returning for my junior year at Lycoming College where I shall be taking classes in both my Sociology/Anthropology and Music majors. I am the Concert Band president and Jazz Ensemble Vice-President this coming year and shall be spending time organizing those ensembles along with performing in them. I will also be part of the choir and brass quintet, and I will audition for a seat in the Tour Choir. I am also interested in joining the local Historical Society to work with the archaeological evidence that has been collected from a local dig, Canfield Island. Work: I will be working as a RA at my college, and I am pursuing a position as an assistant to the Sociology/Anthropology department. I am also a tutor for Anthropology classes, primarily for Introduction to Anthropology and Cultural Anthropology. I will also be playing tuba for the Billtown Brass, which is a funded by the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra. |
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Andrew Gaudreau At the moment, my primary interest in sociocultural anthropology is in the Caribbean, with special emphasis on transnationalism and the Francophone islands. This project (“Discovering Rastafari”: A Case Study of Transnationalism) has further peeked this interest because Jamaica is an Anglophone island (and this allows for comparison), but it is also the origin of Rastafari, which has become transnational due to several key factors. I am pleased to have participated in a project whose goal is to clarify to the public what Rastafari actually is and how it has become a global movement. My work, supervised by Dr. JAKE HOMIAK, involved preparation for a forthcoming exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History entitled “Discovering Rastafari” to be mounted in the next 18 months. I transcribed videotape recordings from Jamaica and Ethiopia, scanned postcard, photograph, and slide collections which visually portray Rastafari as a transnational movement, created inventories, and met with Rastafari Elders in Washington, DC to gain insight into the movement. Through this work, I was able to grasp what constitutes “transnational culture.” I would like to continue this research on transnationalism while studying in Angers, France for the 2004-2005 academic year and hopefully in my graduate studies. Other things I did during the summer: 1. National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Cultural Resource Center (June 17, 2004) – toured the American Indian collections and facility. 2. Natural History Film and Lecture Series (presented in conjunction with the 2004 Folklife Festival) (June 25, 2004) – Desounen, Dialogue with Death (1994, 50 minutes). 3. Senate Collections
and Storage (July 1, 2004) – toured the Senate as well as the ongoing
restorative projects which take place there. 4. The Garber Facility (July 1, 2004) – toured this facility and its collections. 5. National Park Service regional storage repository (July 15, 2004) – toured this facility and its collections. 6. National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) (July 22, 2004) – toured this site while still under construction. What are your plans for the upcoming year? I will be studying
in Angers, France for the 2004-2005 academic year. |
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Kathryn Musica I am interested in all subfields of anthropology, and was eager to learn more about physical anthropology this summer. My advisor, Dr. WILLIAM T. BILLECK created this project because not a lot of information was known about the busts that sit above the Terry Collection in the NMNH Department of Anthropology. The goal of the project was to find out as much background information on the bust-making process, the field researchers, in-house bust-makers, and individuals modeled as possible, using museum archives and any other sources. Since Dr. BILLECK is the Program Manager of the Repatriation Office, it was decided to narrow the project down to only the Native American busts, and more specifically, the Cheyenne, Osage, Blackfoot, and Crow busts, as Dr. BILLECK specializes in Plains Tribes. I did most of the research independently, taking clues from a similar project undertaken by Dr. Newman in 1951, found in the accession records of the museum. Dr. DAVID R. HUNT, Assistant Collections Manager at NMNH and physical anthropology expert, assisted by giving me information about the bust-making process and his insight on the archival data, as well as access to the actual specimens. MARGARET R. DITTEMORE in the Anthropology Library was helpful when I had some questions about Smithsonian Publications, and helped me access books in other Smithsonian Libraries. JANET PASIUK, photographer in the Repatriation Office, photographed the busts for me and we together burned CDs of the images for future use of the Repatriation Office. Janet also assisted in locating some of the objects and lent moral support and insight. SUSAN MCELRATH at the National Anthropological Archives was very helpful in guiding my searches there. This project was more of a background information gathering and compiling and inventory of specimens than new scientific research, but it was a good experience for me into the workings of the museum and the methods of an archival researcher. Information compiled in this project has been used by Native American families wishing to visit the museum to see the busts of their ancestors and learn this small piece of the history of the individual. A website may also be developed to publish this database and background information. Other things I did during the summer: 1. Discussed graduate schools with two NMNH Anthropology staff members, Janet Pasiuk and Sarah Zabriskie, as well as with advisors Bill Billeck and Dave Hunt. Also began senior thesis research by reading literature on archaeology and ceramics. 2. Attended the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall (Nuestra Musica Latina, Haiti, and Mid-Atlantic Waterways). 3. Attended the Services & Scientists Lunch Seminar with Dr. Doug Owsley to discuss physical anthropology (8 July 2004). 4. Attended the seminar on Alfred Metraux, ethnographer, discussing research into his life and a planned future NMNH exhibit on his work in Central and South America (22 July 2004). 5. Attended the lecture Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab and the exhibit opening at NMNH of the same title (23 July 2004). 6. Attended the seminar Plains Artwork Project with the Anthropology Department to learn more about the artwork produced by some of the Native Americans whom I researched for my project (27 July 2004). 7. Attended the Services
& Scientists Lunch Seminar with Dr. Carla Dove to learn about Forensic
Ornithology (29 July 2004). What are your plans for the upcoming year? School: Senior year at University of Notre Dame. Anthropology Senior Thesis on American Southwest ceramics with Dr. Joanne Mack, University of Notre Dame, Snite Museum of Art. Work: Working with Dr. Susan Sheridan at the University of Notre Dame Anthropology Osteology Laboratory. |
RTP
Class of '04
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In
addition to the 11 undergraduate students suported by the National
Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program (REU),
we have 4 unrestricted endowed RTP positions (Jean Lane Endowed
position, Alice Eve Kenington Endowed position, Robert Fri Endowed Position,
and the Smithsonian Women's Committee Endowed position). We received a
grant from the 
This
year marks the 25th group of RTP students to pass through the NMNH halls,
increasing the tally of RTP alumni to 489. With the traditional arrival
on Memorial Day weekend, the RTP Class of '04 wasn't the only attraction
in town. This year, and in particular the few weeks around Memorial Day,
marked the return of circada Brood X - one of three eastern North American
species: Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini, and
Magicicada septendecula. Spawned in 
