Updated:
28 August 2007
The
RTP Class of '07, their advisors, the selecting
panel, plus NMNH Acting Director, Dr. Paul
Risser and ADRC Hans Sues, gathered in the
ARC for an opening reception.
Planning
the Summer
The
m&m baskets were filled with the '07
feature, "Ogre-sized, Shrek the Third"
special edition m&m's including plain,
peanut and the ever popular peanutbutter!
Apartment
Check-in
27
May 07
Emma
Harrower, Laura Lagomarsino, and Lynn
Copes
Apartment
check-in to the Francis Scott Key Dorm,
George Washington University - no problem?
Not exactly. Wrong keys, heavy luggage
without wheels and a little rain created
only minimal challenges for student's
first few moment as official RTP interns.
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RTP
Arrival & Registration
28
May 07
All
smiles! Forms completed, e-mail accounts
established, computer security training
done, safety training over, office found
. . m&m basket almost empty, we're
here and the 2007 session of the RTP has
officially begun!
RTP
'07 began as all other have before with
a gathering on Memorial Day Monday. This
session students arrived at the Constitution
Avenue Lobby, were issued paper one-day
badges and then escorted to the ARC. An
extensive review of the summer events
was interrupted by breaks to visit and
tour around the building to locate offices
plus a special sneek peek into the Mineral
Sciences collection, led by Tim McCoy.
As
part of the "get to know each other"
session students were asked to introduce
themselves and name something not already
included in the RTP schedule of events
or other planned activities but an aspect
of the Museum which they hoped to learn
more about, see, or do during their
summer with us. The list:
- "What
the Bones Tell" demonstration
- Field
trip to Calvert Cliffs
- Tour
of the Laboratories of Analytical
Biology
- Discussion
on te Encylopedia of Life project
- Mummy
Vault Tour
- Visit
to the dermistid colony - "Bug
Room"
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See
More! Registration Photo Gallery
RTP
Group Photo
29
May 07
RTP
Class Photo
(From
Left Front Row): Andrew Furness, Ben Linzmeier,
Kris, Rhodes, Santiago Herrera, Satrio
Wicaksono (From Left Middle Row): Rebecca
Fischer, Addison Kemp, Amy Marquardt,
Suzanne Pilaar, Laura Lagomarsino (From
Left Back Row): Emma Harrower, Elis Marina
Silva, Laura Florez, Cecily Marroquin
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See
More! Group Photo Event Photo Gallery
RTP
First Day
The
ARC has traditionally provided a comfortable
retreat to read, relax and congregate,
as Ben Linzmeier quickly learned.
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Map
Pinning
30
May 2007
Satrio
Wicaksono and Elis Marina Silva put their
countries on the map (so to speak). The
Pacific Ocean may separate their home
countries, Indonesia and Brazil, but for
the summer the two students are separated
by only a few floors.
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Ruth
Schallert Retirement Celebration
31
May 2007
RTP
Botany interns Emma Harrower and Laura
Lagomarsino joined the retirement celebration
in the Herbarium for Botany Librarian
extraordinaire Ruth Schallert, whose career
has spanned over forty years, and over
500 RTP interns! In the early years, long
before the ARC, RTP meetings took place
in the Botany library with Mrs. Schallert
always available to lend a helping hand.
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Anthropology
Day
1
June 2007
Anthropology
Lecture
1
June 2007
Science
isn't always about repeating what you
learned in the text books from commonly
held teachings. Rather, good science is
more what you see in the evidence presented
to you.
RTP
lectures do not "teach" students
about a particular topic but instead provide
a forum for Smithsonian scientists to
share their research investigations and
provide insight into interesting topics
within a specific discipline.
For
years Dennis Stanford followed the text
book theories of a Berring Sea migration
into the New World and spent most of his
career searching for evidence of the first
Americans in the arctic regions, often
living with the natives. Then, a discovery
along the Eastern coast of the US, and
subsequent comparisons to artifacts left
by the Eastern European Solutrian culture
left him wondering. Do you see the similarities
between the Solutrean (European) and Clovis
(North American) artifacts? Is it possible
that the text books were wrong? Is it
possible some of the first Americans came
into the New World through a variety of
routes, including an Atlantic migration?
What have the new artifacts uncovered
in the past few years reveiled? In his
lecture Dennis presents new discovereies,
including some uncovered only a week ago
during his visit to a Maryland field site.
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See
& Read More! Anthropology Lecture Event Photo
Gallery
Stone
Tools Collection Tour
1
June 2007
Locked
away in cabinets in Dennis Stanford's
laboratory on the Third Floor in the main
part of the building, not far from the
overlook to the rotunda elephant can be
found the stone tool collection, totaling
approximately 10,000 objects. The collection
is the finest of its kind in the world
and includes actual specimens as well
as casts made from an epoxy resin designed
and painted to precisely mimic the original.
The
collection includes Paleoindian stone
tools (those roughly older than 10,000
years), mainly from North America, used
by ice age hunters. The tools include
drills, scrapers, gravers, projectile
points and atlatl from the Clovis and
Folsom Period. A common misconception,
the collection does not include any "arrowhead"
points - these date to only about 2,000
years old.
The
Drake Cache, a purposefully buried bundle
of Clovis points discovered in Colorado
by Orvel Drake in 1978, is one of the
highlights of the Stone Tools Collection.
The exquisite craftsmanship of the artisan,
special material (including chert from
Texas), and intentional burial, make the
Drake Cache as much of a treasure today
as it would have been 14,000 years ago.
With a recent acqusition we now have all
but one of the original 13 Clovis Points
found as part of the Drake Cache.
|
See
More! Stone Tool Tour Event Photo Gallery
Ethnology
& Archaeology Collections Tour
1
June 2007
An
opportunity to actually touch specimens!
No, these students aren't begging for
money! RTP Interns Cecily Marroquin, Suzanne
Pilaar, Amy Marquardt and Santiago Herrera
learn that oils from their skin can be
transferred to specimens and that these
oils can then attract insect pest that
damage the specimens. While gloves are
recommended to handle specimens. to feel
the texture of specimens, Collection Manager
Deb Hull Walski explains, it's best to
use the back of the hand where less oil
and contaminants are generally found and
therefore less transferred to the specimen.
While
at one time, not all that long ago, the
Museum's specimen were mainly housed at
the Natural History Building, today many
of the specimens have moved out to the
Museum Support Center in Suitland, Maryland
including most of the ethnological and
archaeological specimens from the anthropology
collection.
|
See
More! Ethnology & Archaeology Tour Event Photo
Gallery
Greenhouse
Tour
1
June 2007
The
Department of Botany includes some 4.7
million specimens. The majority of these
are preserved as museum study specimens
but the Department also maintains a research
greenhouse on the MSC grounds for the
study of living specimens. The Botany
research greenhouses are not your typical
greenhouses where the plants are cultured
for their showy beauty. Here the research
greenhouses mainly serve as keepers of
living materials scientists have brought
back from the field for further research
and study, including the opportunity to
cultivate specimens until they come into
flower or fruit, and then the chance to
preserve the material.
Laura
Florez, Satrio Wicaksono, Elis Marina
Silva, Santiago Herrera, Andrew Furness,
Kris Rhodes Suzanne Pilaar and Laura Lagomarsino
crowd around a living specimen of Amorphophallus.
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See
More! Greenhouse Tour Event Photo Gallery
What
the Bones Tell
1
June 2007
Back
from the MSC facilities and guided by
Dave Hunt, on to more anthropology features
found in the Natural History Building.
RTP intern Amy Marquardt holds a specimen
from recent inquiry. Is it human or non-human?
The group considers considers the possibilties.
Often forensic cases must first answer
this question. In this case there were
clear cut marks on the bone, evidence
of fowl play? Not this time. The recovered
bones proved to be the remains of a honey
baked spiral cut ham featured as part
of someones picnic and discarded in a
wood lot. Case closed.
Our
forensic anthropologists, including Dave
Hunt, frequently get calls from investigators
about possible foul play. This knee joint,
with cut marks, was given to Dr. Hunt
for research, whose knowledge of Osteology
(the study of bones), told him it wasn't
human - but pig! The
cut marks were from a spiral saw - this
was no murder (at least not in the traditional
sense), but the remains of someone's spiral
cut ham dinner!
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Mummy
Vault Tour
1
June 2007
Face
to face: a look into the special climate
controled vault - aka "The Mummy
Vault" - and the collections housed
there, not only mummies.
Once
on display in the Museum's public exhibit
space, "Soap Man" is now one
of the highlights of the behind-the-scenes
Mummy Vault Tour. Dating to the 1800's,
this Philadelphian was mummified when
groundwater chemically transformed his
soft tissue into a soapy substance. We
don't know for certain his real name,
and in life he may have been unremarkable,
but circumstances that brought him to
the care and keeping of the Smithsonian
have left him as once of the most remarkable.
Not only is the mummification of "Soap
Man" an interesting topic of scientific
conversation, but looking into the face
of history reminds students that each
specimen represents a once living individual,
not to be treated casually but instead
due respect and careful attention.
|
See
More! What the Bones Tell & Mummy Vault Tour
Event Photo Gallery
What's
in the Attic
1
June 2007
The
view from the NHB attic!
Our
first day of RTP events, Anthropology
Day, took students on a whirlwind top
to bottom, here to there and back again
adventure into many corners of the Museum.
Although focusing on the diversity of
our anthropoological collections, a look
at our anthropology provides great insight
into the Museum's wide range of specimen
types, storage facilities, and interesting
locations.
We
ventured from Dennis's lecture in the
ARC (ground floor Main Building just down
the corridor from the Constitution Avenue
Lobby) up through a maze of hallways and
elevators, past the Third Floor Rotunda
overlook of the public display elephant
and into the Anthropology Offices to see
the stone tool collection. Next, we traveled
by shuttle to the Museum Support Center
(MSC) in Suitland, Maryland for a walk
through the offices, labs and "pods"
to see the ethnology and archaeology collections
and then over to the greenhouse facility.
Back by shuttle to the Natural History
Building (located on the National Mall)
up to the Third Floor Main building for
"What the Bones Tell" and then
down six flights to the East Basement
to see the pottery processing lab, iron
coffins and mummy vault. Finally, why
not complete the adventure with a visit
to the NHB attic (yes, there really is
an attic!). The attic (forth floor main
building) once housed many of the anthropological
specimens now stored at MSC, but now serves
mainly as a staging area for the anthropology
physical collections. From the attic you
can see the beautiful skylights that provide
natural light into the new Mammals exhibit
and on the opposite side may someday provide
the same to the paleo halls.
WOW! Top to bottom, here to there and
back again, seems today we saw it all!
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Plummers
Island Field Trip
3
June 2007
Is
Laura Florez taking a quick pic of one
of the plants found on Plummers Island,
or perhaps after a week working on her
project in the ant lab has she maybe developed
a new fascination with the ants on the
plants?
Located
about 9 miles upriver from the White House,
Plummers Island is a small wooded island
in the Potomac River near Cabin John,
Montgomery County, Maryland. The island
is separated from the Maryland shore by
only a narrow channel, that can be crossed
at the east end on stepping stones except
at high water. There
were 8 RTP students who braved the cool,
cloudy, rainy weather to explore the 12
acre flora & fauna-filled wooded island
in the Potomac River. The day held many
surprises for the field trip leaders.
Entomologist. John Brown's black light
trap was stolen and the small mammal traps
put out by vertebrate zoologist Al Gardner
were empty. Weather significantly limited
the collecting and observing.
|
See
More! Plummers Island Field Trip Event Photo Gallery
Paleobiology
Day
4
June 2007
Micro-
and Macroevolution in Deep-Sea Ostracodes
Monday,
4 June 2007
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See
& Read More! Paleobiology Lecture Photo Gallery
US
National Paleobiology Collections - Plants
Monday,
4 June 2007
Beginning
with Devonian land plants, a peek into
the fossilized fruit and nut collection,
pause to see the cleared and stained reference
collection and then out to the parking
lot to see the oversize 310 million year
old fossilized tree - the paleoBOTANY
collections are sometimes overlook amid
the their more popular neighbors the dinosaurs
but guided by Dan Chaney (quick stand
in for Paleobotanist Scott Wing who was
called to a last minute meeting) RTP students
soon realized that the plants tell the
real biological history of our planet
and the Paleobotany collections include
some interesting specimens as well!
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See
More! Paleobotany Tour Event Photo Gallery
US
National Paleobiology Collections - Animals
Monday,
4 June 2007
An
afternoon in Paleo, including tracing
the fossil evidence of the evolution of
the horse. The Department of Paleobiology
is a center for interdisciplinary research
on the history of the earth and its biota,
and their interactions through time. The
Collection represents a microcosm of the
Museum's biological departments and has
a historic origin. Some of the specimens
were collected even before the Powell
and Hayden Surveys of the late 1800's.
The Collection is large, (containing more
than 43 million fossils, with over 290,000
type specimens, and 50,000 sediment samples),
contains material collected within and
outside the United States, and spans geologic
time from the Pre-Cambrian to the Recent.
Guided
by Bob Purdy and Dave Bohaska, we saw
the specimen prep labs and acid room where
matrix is removed to reveal fossil, fossilized
sloth dung and mammoth flesh, sharks teeth,
Cretaceous dinosaur skin impression, and
a massive Devonian predatory fish just
to name a few.
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See
More! Paleobiology Tour Event Photo Gallery
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Relaxing
in the ARC
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Mineral
Sciences Day
8
June 2007
Wearing
Stilettos in the Grass:
or how to simulate a planet in your lab
Friday,
8 June 2007
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See
& Read More! Mineral Sciences Lecture Photo
Gallery
Rocks
and Ores Collections Tour
Friday,
8 June 2007
Amid
its more popular neighbors (the meteorites,
gems and minerals) the rocks and ores
are often overlooked as target destinations
when visiting the Mineral Sciences collections
but guided by Leslie Hale, whose enthusiasm
for them overflows, students soon became
fascinated. Key highlights included bendable
rock (itacolumite) and fulgurites (produced
when lightning strikes a sandy beach,
fusing together sand grains into interesting
shapes).
There
are 14 discrete collections within the
National Rock and Ore Collection. These
collections together number about 265,000
catalogued and computer inventoried specimens
with an additional 50,000 specimens awaiting
curation. Large and very well documented
collections of mantle xenoliths, ocean
basin lavas, ores and edifice and eruption
keyed volcanic rocks have worldwide coverage.
Additional highlights include historically
significant collections, especially of
the United States Geological Survey specimens,
island rocks, petrologic features, petrographic
and lithologic reference collections,
building stones, and impactites. Important
collections awaiting formal accession
include the Shoemaker impactites, Yoder
mililites, Boyd and Wilshire xenoliths,
Chao and Cameron ore deposits, and the
Bateman granites.
|
See
More! Rocks & Ores Collections Tour Photo
Gallery
Meteorites
Collection Tour
Friday,
8 June 2007
Getting
into the Department of Mineral Science
is an expedition in itself. Coded locks,
man trap rooms, cameras, call buttons.
No one "casually" visits the
Department. And then, once in the Department,
specialized rooms for key collections,
such as the meteorites, add another layer
of checks - but once in, it's amazing
as Kris Rhodes and confirm. Have you ever
touched something that contains the first
solids to condense out of the solar nebula
over 4.556 Billion years ago, like this
meteorite - Allende!
|
See
More! Meteorites Tour Photo Gallery
Gems
& Minerals - The "Blue Room"
Tour
Friday,
8 June 2007
The
National Gem and Mineral Collection is
one of the greatest collections of its
kind in the world with highly prized objects
in the National Gem Collection as well
as comprehensive mineralogical reference
material. There are over 375,000 individual
specimens in the collection including
such famous pieces as the Hope Diamond
and the Star of Asia Sapphire.
Although
most of the cut gems and beautiful minerals
make it to the exhibits, others not currently
on exhibit are stored in the "Blue
Room" and a select few, such as this
75-carat emerald brooch proudly modeled
by Amy Marquardt, are kept in a special
vault which guide Russell Feather graciously
opened and allowed students to tour! Amy
comments, "Matches my shirt, do you
think they'll let me keep it?"
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See
More! Gems & Minerals Tour Photo Gallery
Large
Rock Saw Demonstration
Friday,
8 June 2007
How
do you section a giant meteorite? No,
not quite as simple as the biological
microtome demonstrated in the histology
lab as part of Botany Day. Tucked away
far off in the East side of the building
the Department of Mineral Sciences maintains
a satelite laboratory dedicated to preparation
of the Departments collections, including
special giant saws for sectioning. Preparing
rock samples can be a time-consuming process,
it can take a day to cut 1 inch into a
large iron meteorite! A room-size rock
saw sections exceptionally large rocks
as well as meteorites. Loss is maintained
at less than 3% of the mass of the object.
|
See
More! Large Rock Saw and Sample Prep Demonstration
Photo Gallery
Mineral
Sciences Sample Analysis Equipment Tour
Friday,
8 June 2007
A
tour of the Department just wouldn't be
complete without the chance to see some
of the equipment used to support the research
efforts. Pictured here, students with
the Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass
Spectrometer (or ToF-SIMS). Very impressive!
This high resolution ion microscope collects
data from the surface of tiny samples,
only micrometers in scale.
The
Department of Mineral Sciences is well
equipped for the study of rocks and minerals.
In addition to a capability for classical
gravimetric analysis in the wet-chemistry
laboratory, the instrumentation includes
an electron microprobe and an analytical
scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction
and X-ray fluorescence facilities. Also
available are an infrared spectrometer,
CCD imaging and spectroscopy with a cathodoluminescence
microscope, an atomic absorption spectrophotometer,
and numerous optical microscopes. The
Department recently acquired the time-of-flight
secondary ion mass spectrometer, and a
microdiffractometer, which can non-destructively
obtain an X-ray diffraction pattern from
a small area on a polished sample.
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See
More! Sample Analysis Laboratories & Equipment
Photo Gallery
Botany
Day
11
June 2007
Rubber,
Ricin, Poinsettias . . . and Jumping Genes
Monday,
11 June 2007
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See
& Read More! Botany Lecture Photo Gallery
US
National Herbarium Tour
Monday,
11 June 2007
The
U.S. National Herbarium has approximately
4.7 million specimens collected from worldwide
locations. The dead, usually various shades
of brown, pressed and dried plants, generally
mounted on 11" x 17" sheets
of paper may not have the initial appeal
of the gems and minerals seen during last
week's tour or anticipation of furry mammals
or brightly colored bird skins that will
shown in upcoming weeks, but Greg McKee
- Museum Specialist in charge of "the
plants without flowers" - led the
RTP group on a plant exploration through
the collections and brought the botany
stories to life. The star of the Botany
tour was, as usual, the “butt
nut” (Lodoicea maldivica)
as it is commonly called but students
were also facinated by the bamboos (probably
just to entertain Mary . . ).
Not
everything can be reduced to flat 11 x
17 sheets. Bamboo specimens, for example,
consist of multiple parts, including "bulky"
collections that are stored in large tray
cabinets.
The
bamboo collection is especially diverse.
In addition to over 37,000 inventoried
herbarium specimens, the collection is
supplemented with over 3,600 bulky specimens
(including large culms, rhizomes, branch
complements, and culm cross-sections);
3,000 fluid-stored specimens (mostly leaves);
1,300 floral dissections mounts; 250 dry
fruit and seed specimens; 16,000 photographic
slides; 600 black and white photo negatives;
and 2,000 anatomical slides of bamboo
serial sections, cross-sections, longitudinal
sections and epidermal scrapes.
Pictured
above with the group, these culm sections
of Dendrocalamus show the open
internal chambers (internode) of the bamboo
culm . . which students thought would
be perfect as m&m baskets to separate
flavors: plain, peanut, peanutbutter,
and dark chocolate.
|
See
More! Herbarium Tour Photo Gallery
Histology
Demonstration & Workshop
Monday,
11 June 2007
Included
in the histology demonstrations are opportunities
to use the rotary microtome and prepare
slides from the thin sections produced
- such as what Laura Florez is doing.
Embedded in paraffin, the first sections
of "ribbons" appear having been
sliced off in micron thin sections by
a razor blade knife. Laura then cuts them
to size and mounts them on a slide labeled
with a diamond pen.
Scientists
employ a variety of tools to help distinguish
species including morphological, molecular,
and even ecological characteristics. Critical
observations and measurements of easily
visible characters can often separate
one species from another but sometimes
additional preparation is necessary to
observe micro-characters.
Histology,
or microscopic anatomy, is the study of
small characters, often thin sectioned,
and generally observed with the aid of
some type of microscope. Many of the biological
sciences use histological techniques to
study things like animal tissues, and
in botany especially plant leaves and
flowers.
Smithsonian's
Department of Botany maintains a histology
lab as a resource for botanists, as well
as other Museum scientists, to aid in
their anatomical studies.
|
See
More! Plant Histology Demonstration Photo Gallery
Scientific
Illustration Demonstration & Workshop
Monday,
11 June 2007
Botanical
scientific illustrator, Alice Tangerini,
typically uses black and white, pen and
ink technique to illustrate plant taxa.
From
dried herbarium specimen to published
scientific illustration, the steps in-between
may surprise you. Alice first prepares
a photocopy - yes a photocopy - of a representative
specimen and then, using the photocopy,
begins to construct the habit and structure
to be illustrated, often tracing the photocopy
using clear film (matte acetate). Next
she dissects parts. Using a camera lucida,
she traces - yes traces - small structures
to enlarged size thereby ensuring exact
proportions and accurate representation.
Scientific illustration isn't about creating
beautiful original works of art, but reproducing
the parts of the organism being illustrated
as close to exact as possible. The camera
lucida allows the user to "trace"
the specimen seen under the microscope,
hopefully reproducing the same proportions
and details as the specimen.
However,
Alice has also done some work in color
including this cover piece of Cornus
from Arnoldia to complement a paper by
Richard Eyde. To complete the color work
Alice had to wait several months for the
plants to go from spring flower to fall
fruit. This work also serves to remind
us that as Federal employees our works
remain in the public domain and available
for reproduction without permission. Alice
has found this particular work used and
reprinted many times without her even
knowing about it.
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See
More! Scientific Illustration Demonstration Photo
Gallery
Plant
Pressing and Mounting Demonstration
Monday,
11 June 2007
Most
herbarium specimens were first selected
and collected by scientists then pressed
and preserved, brought back to the Museum,
and finally mounted on 11" x 17"
sheets of acid-free paper.
Typically,
scientists collect plant specimens in
plastic bags or simplified field presses
and then carefully prepare each specimen
while still fresh and pliable. Samples
are systematically folded into individual
sheets of newspaper to fit the 11"
x 17" format ensuring that upper
and lower surfaces of leaves will be visible
and when ever possible the natural habit
of the plant is maintained. Large fleshy
parts, such as the fruit of a watermelon,
may be thin-sectioned or sectioned open
to reveal the interior as well as facilitate
drying. The newspapers are sandwiched
in-between absorbent "blotter"
papers and these then layered with corrugated
cardboard or aluminum to provide a firm
surface for "pressing" as well
as help channel air through the pile during
the during process. The press is then
bookended with a grate of wooden strips
and straps used to tighten and press flat
the contents.
As
follow up to Alice's discussion about
her color painting of Cornus, Katherine
Rankin used a specimen of Cornus
to demonstrate pressing techniques.
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See
More! Plant Collecting and Mounting Demonstration
Photo Gallery
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Relaxing
in the ARC
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Fun
in the ARC
Rebecca
Fischer surprised the rest of her group
with a well received donation to the ARC
- a full bag of peanutbutter m&m's!
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Restful
Retreat
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Publishing
and Presenting Lunch Discussion
Wednesday,
13 June 2007
RTP interns gathered for lunch in the
ARC with Don Ortner (anthropological sciences)
and George Zug (biological sciences) to
discuss how professional scientists go
about sharing their research results with
the scientific community and general public.
Topics covered during the discussion included
how to decide where to publish research
results, what format is best (poster,
oral presentation, journal article, etc.),
and how to determine authorship.
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Lunch
in the ARC
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Entomology
Day
15
June 2007
The
Diversity and Evolution of Behavior in
Ants
Friday,
15 June 2007
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See
More! Entomology Lecture Photo Gallery
Ant
Lab Tour
Friday,
15 June 2007
Nested
over in the East Court on the fifth floor
resides a rarity among the NMNH collections
- living specimens. In this case, the
main focus of Entomologist, Ted schultz's
research, fungus growing ants. These leaf-cutting
ants evolved from hunter-gatherers and
established a symbiosis with fungi, which
the ants cultivate in 'gardens' for food.
In the ant lab live ant colonies maintain
their social structure even under laboratory
conditions, where they live in plastic
chambers connected by plastic tubing.
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See
More! Ant Lab Tour Photo Gallery
Entomology
Collections Tour
Friday,
15 June 2007
USDA
Entomologist, Dr. John Brown provided
a tour of the US National Entomological
Collections. The interns could not help
but say 'Oh My!' as John showed them diverse
trays of specimens.
The
U.S. National Entomological Collection
ranks as the second largest insect collection
in the world with approximately 32 million
specimens including over 100,000 holotypes
plus hundreds of thousands of additional
paratypes and other secondary types.
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See
More! Entomology Collection Tour Photo Gallery
Research
Week!
Research
Week
Kris
Rhodes examines the scale of a cone perfectly
preserved and curently being sectioned
in the plant anatomy lab.
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Invertebrate
Zoology Day
25
June 2007
Following
Trails of those Sensational Snails
Monday,
25 June 2007
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See
More! Invertebrate Zoology Lecture Photo Gallery
Invertebrate
Zoology Collections Tour
Monday,
25 June 2007
Amy
Marquardt, Suzie Pilaar, Rebecca Fischer,
and Andrew Furness examine an echinoderm,
one of the
34 million specimens of the U.S. National
Invertebrate Collection.
The
IZ specimens are organized into collections
of bryozoans, cnidarians, crustaceans,
echinoderms, mollusks, protozoans, sponges,
tunicates, worms, and plankton. Included
are representatives from all currently
recognized non-parasitic invertebrate
phyla. The collections are housed on over
6.5 miles of shelving and include many
valuable types, counting over 60,000 lots
- specimens of the same species collected
at the same time and place - or about
327,000 individual type specimens. Each
year approximately 100,000 specimens are
loaned to students and researchers around
the world and 22,500 new specimens are
added to the collection. About 75% of
the specimens in the collection are fluid-stored
and 25% dry.
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See
More! Invertebrate Zoology Collections Tour Photo
Gallery
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Exhibit
Opening
28
June 2007
As
part of the opening celebration of our
newest exhibition, "Emissaries of
Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations,"
we were honored to have the Warriors of
AniKituhwa, a Cherokee dance group that
has recreated historic, authentic Cherokee
dances as described in 1762, including
the War Dance and the Eagle Tail dance.
The Warriors of AniKituhwa danced on the
steps of the museum, Mall side, at 9:45am
for a 15-minute performance.
“Emissaries
of Peace: The 1762 Cherokee and British
Delegations,” an exhibition presenting
a fresh depiction of 18th-century Cherokee
and British life through firsthand accounts
and personal memoirs, was on display at
NMNH 27 June 07 through 25 Nov 07. The
exhibition, produced by the Museum of
the Cherokee Indian (North Carolina),
highlighted an extraordinary intercontinental,
intercultural encounter between the British
and the Cherokees.
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Vertebrate
Zoology Day
29
June 2007
The
Lost World: Cerro de la Neblina
Friday,
29 June 2007
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See
More! Vertebrate Zoology Lecture Photo Gallery
US
National Amphibian & Reptile Collection
Friday,
29 June 2007
Steve
Gotte, host of the Amphibians and Reptiles
tour, introduced the group to a wide variety
of specimens, storage and preparation
techniques, as well and shared interesting
stories about some particular taxa.
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See
More! Herps Collection Tour Photo Gallery
US
National Mammal Collection Tour
Friday,
29 June 2007
The
tour of mammals was lead by Suzanne Peurach,
technician with the Biological Resources
Division of the U.S. Geological Survey
(Patuxent Wildlife Research Center) based
at the National Museum of Natural History.
The mammals tour this year featured a
look at the OH MY collection, made up
of representative samples of the range
of specimen types found in the general
collections including study skins, skulls,
and fluid specimens.
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See
More! Mammal Collections Tour Photo Gallery
US
National Birds Collection Tour
Friday,
29 June 2007
The
birds tour included an array of brightly
colored birds, interesting taxa, egg and
nest collections, species diversity, and
even examples of birds and feathers used
in ornamentation to illustrate how the
collections are used to identify species.
Of
particular fascination during the birds
tour, a Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica).
This particular specimen is the only know
specimen currently in North American that
was collected by Charles Darwin and still
retains the original label. This specimen
was collected in the Falkland Islands
in 1833.
The
bird collection tour was lead by Marcy
Heacker. Beginning with a viewing of the
"OH MY" collection, Marcy provided
an overview of the different types of
specimens represented in the collection,
the variety of research projects underway,
and offered the group the chance to see
their "special request" specimens.
The
Bird Collection includes about 650,000
specimens, the third largest collection
of birds in the world. The majority of
specimens are prepared study skins but
the collection also includes skeletal
(54,488) and anatomical (ethanol-stored:
28,661) specimens. These represent the
largest and most diverse of these types
of collections in the world. The skeletal
collection includes representatives of
over 5,100 different taxa. The fluid-stored
collection has representatives of almost
4,000 different taxa as well as specialized
subsets including a collection of fluid-preserved
stomach contents, brains, syringes and
a small cleared and stained collection.
Additional collections include egg sets
(32,963), nests (4,893), and mounted skins
(2,200).
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See
More! Birds Collections Tour Photo Gallery
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US
National Mammal Collection Tour
II
Friday,
6 July 2007
Jeremy Jacobs guided students
through the pods to see the
mammal specimens stored at MSC.
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See
More! MSC Mammal Collections Tour Photo
Gallery
US
National Wood Collection
Friday,
6 July 2007
Laura
Lagomarsino holds a specimen
of Welwitschia. one of
the 42,500 specimens included
in the Botany Woods Collection,
housed at MSC.
Among
the oddest of botanical specimens,
Welwitschia mirabilis,
found mainly in the Namib and
Mossamedes Deserts, has just
two long (very long) leaves
that never fall off but just
keep growing. While the leaf
tips may split, curl, and break
off, new tissue continues to
arise from the base. Most plant
leaves can grow only to a predetermined
limit, with just the tip generating
new tissue. Welwitschia
plants can live for more than
1,500 years and few individuals
are known. The plant produces
small cones instead of "flowers"
and an individual cone holds
either male or female reproductive
parts. Plants are pollinated
by flies, drawn to the cones
by droplets of sweet liquid.
The cones caused botanists to
first place Welwitschia
as a gymnosperm but anatomical
examination revealed that the
plant had processes and structures
more consistent with flowering
plants.
What
a rare treat to not only see
a specimen of Welwitschia,
but also to be given the opportunity
to examine it up close!
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See
More! Woods Collections Tour Photo Gallery
US
National Mammal Collection -
Marine Mammals
Friday,
6 July 2007
Lots
to see at MSC! After touring
the pods the group headed over
to the Garber facility to tour
the marine mammal collection
- one of the largest collection
of marine mammals in the world,
consisting of more than 6,500
specimens of cetaceans, 3,100
specimens of pinnipeds and 380
specimens of sirenians. Most
of the National Museum of Natural
History collection is represented
by osteological material, although
the museum has a fairly large
collection of embalmed intact
specimens and samples in alcohol.
Large
is the word. The decision to
collect even one large marine
mammal is no simple undertaking.
Transportation from the collection
site to the Museum can require
use of a flat bed semi truck,
providing quite the spectacle
as it moves across the country.
Once defleshed, a process that
can take years buried in "zoo-do"
compost, arranging for storage
space for even one specimen
can require hundreds of square
feet. NMNH
houses the collection of large
cetacean osteological materials
in the Garber Facility, located
next door to the Museum Support
Center.
Once
at the Museum and ready for
collection storage whale skulls
(pictured) pose storage challenges
due to their size and weight.
Specially constructed holders
and appropriately padded, often
on wheels for mobility, have
to be prepared for each specimen.
This specimen is Brydes Whale,
or it may be a new species -
research is currently underway
to identify.
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See
More! Marine Mammals Collections Tour
Photo Gallery
Osteo
Prep Laboratory
Friday,
6 July 2007
Famed
with a reputation for it's smell
rather than it's important role
in specimen preparation, the
Osteo Prep Laboratory (aka "Bug
Room") peeked the interest
of RTP interns, although not
all elected to view the facility
first hand.
Located
in the back lot of the Museum
Support Center in Suitland,
Maryland resides some of the
Natural History Museum's most
efficient workers, the Dermestid
beetles. Most skeletal preparations
use dermestid beetles (Dermestes
maculatus) to remove flesh
and connective material from
the skeleton, a technique first
developed at the University
of Kansas at the turn of the
century. Rough cleaned specimens
are placed in containers with
beetles and the bugs go to work,
carefully eating away the flesh,
leaving behind a perfectly cleaned
skeleton. Once the beetles have
done their job, John Ososky,
Osteo Prep Lab Manager, checks
the bones, gives them a final
touch up cleaning, and then
they're ready to be numbered
and incorporated into the collections.
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See
More! Osteo Prep Lab Tour Photo Gallery
Preparing,
Presenting, and Producing Posters
for Professional Meetings
11
July 2007
We
leave the science aspects to the scientists,
but here at the Museum students have the
advantage of drawing upon the talents
of other professionals to learn how to
best communicate their scientific findings
to their colleagues - one of the great
advantages of hosting a training program
amid a diverse community of experts. Using
posters produced by previous RTP groups,
exhibits specialist Sarah Grusen and photographer
Don Hurlbert presented an overview of
how to use design and the selection of
colors, fonts, text sizes and image placements
to best convey your message.
Some
things to remember include: select a color
pallet associated with elements of your
research, use a font that's easy to read
from 4' away, avoid long text blocks,
don't underline but instead use bold to
highlight important titles, stick to key
points rather than long paragraphs, keep
backgrounds simple and non-competing,
allow enough space (pad) between text
and box lines, use a separate handout
for long lists (e.g. references cited,
complete data charts) and other complicated
text listings, and be sure to proofread!
Also remember to hang your poster such
that the center is 4' above the floor
so those in wheelchairs have easy access.
So,
how did they do? Check the poster
session for results:
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See
More! Poster Workshop Photo Gallery
Research
Week
Sequestered
in their offices and labs, RTP Week 8
focuses on full research time and generally
finds students away from the masses. However,
Kris Rhodes took advantage of the equipement
available in the public-facing Fossil
Lab to complete final specimen preparations,
as well as have the chance to interact
a little with the Museum's community of
visiting guests.
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Research
Week
Although
most of the fossils (evidence of ancient
life) that Kris studied clearly split
on fracture lines revealing the specimen,
sometimes it took a bit of extra effort
to uncover the entire area of interest.
By carefully chipping away bits of rock
and matrix, sometimes even other fossils,
he was then able to see the entire impression.
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RTP
Fun
23
July 2007
Data
still coming in and analysis not yet clear
(oh my gosh, you mean I have sequences
from contaminate bacteria instead of freshwater
jellies!) but posters due, talk titles
due, the summer quickly coming to a close
. . . not enough time! Oh what to do?
Drawing from every minute available some
students even overnighted in the ARC.
Much to their disappointment, it was only
in their imagination that "A Night
in the Museum" revealed a coming
alive of the exhibits. Oh how to stay
focused? Mary's abundant supply of "antlers"
helped keep a little fun amid the closing
stress, fuzzy stuffed bears also added
some smiles, full m&m baskets helped
but the real break came from . . .
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RTP
Fun
24
July 2007
. . distorted camera fun using Laura Lagomarsino's
computer. Sometimes a bit of distortion
can help keep thing in better perspective!
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RTP
Fun
24
July 2007
Personality
insights - all eyes, nose and mouth -
or just a moment in time?
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RTP
Fun
24
July 2007
Everything
into perspective, on to RTP Week 10!
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RTP
Fun
29
July 2007
With
the oral presentations scheduled
for Monday, and little time
to prepare, the weekend ARC
was full of activity. Sunday
in the ARC: time to pratice
talkes, test pointers, review
slides . . .
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RTP
Fun
29
July 2007
.
. and spell out "RTP"
on the screen!
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RTP
Oral Presentations
30
July 2007
The
morning presentations, featuring
talks from biology and anthropology
were hosted by Bob Faden and
held in the Waldo Schmitt Room.
A few technology issues presented
some challenges. Internet connection
to the shared drive - where
presentation files were stored
- couldn't be established but
quick down loads from individual
flash drives ensured that talks
were ready to go. Unfortunately
the delays prevented trial runs.
Luckly, only one presentation
held some unplanned surprises
- Laura Lagomarsino's animation
didn't quite perform as anticipated,
but she calmly made it through
with a smile giving her some
extra, special moments to remember.
There were an average of 36
in the audience. The most attended
talk was that from Laura Florez,
with a crowd showing up from
the ant lab to hear Laura's
presentation. Acting Director,
Dr. Paul Risser also attend
the last two talks.
The
afternoon presentations were
held in the Cooper Room, hosted
by Gene Hunt and Tim McCoy,
with an average of 40 attending
- it seems the whole community
from Mineral Sciences stopped
by to hear Rebecca Fischer and
Amy Marquardt talk about their
research!
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RTP
Poster Session
2
August 2007
The
Poster Session was again held
in the Third Floor Rotunda of
the Natural History Building.
The two-hour session saw fewer
visitors that previous years,
but those attending expressed
great complements to the students
for not only their interesting
research but also the "top"
quality of the posters. Our
complements go out to Sarah
Grusen for all her assistance
and advise on presentation tricks,
including subtle things like
choice of color, font, and image
placement. Saying the same thing,
but presented in a the best
format, can be a little trick
to getting your research best
communicated!
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RTP
Closing Reception
2
August 2007
Holding
with tradition, the RTP closing
reception was held in the NMNH
Office of the Director and hosted
by Acting Director, Dr. Paul
Risser. Amid the showcases of
natural history artifacts, and
with a window view across the
Mall of the Smithsonian Castle
in one direction and the Washington
Monument in the other the backdrop
presented a fitting, and grand
send off. Simple snacks including
fresh fruit, hummus and pita,
plus a variety of cheeses provided
light refreshment - oh, and
of course the extra large basket
full of m&m. Tim McCoy hosted
the awards ceremony, with Dr.
Risser awarding certificates.
Each student was also invited
to offer commentary on their
summer. Although being part
of the NMNH community and being
provided the opportunity to
engage in interesting research
were certainly important, many
students couldn't help but note
the bonds formed with their
advisors as mentors and "friends"
and especially the strong friendships
they made with their fellow
RTP participants.
Special
certificates were also awarded
to Morgan Little for her contributions
as the RTP reporter and to Lynn
Copes for all her assistance
and contributions to the summer.
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RTP
Exit
3
August 2007
It
seems the summer goes by in
a flash, or is it that it seems
we've been together forever?
One moment students arrive as
unknown strangers to each other,
one by one appearing at the
apartment door exchanging names
and then traveling as a loose
group to the Museum for the
Memorial Day registration and
orientation. In a few short
weeks, strong familiar friendships
formed and a vast list of memorable
moments amassed. RTP exit is
always a mix of emotions; the
great feeling of accomplishment
looking over the products produced
in nine short weeks of research,
sadness of saying good bye and
the tight group now disbanding
and headed off in different
directions, but also the excitement
of new adventures to come aided
by the gifts of the summer -
contacts, resources, and friendships.
Ears/Antlers
on, we're ready for RTP '08!
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