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Im the Field

I—8

A complete schedule of
September/October
events, including a list of
activities for “Celebracion
‘97: Living Together in
the Americas” festival.

Ghanaian scientist
Christopher Gordon to
receive The Field
Museum's 1997
Parker/Gentry Award.

10

In September, the Muse-
um will debut its new
Web site, allowing visitors
to take an online journey
into the heart of The

Field Museum. Chicago teachers.

Harris Educational
Loan Program ... page 11

Many educators may not be aware of the Muse-
um's Harris Loan Program, a hidden treasure
linking the Museum with area educators. Program
materials, like the owl exhibit case to right, reach
thousands of students each year and are free to

Diane Alexander White /GN87903.10Ac

Field Biologist Steve Goodman Finds
Home In The Forests of Madagascar

By Robert Vosper

ight years ago, after working at The

Field Museum for only 10 days, Field

Biologist Steve Goodman jumped

aboard a plane headed for Madagascar

to work on a bird survey for an environ-
mental impact statement. At the time, Good-
man had no idea that the island would one
day dramatically change his life and the direc-
tion of his career.

Since 1989, Goodman, 40, has spent at
least three months a year, and closer to eight
months in the last few years, living in the
island's forests conducting biological invento-
ries and studying the distribution of many of
Madagascar's endemic organisms, specifically
birds and small mammals. He now considers
the island, 250 miles off the coast of Mozam-
bique, his home.

“I think that | have come close to the Gar-
den of Eden,” says Goodman, who spent two
months this summer at The Field Museum
conducting research, writing grant proposals
and serving as host to a group of Malagasy
visitors.

With 80 percent of the island's flora and
fauna found nowhere else on Earth, Madagas-
car is the ideal place for a field biologist to
call home. For example, all 32 species of pri-
mates (including one on the neighboring
Comoros islands), half the 201 resident birds,
95 percent of the reptiles, 99 percent of
amphibians, all the native species of rodents
and all but two of Madagascar's 150 species of
frogs are endemic. And because previous
Malagasy governments essentially closed the
island to foreign scientists from the early ‘70s
to mid-'80s, the island’s biota, which had not
been fully inventoried by earlier generations
of scientists, still remains relatively unknown.
Between 1996 and 1997, for example, Good-
man and his colleagues discovered in Mada-
gascar's eastern rain forests an undescribed
genus and species of bird, which they named
the Cryptic Warbler (Cryptosylvicola
randrianasoloi), two new genera of rodents and
many undescribed species of rodents and
insectivores.

Goodman conducts two types of field
inventories in Madagascar. The first consists

of rapid assessments where he spends about
10 days with a small crew of Malagasy scien-
tists and students conducting broad biologi-
cal sweeps of relatively accessible areas.
Quickly gauging the degree of biological
diversity in these areas, the group uses the
rapid assessments to make recommendations
to the government and conservation commu-
nity for further study and evaluation. These
trips also provide important training for young
Malagasy scientists. The other type of field-
work involves surveys of remote mountainous
areas that can last up to four months. Most of
these expeditions consist of up to 20 scien-
tists, half of which are Malagasy, hundreds of
kilos of supplies and up to 40 porters.

“I can remember times being in the forest
for many weeks, hitting the trails to move to
the next camp and seeing above me, on high-
er slopes, pristine unknown forests and in
front of me a long line of expedition members
and porters,” says Goodman. “It is during
such times I begin to wonder where I am and
in which century | am living.

“It is a great pleasure for me to explore
places that are largely unknown. There is very
little that is more exciting
than waking up before dawn
with this sense of wonder
about what you might find.
Sometimes I am so excited,
particularly in the high moun-
tain forests where many of
our interesting discoveries
have been made, that it is
hard to get a good night's
sleep for days. This way of
life has become quite normal
for me.”

His way of life is also an
integral component in Mada-
gascar’s battle to save its nat-
ural resources. In addition to conducting
biological inventories, Goodman works close-
ly with the Malagasy government and local
environmentalists to develop forest conserva-
tion and management strategies based on
data collected in the field. For Goodman, his
way of life is also a race against the clock
because the island, which has been called
everything from a naturalist’s promised land
to a natural laboratory of evolution, is on the
brink of ecological collapse.

Though there is evidence that some
aspects of Madagascar's changing environ-
ment in recent geologic history are the result
of natural forces, like a drying period that
transformed Madagascar’s landscape nearly
2,000 years ago, most scientists agree that
human-induced changes are responsible for
much of Madagascar's present environmental
plight. The most serious problem is defor-
estation — the result of a deep-seated agri-
cultural tradition of cutting down and burning
forests to create open land to grow rice and
graze cattle. Each year, the fires, used by pas-
toralists to stimulate the growth of grass,

creep deeper into the
forests and further
deplete the natural
habitats that harbor
much of the country's
endemic species.

According to the
World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF — Inter-
national) and the
World Conservation
Monitoring Centre,
about 60 to 80 percent
of the forests have
been destroyed. Some
researchers estimate
that the current rate of |
destruction stands at
3,000 square kilometers a year. Apart from the
toll deforestation has taken on the local flora
and fauna, it has also set off a chain of envi-
ronmental events that now plague the island,
including soil sterility and erosion, siltation of
streams and waterways, flooding and land-
slides.

Compounding the problem is an econo-
my rated as one of the world’s worst, high
inflation and a staggering population growth
estimated at 3 percent a year in some parts of
the country. Experts believe that Madagas- very few roads, creativity
car's present population of 13 million may is often the key to mobil-
eventually reach 30 million by the year 2025. ity.
Since there is very little industry and infra-
structure, nearly three quarters of the popula-
tion is forced to turn to farming simply to
survive. In fact, very little of the environmen-
tal degradation can be attributed to commer-
cial exploitation.

“The Malagasy who live in the rural areas
need to survive,” says Goodman. “The agri-
cultural practices that are destroying the
forests have been passed on from generation
to generation . . . nobody has given these
people much of an alternative. The environ-
mental crisis is actually a socio-environmental
crisis.”

Although the government has
set aside some forests as protect-
ed reserves, to date their efforts
have been insufficient to safe-
guard the island's remarkable
diversity of habitats. Of about
23 million hectares of forest
remaining in Madagascar, only
about half a million are under
government protection.

The other problem with
the reserve system is that
many of the island’s unique
ecosystems are not repre-
sented. For example, per-
haps the most endangered
natural habitat in Madagas-
car are freshwater ecosys-
tems; however, not one
protected area contains a

(Above): At the sum-
mit of Marojejy in north-
eastern Madagascar,
Steve Goodman and a
Malagasy guide conduct
a fomba — a tradition-
al offering to "the ances-
tors” for safe rite of
passage.

(Left): In a country with

(Below): The sites (in
yellow) where Goodman
and colleagues have con-
ducted biological invento-
ries since 1989.

Continued on page 4

John Weinstein /GN88119.6

Museum In Print: A Vast World Of Knowledge

n the last two years, The

Field Museum's staff has

been extremely produc-
tive on the book publishing
front. Though these books
span the entire spectrum of
ideas, disciplines and style,
they all represent years of
research, dedication and
sacrifice. In addition, they
all serve as tangible exam-
ples of the Museum's com-
mitment to research and
education.

Although the trade
press has hailed many of
these Field Museum publi-
cations as monumental and
ground-breaking works, probably very few
people outside the academic and scientific
community even know they exist. | hope the
summary that follows will give you an idea of
the breadth of discovery and range of intellec-
tual debate that occurs daily within the walls
of The Field Museum.

On The Academic Front

In The Origin and Early Diversification of Land
Plants, Peter Crane, vice president of academic
affairs and director, and Paul Kenrick, a former
post-doctoral Museum associate, explore the
origin and early evolution of land plants. Like
animals, plants originally evolved in the sea;
however, between 480 million and 360 million
years ago, plants made the transition to life
on land, Peter’s book represents the first
attempt in more than 60 years at a compre-
hensive synthesis of the diverse and scattered
data from living and fossil plants that is rele-
vant to interpreting how this transition
occurred.

The Museum's curator of fossil fishes, Lance
Grande, and his colleague, William E. Bemis,
use the comparative anatomy of fish skeletons
in their book — Comprehensive Phylogenetic Study
of Amiid Fishes (Amiidae) Based on Comparative

Skeletal Anatomy. An Empirical Search for Intercon-
nected Patterns of Natural History — to explore
the connections among taxonomy, evolution,
development, paleontology, paleoecology and
biogeography. They also apply the most mod-
ern specimen preparation methods and ana-
lytical tools to create a detailed multidisci-
plinary study of fossils and living fishes, as
well as to search for general patterns of natur-
al history.

John Flynn, MacArthur Curator of fossil mam-
mals and chair of the geology department,
played a major role in editing a massive vol-
ume, Vertebrate Paleontology in the Neotropics, in
which the contributors paint a new picture of
what vertebrate life was like in the South
American tropics before the late Miocene. The
theories presented in the volume are largely
based on the geological, biological, environ-
mental and evolutionary significance of fossil
vertebrates found at the La Venta badlands in
central Colombia.

On The Conservation Front

For Natural Change and Human Impact in Madagas-
car, Bruce Patterson, MacArthur Curator of
mammals, and Steve Goodman, the Museum's
field biologist of birds and mammals, asked
the scientists invited to speak at The Field
Museum's 1995 Annual Spring Systematics
Symposium to present their views about how
natural and human-induced variables have
dramatically altered Madagascar's environ-
ment. The contributors also offer their opin-
ions as to what the future holds for the
island’s remaining natural habitats.

Douglas Stotz, conservation ecologist, Debra
Moskovits, director of the office of environ-
mental and conservation programs, John Fitz-
patrick and the late Theodore Parker Ill
compiled information on the ecological and
geographical distribution of all 4,037 bird
species of the Neotropics into one volume:
Neotropical Birds, Ecology and Conservation. Not
only is this volume an incredible reference

Adler Planetarium

um is launching into the next millennium
with a revolutionary new visitor experi-
ence: the world’s first StarRider theater. Star-"*
Rider is a fully interactive, full-color F
projection system that displays computer. -

|e Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Muse-

mer of 1998 a
expansion an
to make Chic

the 21st century,
accomplish this mis
berger, Adler's pre:
allow our audiences |
the universe and its el
won't just see a sky sh
part of it.”

hen accompanie

Thursday to Sun-

== 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
contrast Hollywood's theater of
| animals, as portrayed in ghastly
-D horror flicks from the ‘50s, with the amaz-
ing adaptations of real aquatic creatures. In
addition, you can wander through a haunted
forest, take part in Halloween activities for
the whole family and visit with a variety of
costumed characters, All “Creature Feature”
te) events are free with aquarium admission.
Children in costume receive free admission
y an adult. For more

Vol. 68, No. 5

Editor:
Robert Vosper

Art Director:
Shi Yung

Aquarium at

tool for conservationists and serious birders,
but it is also provides an in-depth analysis of
how bird communities can help detect
Neotropical areas in need of immediate pro-
tection.

On The Popular Front

In Amphibians and Reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago,
Research Associate John C. Murphy examines
the entire herpetofauna of Trinidad and Toba-
go, as well as the environment in which the
islands’ amphibians and reptiles are found.

And finally . . . Robert F. Inger, curator emeri-
tus of amphibians and reptiles, and Tan Fui
Lian, an associate in the zoology department,
take readers — in their new book, The Natural
History of Amphibians and Reptiles in Sabah — on a
colorful journey into the world of the frogs,
snakes and lizards that inhabit Sabah,
Malaysia, located on the northeastern tip of
Borneo.

John W. McCarter, Jr.
Field Museum President and CEO

We would like to know what you Ok
about In the Field ...

Please send comments or questions to Robert Vosper, Publications —
Department, The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore :
Drive, Chicago, IL 60605- 9410, or via e-mail a .
<<vosper @fmppr. fmnh. org>>.

September'October 1997

The Field Museum
Exploring

The Earth And Its
People

In the Field (ISSN #1051-4546) is published bimonthly by The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60605-2496, Copyright
© 1997 The Field Museum. Subscriptions $6.00 annually, $3.00 for schools, Museum membership includes /n the Field subscription. Opinions
expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect policy of The Field Museum, Museum phone 312, 922,9410, Notification of
address change should include address label and should be sent to Membership Department. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to In the Field,
The Field Museum, Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605-2496, Second class postage paid al Chicago, Illinois,

ie SEPTEMBER*OCTOBER 1997 IN THE FIELD

Ghanaian Scientist To Receive Parker/Gentry Award

By Robert Vosper

hen ornithologist Theodore A. Parker III

and botanist Alwyn Gentry were killed

on Aug. 3, 1993 in a plane crash while
surveying an Ecuadorean cloud forest, The
Field Museum lost two very close friends and
associates. To honor their memory, the Muse-
um established the Parker/Gentry Award in
1996 to recognize conservationists whose
innovative work in preserving the world's nat-
ural habitats has yet to receive much publici-
ty, and whose creative approach to
conservation can serve as a model! to others
around the world.

On October 22, The Museum's Founders’
Council will present the Parker/Gentry Award
to Christopher Gordon, a zoology professor at
the University of Ghana and a senior research
fellow of the Volta Basin Research Project in
Ghana, West Africa. According to Barry Cher-
noff, associate curator of fishes and chair of
the zoology department, Gordon has been a
lone voice in calling attention to the need to
protect and study Ghana's rich aquatic
resources, which have been exploited in the
country’s rush to industrialize.

For many years, the focus of Gordon’s
conservation work has been the Volta Basin
Research Project (VBRP), established by the
University of Ghana in 1963 to mitigate the
problems created when the government built
Akosombo, a 768,000 kilowatt hydroelectric
dam on the Volta River. The dam transformed
the river and its tributaries into Lake Volta,
the largest (8,480 square kilometers) artificial
lake in the world. Scientists involved in the

project have focused their efforts on a vari-
ety of topics, including aquatic plants, water
quality, limnology and aquatic ecology,
hydrobiology and fisheries, soils and land
use, and public health. Gordon — who
received his Ph.D. in limnology (the scientif-
ic study of physical, chemical, meteorologi-
cal and biological conditions in fresh waters)
from the University of London in 1994 —is
credited for bringing to the project an holis-
tic approach to river basin management
based on the use of multidisciplinary teams.

In addition to his work with VBRP, Gar-
don is also the project coordinator for the
Lower Volta Mangrove Project in which
baseline biological information is collected
for use in community-led management ini-
tiatives. He is also active in researching
coastal ecosystems and improving
awareness in Ghana of the need to
manage the country’s freshwater
ecosystems, which are under increas-
ing threat from over-exploitation, pol-
lution and habitat loss.

Gordon will be the second person
to receive the Parker/Gentry Award.
The Founders’ Council presented last
year's award to Peruvian conservation-
ist Fernando Rubio del Valle, who
helped transform 20,000 acres of most-
ly neglected natural savannas into
Peru's Santuario Nacional Pampas del
Heath —one of the best-managed,
protected habitats in the Americas.

For details concerning this pro-
gram, or about joining the Founders’
Council, please call 312.322.8868.

Museum Sponsors Society
Of Vertebrate Paleontology‘s
57th Annual Meeting

ith the contributions the pealogy depart-

ment made to the success of this sum-

mer’s exhibit, “Dinosaur Families,” as
well as their coup in bringing the first-ever
Archaeopteryx fossil to North America (see
p.6), you would think the department would
be given a much needed rest. Think again.

From October 8 -11, The Museum is

sponsoring the 57th Annual Meeting of the

Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, an associa-

tion established in 1940 to advance the sci-
ence of vertebrate paleontology and to serve
the common interests “of all persons con-
cemed with. the history, evolution, compara-
livé anatomy and taxonomy of vertebrate
animals . . .” It has also been a leader in call-
ing. attention to the need to preserve fossil
sites around the world.

Though the symposia, techincal and
poster sessions will take place at the Ramada
Congress. Hotel in downtown Chicago, The
Field Museum will be hosting the Saciety’s
annual awards banquet in Stanley Field Hall.
To take advantage of having some of the lead-
ing paleontologists in the country under one
roof, the Museum has organized a series of
public lectures for Saturday, October 11.
Please note that the morning lectures are
geared taward children, and the afternoon
lectures are more advanced. Tickets are $15
($12 Field Museum members, students and
educators) for either the two morning lectures
or the two afternoon lectures; $25 ($20 mem-
bers, students and educators) for all-day tick-
ets (four lectures),

10 a.m, Dan Chure of Dinosaur National
Monument in Utah will discuss, in his presen-
tation "Alice in Dinosaurland,” the new
dinosaur species PRO, being discov-
ered, aS

11 a.m. Stuact Sumida af California State Uni-
versity wil} talk about his work with Walt Dis-
ney Feature Animation as he shares, "Building
the Perfect Beast: How Science and Art Blend
to Create Animated Cha racters."

1 p.m. Sent Sampson, Canadian dinosaur
paleontologist, will discuss "Drifting Conti-
nents and Globe-Trotting Dinosaurs," and
addresses how and why dinosaurs are found

all over the world.

2 p.m, David Norratt aS ipecior at sede.
wick Museum of Geology and lecturer in the
Earth sciences and zoology departments at
the University of Cambridge and author of a
number of books — will discuss “Dinosaur
Research: Science and Murder Most Foul!” In
this lecture, Norman will share how our
understanding of dinosaurs and their world
has been slowly pieced together in the 150
years that we have known them.

To order tickets for the public lectures on
October 11, please call 312.322.8854. For
those wishing to obtain more information
about the annual meeting, or the Society of
Vertebrate Paleontology, please call the Soci-
ely’s business office at 312.321.3708, or send
an e-mail to <<svp@sba.com>>.

NASA /April 1993

(Above): Lake Volta,
280 miles upstream from
the Akosombo Dam, occu-
pies approximately 3,275
square miles of southern
Ghana. The water in the
lake is used for irrigating
crops, regulating the flow
of water in the Volta River
and generating hydroelec-
tric power that supports an
aluminum industry in
Ghana.

Kimberly Mazanek /GN88323.7c

RPM Advertising

Lions and Dinosaurs Invade Streets Of Chicago

ome readers may have seen a group of ferocious creatures speeding

through the streets of downtown Chicago this summer. Though these

creatures may have turned some heads and caused children to stop
dead in their tracks, nobody was in any serious danger. They were all
part of an effort to let Chicagoans know that, despite being the center of
summer road renovations, The Field Museum was open for business.
The Ford Motor Company sponsored the “Dino Mobile," which was out-
fitted with decals of the dinosaurs on display in this summer's “Dinosaur
Families” exhibit, The Man-Eating Lions of Tsavo, made famous in the
movie The Ghost and The Darkness, adorned the back of a Chicago Transit
Authority #146 bus.

IN THE FIELD SEPTEMBER*OCTOBER 1997 3)

A New Permanent Exhibit
Designed To Promote
Better Understanding Of
Cultural Diversity

(Below): Anne Yoder of
Northwestern University
and a student from Good-
man's paleontology class
at the Université
d'Antananarivo excavate a
subfossil site at Ampoza in
southwestern Madagascar.

hree years in the making, a new permanent

exhibit promises to open doors for some-

thing President Clinton recently advocated:
better understanding and open dialogue
between people of different cultures,

Living Together, which opens Nov. 8, 1997
is a departure for a Museum that, like many
museums, has traditionally focused on
explaining a specific human culture — past or
present — in its public displays.

“This exhibit is not about objects and it's
not about a specific culture,” says Laura Gates,
vice president of museum affairs. “It's about an
idea, an idea that can help us better under-
stand ourselves and our neighbors — the con-
nections between us and what we can learn
from each other.”

The idea behind the exhibit is that
throughout history, humans have faced similar
concerns in life. However, the way we respond
to those concerns depends on the environ-

“We hope to give people

a new tool for understanding why
humans have different ways
of responding to common concerns.
Ultimately, better understanding
can lead to a new way of looking at
cultural differences and perhaps better
communication between
us all.”

ment in which we live, our history and our cre-
ativity. Living Together invites visitors to
explore how humans deal with three universal
concems that connect us all: home, image and
community. The goal is to promote cultural
understanding in an ever increasingly diverse
society by concentrating on the connections,
rather than the differences, between us all.

“People are fundamentally afraid of diver-
sity,” says Alaka Wali, exhibit curator and direc-
tor of the Museum's Center for Cultural
Understanding and Change. “Instead of taking
advantage of it, they are afraid of it, and want
to erase it. If we can understand the reasons
for cultural differences — why people do what
they do — then maybe we can get beyond
‘tolerance’ to genuine understanding. That's
what this exhibit is all about.”

The exhibit opens with a display of 135
pairs of shoes from around the world. From
solid-silver Indian wedding shoes to a pair of
leather work boots, each shoe is a different
answer to the universal problem of how to
cover and protect the feet. From here, visitors
will then be presented with three universal
themes: home, image and community. There
will also be satellite displays throughout the
Museum to help visitors explore these themes
further.

In the Home section, artifacts from homes
around the world are displayed along with
threshold markers (a universal way of marking
the entrance to a home based on religion, sea-

Field Biologist ° » © Continued from page |

freshwater lake.

In addition, the government does not have
the money, nor the manpower to enforce envi-
ronmental legislation. Even when Madagascar's
“forest guardians” arrest somebody for illegal
activities within a reserve, most perpetrators
are back in the forest within a few weeks.

So, after eight years of fieldwork in Mada-
gascar and having witnessed a continuing spi-

ral of environmental degradation, why hasn't
Goodman just given up?

Goodman believes some aspects of Mada-
gascar’s environment can be saved. His hope
rests in an ever increasing group of young
Malagasy scientists, some of which are
involved in a project Goodman coordinates
called the Ecology Training Program (ETP). In
1992, the World Wide Fund for Nature in Mada-
gascar created ETP to advance the training of
graduate and post-graduate students at the
Université d'Antananarivo in the country’s capi-
tal. The program, which is funded in part by
the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foun-
dation, also provides the students with com-
puters, software, laboratory equipment and
up-to-date reference material.

“With ETP we try to cover many aspects of
field biology for the participants from clearly
defining a project, to correcting page proofs of
scientific articles submitted to journals, to solv-
ing logistical problems such as the number of
cups of rice a group might consume during a
long stay in the forest,” explains Goodman,
who is also a faculty member and student advi-
sor at the university. “There are now students
who have been involved in the program for
many years. Our approach is a concentrated
and long-term effort with a few dedicated stu-

SEPTEMBER*OCTOBER 1997

sonal changes and more). In a video display,
five Chicagoans take visitors on a tour through
their homes, with an emphasis on how they
use the space inside their home depending on
their family structure. Miniature diromas also
depict three very different homes — a Hopi
pueblo, a Masai compound in Africa and an
urban two-flat that reflect the environment in
which they were built, the materials that were
available and the family structure of the peo-
ple who live in them. In an interactive comput-
er display, visitors can take a virtual tour of
different homes throughout the world and look
for similarities and differences in the use of
space. The Image section helps visitors exam-
ine how people of different cultures work on
their images by changing their hair, using orna-
ments, painting their faces, etc. In this section,
a walk-through salon/barber shop investigates
the many different ways that people around
the world change their image. The last section,
Community, uses life-cast mannequins and
audio to explain the different ways humans
associate with others to get things done.

According to exhibit developer Richard
Faron, The Field Museum is taking a very inno-
vative approach to an issue that can be quite
complicated.

“Simply put, we're trying to explain why
there is cultural diversity,” says Faron. “We
hope to give people a new tool for under-
standing why humans have different ways of
responding to common concerns. Ultimately,
better understanding can lead to a new way of
looking at cultural differences and perhaps
better communication between us all.”

The exhibit is just one part of Living
Together, a long-term public-learning project
created to build understanding between peo-
ple in a diverse and complex society. A variety
of educational materials and programs have
been designed to supplement the exhibit and
to create opportunities for people of all ages
to delve into the idea behind Living Together,
The Museum has also created public programs
designed around drumming, storytelling, danc-
ing and festivals — all the ways that people
throughout history have come together with a
common interest. A complete schedule of pro-
grams will be available in the
November/December issue of In the Field.

dents."

The main goal of the ETP is to create a
pool of highly trained (academically) and
skilled (in the field) Malagasy conservation
professionals. Goodman hopes that these stu-
dents will eventually assume positions of
authority in the government and conservation
community where they will have the power to
create environmental policies that are based
on sound biological and conservation theories.
As Goodman explains, it is not so much that
the present government doesn't care about the
environment, it is just that they are often mak-
ing very uninformed decisions.

Though Goodman has seen a remarkable
evolution in the confidence, dedication and
quality of Malagasy scientists, it is still too
early to know if the efforts of the ETP will have
any measurable, long-term influence on the
country’s environment.

“The cold reality is that no matter what the
future holds for the country, things are disap-
pearing rapidly and many sites we are invento-
rying will not exist in the future. Thus, at the
very least, our efforts are in part for archival
value. Having said that, we hope and expect
that the new data being gathered will be used
for better management of the island's protect-
ed areas and the creation of new reserves.”

IN THE FIELD

9/ I 3 Saturday

Fall Prairie Field Trip

9 a.m. — 4 p.m. Join education department staff
member Phil Hanson for a fall excursion to
Goose Lake Prairie and Midewin National Tall-
grass Prairie. These two local prairie communi-
ties present an excellent opportunity to
compare and contrast similar natural systems at
differing stages of habitat restoration at the
peak of late summer's splendor! Goose Lake
Prairie consists of marsh and grassland with an
abundance of plants and wildlife, including
large numbers of migrating waterfowl.
Midewin Tallgrass Prairie, when restored, will
be the largest tallgrass prairie east of the Mis-
sissippi River. Dress for the weather, bring a
bag lunch and wear comfortable walking
shoes. Bus transportation included. $40 ($35
members). Call 312.322.8854 for more infor-
mation or to register.

9/ 2 7 Saturday

Sacred Animals of Ancient Egypt
10 a.m. — Noon. The ancient Egyptians held
certain animals in very high regard. Three of
the four canopic jars, used during the process
of mummification, are guarded by animals.
Discover the relationship between human and
animal in this ancient culture and learn to
write the names of these special animals in the
ancient Egyptian picture script-hieroglyphs.
Adults and children grades 3 to 5. $10 ($8
members) Call 312.322.8854 for more infor-
mation or to register.

] 0/ 5 Sunday

In the Dust of Kilimanjaro

Lecture/Book Signing with David Western ie
1 p.m. Don't miss this Cepantunity to meet'a 1d

Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions
Negras, the great ruined city
the Usumacinta River. The h
ments from Piedras Negra:
kings and queens, life, w

vious background is req

is included in the weeke
come to the lecture on

(Middle): A scientific
illustration by Chevalier
de Freminville.

(Below): A bronze stat-
uette in honor of the
ancient Egyptian deity
Bastet — goddess of
domestic harmony. Stat-
uettes such as this one

would have been placed in
shrines to Bastet, and
smaller versions would be
buried in cat cemeteries as

9/ I 3 Saturday

“Sharing Our Stories”

hicago Commission.

© Foundation, The Field :
Unity Month and the annivers.
ular Native American exhibits: the Pa
Earth Lodge and the Webber Resource Center.
Experience the music and dance performances
of Ensemble Espanol, Primal Connections and
Red Sands Native American Dance Group. Join
storytellers Shanta, Florence Dunham and oth-
ers in demonstrations, craft activities and
games from many cultures. Free with Museum
admission. For information, call 312.922.9410,
ext. 497.

9/ ] 74 Wednesday

Founders’ Council Loop Luncheon
Join Francois Lutzoni, assistant curator in the
botany department, at a Loop Luncheon for
Founders’ Council members at the Woman's
Athletic Club for a slide lecture highlighting his
research. Please call 312.322.8868 for details
concerning this program or for joining the
Founders’ Council.

9/18 -10/11

Thursdays and Saturdays
Local Flora Ill:

Autumn Adult Course

6 p.m. — 8 p.m. (evening classes) and 9 a.m. —
Noon (field trips). Join local experts, John and
Jane Balaban in learning to identify local plants
in their native habitats as part of The Morton
Arboretum’s and The Field Museum's new ini-
tiative, the Naturalist Certificate Program:
Chicago. The knowledge and skills you will
develop are useful whether your interest is
botany, ecology, gardening or art. Thursday
classes meet at The Field Museum on 9/18 and
9/25; Saturday field trips meet at local sites on
9/27, 10/4 and 10/11. $132 ($109 members).
To register, call The Morton Arboretum at 630,
719.2468.

9/ 2 4 Sunday

Family Fossil Hunt

8 a.m. —3 p.m. Journey back in time with edu-
cation staff member Peter Laraba to northern
Illinois as it existed in the Coal Age (300 mil-
lion years ago) when we visit Braidwood, III.,
where strip mining has unearthed an area rich
in jellyfish, shrimp and horsetail fossils. Discus-
sions of local geology and demonstrations of
collecting techniques will be included. Bring a
lunch, and be prepared for wet, muddy condi-
tions. Transportation is by school bus. Don't
miss the last family field trip for the fossil col-
lecting season! For adults with children grades
3 and up. $25 ($22 members). Call 312.322.
8854 for more information or to register.

nservation some 50 years ago"
scuss the principles that will guide Ke
conservation into the 21st century. His bo
begins with his childhood adventures huntit
in what is now Tanzania and continues with a
life intertwined with the lives of Africa’s ani-

mals and indigenous peoples. More than an

exceptional autobiography, his book also pro-
vides a riveting look at local and global efforts
to preserve species and protect ecosystems. It

is the definitive story of African wildlife conser-

vation with a strong and timely message about
sustainable development and the coexistence
between humans and animals. Light refresh-
ments will be served. Copies of the book will
be available for purchase and signing after the
lecture. $12 ($10 members; $8 students).

I 0/ 7 Tuesday

Library Friends

5 p.m —7 p.m. Library Friends and their guests
are invited to a program and exhibit featuring
the library's collection of unpublished early
19th century zoological illustrations by the
Chevalier de Freminville (1787-1848). Librari-
an Ben Williams will survey the remarkable
and rather mysterious career of Freminville,
one of the best and most prolific scientific
illustrators of his time, who failed, however, to
publish any of his superb zoological drawings
(see above) and watercolors. The exhibit will
highlight several dozen Freminville illustrations
recently added to the collection by a number
of private donors. For details concerning this
program or joining the Library Friends, please
call 312.322.8874.

10/17-10/19

Maya Hieroglyphic Writing

5:30 p.m. Friday's introductory lecture;

9 a.m. —5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Join glyph experts Kathryn Josserand and Nick
Hopkins of Florida State University for an
exciting weekend workshop deciphering the

luding fantasy species su votives.

with wings! Atlee a tot

312.322. 8854 for ane (yonmeeea or
to register.

109936

Nature Network News

ature Network has started its third year of exploring the incredible
{vet of biodiversity in the Chicago area. On July 26, Bill Burg-

er, curator of vascular plants, and Margaret Thayer, adjunct assis-
tant curator of insects, explained to Nature Network members about
the diversity of flower forms and how different flower species interact
with their animal pollinators. On August 17, Steve Goodman, field
biologist, discussed his work in Madagascar and the environmental
crisis facing this marvelous island.

In October, Nature Network members will have a chance to see
the famous Archaeopteryx fossil during its brief visit to North America
(see following page). Olivier Rieppel, curator of fossil amphibians and
reptiles, will explain in depth the importance of Archaeopteryx. John
Bates, assistant curator of birds, will take members on a tour of the
world’s best displays of bird diversity and will offer commentary about
bird evolution and the new techniques used to study birds.

Also planned in late October is a field trip to learn about the sci-
entific basis of fall foliage colors and to get advice on how to capture
these colors on film.

Nature Network members get together at least five times a year,
both weekday evenings and weekends, with curators, visiting scholars
and other scientists for a series of activities and field trips relating to
the Museum’s extensive environmental mission. For additional infor-
mation, call Paul Baker at 312.322.8881.

Archaeopteryx: The Bird That Rocked The World

A Famous Fossil Lands In North America For The First Time — October 4 -19, 1997

n 1861, paleontologists made a shocking
discovery in a German limestone quarry.
Etched in a 150-million-year-old slab of
tock was a creature almost too strange to
believe. It looked like a small dinosaur —
with a long tail, sharp teeth and clawed fore-
limbs. But it had feathers and wings like a bird!

Named Archaeopteryx for “ancient wing," the
prehistoric bird was hailed as a “missing link”
between dinosaurs and birds. In the next 136
years, only six other fossil Archaeopteryx skele-
tons were unearthed, all in the famous
Solnhofen limestone quarries of Bavaria, Ger-
many. Not one of the famous seven fossils has
ever been displayed outside Europe . . . until
now.

For the first time in North America, an
Archaeopteryx will be on display at The Field
Museum from Oct. 4— 19, 1997.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity

The oldest known bird,
Archaeopteryx (below),
lived at the time of the
dinosaurs in a coastal
marine environment
about 150 million years
ago. Fossils of small
dinosaurs like Compsog-
nathus, pictured in the
Charles Knight mural to
the right, have been
found in the same location
as Archaeopteryx.

Peter Wellnhofer

Bayer/ Staatssammlung flr Palaontologie U. Historische Geologie

Lecture

_ Archaeopteryx: The Bird that
' Rocked the World

- Oct. 18, 2 p.m.

Peter Wellnhofer, chief cura-
tor of the Bavarian State Col-
-— lection of Paleontology in ~

_ Germany, is an expefton —

Archaeopteryx and pterosaurs.
(flying reptiles) and is accom
panying thesfa ous bird of

Archaeopteryx with regard’
evolution of birds. $12)

(Above): Peter
dents, seniors and edueat

Wellnhofer, an expert on
the prehistoric bird
Archaeopteryx.
sili Lecture/Book Signing
The Mistaken Extinction:
Dinosaur Evolution and the Origin of Birds
Oct. 18, 1] a.m.
Join paleontologist Tim Rowe, coauthor of the

recently published book, The Mistaken Extinction:

Dinosaur Evolution and the Origin of Birds, for a
compelling look at current theories about the
evolutionary links between birds and
dinosaurs. Rowe will also address the most

important and interesting aspects of dinosaurs:

where they came from, where they went and
what they have become. $9, ($7 members; $5
students, seniors and educators).

Come to both lectures on October 18 for a spect
rate: $15 ($12 members; $10 students, senior:
and educators). £9

- Archaeopteryx P a

to see an original specimen
of Archaeopteryx here in the
United States,” says Olivier
Rieppel, curator of fossil
amphibians and reptiles.
"It's a very rare and
extremely important fossil
— one of the most famous
in the world.”

Archaeopteryx was the
first transitional fossil ever
found. A transitional fossil
helps scientists understand
how a new group of organ-
isms, in this case birds,
evolved from an existing
group, reptiles. Fossils in general are rare, tran-
sitional fossils are very rare.

Six more specimens of the ancient bird
were were found in 1876, 1951, 1956, 1970, 1987
and 1992 — all in the Solnhofen limestone
quarries of Germany. The seventh, and most
recent find, will be on display at the Museum.

“When you start giving a fossil numbers,
you know how rare it is,” says John Flynn, chair-
man of the Museum's geology department.
“Only three of the Archaeopteryx have individual
feathers clearly preserved in the stone; the
specimen coming to Chicago is one of them."

In addition to the Archaeopteryx fossil, The
Field Museum will also display a cast of the
only dinosaur species recovered from the
Solnhofen rock: Compsognathus — a small
ground-dwelling dinosaur that ran on its two
hind legs. The exhibit will also feature many
marine fossils from the area, as well as a life-
like reconstruction from the Milwaukee Public
Museum of Archaeopteryx that is based on fossil

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evidence.

Archaeopteryx has been at the heart of many
evolutionary debates: from Darwin's theory of
evolution, which first predicted the existence
of transitional animals like Archaeopteryx, to the
evolution of flight in modern birds.

In the last 10 years, several new species of
prehistoric birds have been found in areas
ranging from Africa to China, providing addi-
tional evidence of ancestral ties with
dinosaurs. Archaeopteryx is still the oldest known
and most primitive bird.

And though the bird-dinosaur link is now
widely accepted (some scientists call birds
“living dinosaurs"), a handful of skeptics insist
that dinosaurs and birds evolved separately
from a common reptilian ancestor.

“Ever since Archaeopteryx was found, it was
clear that birds had a lot to do with reptiles,”
says Rieppel. “New findings are making the
transition of reptiles to birds a rewarding field
to work in. Now the gaps are starting to fill in,
and it’s getting more and more interesting.”

Preschool Workshop

Flying Dinosaurs?

Oct. 5, 10 a.m. — 11 a.m.

Flying dinosaurs? Come to The Field Museum
for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see
Archaeopteryx, and learn some dinosaur basics
while you discover how this dinosaur could fly.
Make your own Archaeopteryx and take flight!

adults and children ages 3 and 4.

$14, ($12 members) for an adult and one child.

shind-the-Scenes
ara Evening
i Scenes with the Division of Birds:
Foc hacopteryx
Oct. 10 — 8 p.m.
Dave Wille ellection manager of birds, will
open the dé the The Field Museum's
division of birdS to families for a special
evening tour to celebrate the visit of
Archaeopteryx. Adults and children, grades 3
and above. $10, ($8 members) per participant.

For additional information, or to register,
please call 312.322.8854.

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Celebracién 97: Living Together In The Americas

elebrate Latin American culture at The
Field Museum's “Celebracién ‘97: Living
Together in the Americas" festival from
Friday, October 24, through Tuesday,

) Scteber 28. This year's event promotes
the opening of the Museum's new, permanent
exhibit Living Together, and features perfor-
mances, demonstrations, Latin American films,
exhibit tours, a lecture on Maya hieroglyphs
and the “Food Brings People Together”
restaurant court. The films will be shown in
collaboration with the Chicago Latino Cinema.

The festival opens on Friday, October 24,
at 5:30 p.m. with a reception and with a
screening at 7 p.m. of the film Frida, a portray-
al of the life of the surrealist artist Frida Kahlo
and her tormented relationship with Diego
Rivera. Tickets are $10 ($8 for Field Museum
and Chicago Latino Cinema members). Enter
the Museum at the West Door. For ticket infor-
mation, please call 312.322.8854

Saturday, October 25, features the Argen-
tinean film Eva Perén — The True Story that
chronicles the life of one of Latin America’s
most influential women until her early death
at the age of 33. In the Webber Resource Cen-
ter Gallery, Sandy Smith, photographer and
curator of the exhibit “Portraits of Clay,” will
sign copies of the show's catalog and talk
about her work.

Performances for Saturday and Sunday
include the Call For Peace Drum and Dance Com-
pany from Madison, Wis., whose dances pro-
mote a vision of people living together in
harmony; the Ballet Folklorico de los Hermanos
Avila will offer traditional Mexican dances and
children's games and songs; Renacer Boliviano
will bring us the Dances and Music of Bolivia; and
Brazilian Pianist Humberto Ribeiro de Almeida,
who received the prize for “Best Interpreter of
Brazilian Music” in Rio de Janeiro, will perform
traditional Brazilian music. Humberto's perfor-
mance is sponsored by the Sao Paulo/lIllinois
Partners of the Americas.

black-and-whit

that explore the dyj
of 17 potters from
her first trip to Mata O
daughter. She was so i
fulness she found there,
sequent visits and some
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visual exploration off

On both weekend days, the “Food Brings
People Together” restaurant court provides a
selection of tastes from Latin America artists
and educators who will highlight the signifi-
cance of the Day of the Dead and Halloween
traditions in our multicultural society through
hands-on activities. This will include the con-
struction of a Day of the Dead altar, as well as
sugar-skull making, demonstrated by father
and son, David and Joaquin Gémez from Toluca,
Mexico. A “Dining with our Dead” menu has
been developed, specially for this event, by
Chef Dudley Nieto of Restaurant Chapulin.

The featured film for Sunday, October 26,
is Julio and His Angel, the heartwarming story of
an 8-year old and his angel who appears in
the form of a grumpy old man and who teach-
es Julio the values of life, work, family and
friendship. A great film for the whole family!

A weekend theatrical performance by the
actor William Bullion, whose unique “From Har-
vest Festivals to Halloween” show reveals the
history and mystery surrounding centuries-old
autumn celebrations with traditions coming
from Europe and the Americas. This family-
learning experience continues with a daily
pumpkin-carving event, as local artists carve
Halloween designs and help visitors create
their own paper pumpkins.

Each day of the event features presenta-
tions by Museum scientific staff and demon-
strations on themes such as Latin American
counting systems, origins of Latin American
food culture and “everyone needs a contain-
er” (an activity that explores how pottery
relates to everyday needs).

On Monday, October 27, and Tuesday,
October 28, the Celebracién events continue
with school group programs, music, dance and
educational presentations. Teachers and stu-
dents have the choice of attending the film
Julio and His Angel, (Monday only), getting
involved in the demonstrations and activities
presented by Field Museum scientists or

Sandy Smith

2: - is

ing daylight hours, And often:
arely enough room for a camere
_ Along with the photograph

John Weinstein /GN88010.1AC

(Above): David Willard,
collections manager in the
division of birds, will
explain the migration pat-
ters of birds in the Ameri-
cas — one of the many
scientific presentations
scheduled for the festival.

designing their own paper pumpkins.

All performances, activities and demon-
strations are scheduled between 11 a.m. and 3
p.m. weekends, and between 10 a.m, and |
p.m. on weekdays. All films (Spanish with Eng-
lish subtitles) are scheduled to be shown in
Simpson Theater as follows:

Friday, October 24, at 7 p.m. Frida.

Programs are free with
regular Museum
admission. Call
312.922.9410, ext.
497 for details, or get
updates on “Cele-
bracion 97: Living
Together in the Ameri-
cas" events through
the Museum's Web site
at <<http://www.
fmnh.org>>.

Saturday, October 25, at 3 p.m. Eva Per6én —
The True Story.

Sunday, October 26, at 3 p.m. Julio and His
Angel.

Monday, October 27, at 9:30 a.m. Julio and His
Angel (school groups only).

io oD

Become a Member
of The Field Museum
and receive these benefits, and more:

Free general admission

Priority admission to special exhibits
Free coat checking and strollers
Invitation to Members’ Night

Free subscription to In the Field

10 percent discount at all Museum stores
10 percent discount at Picnic in the Field

BD Le CE Gai ao Pee Ce
Eee eee eee eee eee

GS OU SG SB

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Please check one: c> New Membership (> Renewal

Name
Address

City

Home phone

State

Business phone

Zip

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES
QO Individual — one year $40 / two years $70

O Family — one year $50 / two years $90
(Includes two adults, children and grandchildren 18 and
under.)

€ 9 Student/Senior — one year $30
(Individual only. Copy of |.D. required.)

Send form to:
The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago,
Illinois 60605

eee eee ee eee eee eee
mame ee EE eee eee eee eee Gee eee

a a

Please note that
programs are subject to
change. On the day of
your visit, pick up a Field
Notes Sheet for an up-
to-date program listing.

(Below): Taller Cocobalé
from Antonia Pantoja
High School — one of
many performers sched-
uled for Celebracidn ‘97:
Living Together in the
Americas Schaal Festival.

Diane Alexander White /GN88019,29c

12:45 p.m. The Aztec, The Maya and
Their Predecessors tour. Learn
about the diverse and complex pre-
Columbian cultures of Mexico and
Central America. Every Thursday and
Friday in October and September.
Check listings for weekends,

10 a.m. — 1 p.m. Shells activity. Did
you know that shells were “left-hand-
ed” or “right-handed”? Discover
more about different types of shells
in this informative activity.

10 a.m. — | p.m, Human Origins
activity. Discover the theories, evi-
dence and myths about our origins
in the Great Rift Valley of Africa.

11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. The Aztec
Empire and Its Predecessors tour
(English).

1:30 p.m. El imperio azteca y sus pre-
decesores tour (espajiol).

2 p.m. Into the Wild tour. Visit classic
dioramas of animals. Learn their his-
tory and the mounting techniques of
the great Carl Akeley, and consider
the message this legacy of natural
history has left us.

10 a.m.-1 p.m. Terrific Teeth activi-
ty. Can teeth tell you what an animal
eats? Find out by taking part in this
fun activity!

Sharing Our Stories, Sharing Our
Vision. In cooperation with the
Chicago Commission on Human
Relations and the Human Relations
Foundation, this event marks Unity
Month and the anniversaries of the
Pawnee Earth Lodge and the Web-
ber Center for Indians of the Americ-
as. Includes craft activities,
demonstrations and tours.

Performances:

11:30 a.m. Ensemble Espanol Span-
ish Dance Theater. Feel the rhythm,
music and movements of Flamenco
dancing.

1:30 p.m. Primal Connections.
Diverse musicians do their own thing
yet blend into one dynamic sound.

| p.m. Red Sands Dance. Local
Native Americans tell their many sto-
ries through drum and dance.

10 a.m. —3 p.m. Storytelling, Flo-
rence Dunham tells Native American
stories. Shanta tells stories from

Highlights of the Field

Museum tour, Visit some of ©
the exhibits that make this
Museum one of the world’s
: atest. Hear the stories:
he exhibits. Tours
Monday through Frie =

- da atilam.&2pm. _

Check listings for —
iturday and Sunday

Africa and African-American tradi-
tions. Antonio Sacre tells Latin
American stories.

1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza-
tion tour.

10 a.m. — 1 p.m. Horns and Antlers
activity. What's the difference
between horns and antlers? Examine
a variety of horns and antlers and
discover their form and function.

10 a.m. — 1 p.m. Human Origins
activity.

| p.m. Tibet Today and Bhutan
Land of the Thunder Dragon slide
lecture. See Lhasa and other places
now open to tourists in Tibet. Also
travel to the small Himalayan coun-
try of Bhutan.

ll a.m. & | p.m. Highlight of The
Field Museum tour.

1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza-
tion tour.

10 a.m. — 1 p.m. Adzes and Awls
activity. Discover how bones, stones
and shells were used by Native
American toolmakers.

11 am. & 1 p.m, Highlights of The
Field Museum tour.

ll am. & 1 p.m. Highlights of The
Field Museum tour.

10 a.m. — | p.m. Lava activity. Now
that they are cool, touch some of the
substances produced by a volcano.

Archaeopteryx:

Designed for Flight

11 am. -3 p.m. Field Museum Sci-
entist demonstration. See how birds
are prepared for the museum
collections; learn about the
structural similarities
between birds and
Archaeopteryx.

11 a.m. -3 p.m. Designed to
Fly activity. Make a paper
model of a bird, Archaeopteryx,
or a bat. Then learn from the
Museum exhibit halls about
the stories of animals that fly.

11 a.m. —3 p.m. Dinosaur
activities. Learn about
Archaeopteryx's connection to
dinosaurs through hands-on
activities.

Noon & 2 p.m. “Icarus” and other
Stories About Flight. Storyteller
Alice Rubio introduces stories about
creatures that fly or want to fly.

1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza-
tion tour.

10 a.m, — 1 p.m. Pareus activity. Try
out a Pacific Island style as you wrap
a pareu-style dress.

Archaeopteryx: Designed for Flight
(See Oct. 4 for descriptions)

11 a.m. — 3 p.m. Field Museum Sci-
entist demonstration.

11 a.m—3 p.m. Designed to Fly
activity.

11 a.m.—3 p.m. Dinosaur activities.

Noon & 2 p.m. “Icarus” and other
Stories About Flight.

12:30 p.m. & 2 p.m. “Fly Without
Wings" performance. Heart-Mind
Productions invites you to sing-along
in a wonderful, interactive produc-
tion about winged creatures and the
beauty of flying!

10 a.m.—1 p.m. Shells activity.

10 a.m.—1 p.m. Human Origins
activity.

| p.m, Tibet Today and a Faith in
Exile slide lecture. A slide presenta-
tion that takes you to Lhasa and
other places now open to tourists in
Tibet. Learn about Tibetan refugees
in India, and the dedication ceremo-
ny of a Himalayan Buddhist Chorten
in Indiana by His Holiness, the Dalai
Lama.

1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza-
tion tour.

ll am. & | p.m. Highlight of The
Field Museum Tour.

1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza-
tion tour.

10 a.m. — 1 p.m, Owl Pellets activity.
Learn about the dissection process
that scientists use to discover the
contents of a predatory bird's diet.

Celebracién '97: Living Together in
The Americas Festival

11 a.m, —3 p.m. On-going demon-
strations by Field Museum Scien-
tists, activities, performances and
tours promoting the Museum’s new
exhibit Living Together, opening this
November.

Performances:

Noon. Call For Peace Drum and
Dance Company from Madison, Wis.
A performance that promotes a
vision of humanity living together in
harmony and peace.

2 p.m. Renacer Boliviano. Music and
Dances of Bolivia.

1 p.m.—3 p.m. Exhibit walk-
through/book signing with photog-
rapher Sandy Smith, curator of the
“Portraits of Clay” exhibit. She will
discuss the exhibit and sign the
show catalog.

3 p.m. Eva Perén — The True Story,
this 1996 Argentinean film chronicles
the life of one of Latin America’s

most influential women who died at

the age of 33.

Celebracién ‘97: Living Together in
the Americas Festival continues

Performances:
Noon. Call For Peace Drum and
Dance Company.

| p.m. Humberto Ribeiro De Almei-
da plays Brazilian music. He the win-
ner of many piano competitions in
Brazil, including the prize for “Best
Interpreter of Brazilian Music.” This
performance is sponsored by the
Sao Paulo Illinois/Partners of the
Americas.

2 p.m. Ballet Folklorico de los Her-
manos Avila that includes traditional
Mexican dances, children’s games
and songs of Mexico.

3 p.m. Julio and His Angel (Spanish
with English subtitles.) A heartwarm-
ing story of an 8-year old and his
angel who appears in the form of a
grumpy old man who teaches Julio
the values of life, work, family and
friendship. Parents, bring your chil-
dren to see this movie!

Celebracién ‘97: Living Together in
the Americas School Festival

9:30 a.m. — | p.m. On-going demon-
strations by Field Museum scien-
tists, activities, performances and
tours promoting the Museum's
upcoming permanent exhibit, Living
Together.

9:30 a.m. Julio and His Angel (Span-
ish with English subtitles.) Grades 4
through 8. Monday only, Group regis-

tration required.

Performances:

10:15 a.m, & Noon. Nelson Sosa La
Bamba: Latin American Dances.
Learn the basic steps of Colombian
Cumbia, Caribbean Merengue,
Cuban Cha-Cha-Cha and the authen-
tic La Bamba.

11 a.m. Taller Cocobalé from Anto-
nia Pantoja High School. Celebrat-
ing together with music, dance and
masks of Latin America.

5974

September 1942 :

By September 1942, the Museum had a total of 21
staff members serving in World War II. Included
was trustee Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt .
who died of a heart attack in Normandy, France,

on july 12, 1944. Roosevelt led many expeditions
for The Field Museum, including the 1928 William
V. Kelley-Roosevelt Expedition to Eastern Asia. On
the 1928 expedition, Roosevelt and his brother,
Major Kermit Roosevelt (who also died while serv-
ing in World War 11), collected more than 15,000
zoological specimens. The most noteworthy: a
giant panda.

Because of an exceptional turnout, the Museum
extended its summer lecture series, Backgrounds of
the War. Titles in this series included “China in War
and Peace” and “Materials of Strategic Importance
in War Time.”

October 1942

The Museum began reducing its activities because
of the “heavy and ever growing depletion of its —
staff” serving in World War I]. Museum President
Stanley Field, in an editorial to membership,
wrote: “The hope of the world after the war
depends upon the children who are growing up
today. Museums and kindred institutions have an
essential task in preparing these children to live
better balanced lives both as individuals and as
members of their commiunities in that better world
which we envision, and must establish, if true civi-
lization is to survive after the present world con-
flict, and if further wars are to be made
impossible.” :

Staff taxidermist C.J. Albrecht performed a mercy
killing by shooting a Lincoln Park Zoo elephant, ; cred zir j
“Deed-A-Day,” that was suffering from an incur- 5 » for r of the life-like animal exhibits throughout the Museum,

of taxidermy, is :

able ailment. The zoo contacted Albrecht because
of his knowledge of elephant anatomy and his skill
with a rifle. Albrecht ended the elephant’s life with
a single shot.

ey Field Hall.

The Museum displayed an ancient apron made of
human. bones from Tibet. Lama high priests used
aprons in sacred rites to exorcize and appease
demons, devils and evil spirits. Also on display
were trumpets from Tibet made from thigh bones
of criminals and people who had suffered violent
deaths. The trumpets were used by priests to sum-
mon and disperse evil spirits.

FROM THE FIELD ARCHIVES

imataiogs

Lodging

Enteytainment

New Member Benefit

From Transmedia

Call 1.800.422.5090
to activate your card today

Goi

aad ore

The membership department is pleased to members of the program, as well as some of the donate $2 to The Field Museum (up to a $50
announce a new benefit that gives us a way to best family-oriented restaurants, They include; limit). The Transmedia Card is easy to use — your
thank you for your support. Beginning this sum- 20 percent saving is simply credited each month to

: : Meee
mer, The Field Museum will offer members a com- Red Light, Vivo, Cite’, Mango, Mambo the credit card statement that you designate (Visa,
plimentary Transmedia restaurant discount card, Grill, Yvette and Giordano’s MasterCard, American Express or Discover). There
This benefit will entitle you to receive a 20 percent is no annual fee.

discount on food and beverages purchased at more
ae 250 try deat @ the Chicago areaand more When you use your Transmedia Card, not only will ie ‘

t is ei eedals e. Some of the most you save 20 percent on all food and drinks, but To join Transmedia, call 1.800.422.5090,
acclaimed fine-dining establishments in the city are every time you use the card, Transmedia will Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Dine Out... Save... and Donate!

IN THE FIELD SEPTEMBER*OCTOBER 1997 Ls

Walter Alvarez is professor
of geology and geophysics
at the University of
California, Berkeley. He
is a member of the
National Academy of Sci-
ences. T. rex and the
Crater of Doom is pub-
lished by Princeton Uni-
versily Press ($24.95).

The Museum Web pages
were designed by David
Quednau, a graphic artist
al the Museum, to load
on most home computers
with a standard modem
connection within a
minute.

Field Museum Web Page

Se What's Base
ce Busguen tate

oe Rabie

10 SEPTEMBER*OCTOBER 1997 IN THE FIELD

Whatever Happened To The Dinosaurs?

By Greg Buckley
Collection Manager/Research Assistant
Invertebrate Fossils

hile a graduate student during the mid-

to late ‘80s, one of the most exciting

debates raging in the science of paleon-
tology was what caused the extinction of
dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Prior to the
1970s, evidence for the mass extinction that
wiped out a large chunk of life on the planet
was pretty scarce. However, several important
discoveries were made during that decade
that fundamentally changed the way many
paleontologists view Earth history and that
captured the imaginations of all.

T. rex and the Crater of Doom was written by
one of the major players in the dinosaur
extinction controversy, Walter Alvarez. I, as
well as the rest of the world, became well
acquainted with the work of Alvarez, his father,
Luis, and several colleagues through an article
that appeared in the journal Science in 1980. In
the article, the authors announced the discov-
ery of an increased level of the element iridi-
um in rocks at the boundary of the Cretaceous
and Tertiary time periods. The team conclud-
ed that this was the evidence for an impact
between an extraterrestrial body and the
Earth that resulted in widespread extinctions.
This theory launched a scientific debate that
has not yet ended.

Walter Alvarez's book is a journey through

Walter Aivares

the fieldwork, discoveries, theories, thought
processes and the personal and scientific
cooperation (and feuds) that occurred during
the search for the cause of the extinction
event. There is nobody better suited to tell
this story, since Alvarez was at the center of

the debates the entire time. The book is pri-
marily a narrative of every step along the way:
the evidence for the mass extinctions in both
the terrestrial and marine realms, the barriers
of the typical mind-sets of geologists and
paleontologists that had to be torn down, and
the rigors of how science works when new the-
ories are proposed. The Alvarez team and the
theory of catastrophic collisions have faced
numerous challenges, as well they should.
Theories need to be raked over hot coals,
holes need to be examined and alternate
explanations of evidence need to be exam-
ined. Only if a theory can withstand all this
abuse can it be taken seriously. It is a funda-
mental trait of science that theories are never
absolutely proved, only disproved.

T. rex and the Crater of Doom concludes with
the discovery of the Chicxulub crater near the
Yucatan Peninsula and with the asteroid
impacts that occurred last year on Jupiter.
Both events have convinced most scientists
that an impact did occur. One of the major
arguments against the asteroid theory was that
no crater of the right age and the right size
was known. Even though additional scientific
evidence will be discovered in the future,
either providing additional support for the
asteroid theory or smashing it to pieces,
Alvarez's book is a fascinating story for those
that are well acquainted with the controversy,
as well as those who haven't cracked open a
science book in years.

Museum’s Web Page Undergoes Overhaul

By Robert Vosper

t the end of September, The Field Muse-
um will unveil its new Web site (http:
//www.fmnh.org) that will allow anyone with
an Internet connection to take an online jour-
ney into the heart of the Museum with a sim-
ple click of the mouse.
“The old site (http:
/Iwww.bvis.uic.edu/
museum/) just doesn't
cover the richness of The
Field Museum," says Brad
Loetel, the Museum's Web
developer. “Our new Web
page will give people who
may never get the chance
to visit the Museum a taste
of what we are all about.”

Field Museum Web Page

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entlection pad a watt ronanoed sclemtitie otett,
the cpsnen Ia taceted ae Chicago's heawtetet
feke tront camipes.

Though the Museum's old Web site
earned many awards and received on average
40,000 hits a week, very little has been added
since its creation in 1994. In fact, the old site
evolved from an imaging experiment with the
University of Illinois at Chicago's department
of biomedical visualization (BVIS). For the last
three years, the department has graciously

maintained the Museum's pages on their Web
server.
“The old site focused on the Museum's

Life Over Time exhibit,” says Lori Breslauer,
project administrator and special assistant to
the vice president of academic affairs, who
heads the Web site development team.
“About a year ago we decided to broaden the
site so it was more reflective of the entire
Museum, specifically to add elements on our
collections and research programs. Once we
started working on that we decided it was time
to completely overhaul the site and to main-
tain it on our own server.”

The first thing visitors to the new site will
encounter is a “splash page” that lasts for a

few seconds and contains animations or static
images relating to a new scientific discovery,
exhibit or event. This page will then automati-
cally load the main page that includes the fol-
lowing menu:

What’s New

Museum Information

Exhibits

Public Programs

Student/Teacher Programs

The Centers for Culture and Environment
Museum Stories: Adventures in The Field
Collections and Research

Museum Services and Sales

Through the main page, visitors can get
information on events, exhibits, membership
programs, job openings, scientific discoveries
and an interactive map of the world showing
where Museum scientists are currently work-
ing. Though visitors can view items for pur-
chase from the Museum's stores and the
photography archives, online transactions will
not yet be available (printable fax or mail
order forms will be offered instead).

As soon as the site is up and running,
Museum staff will begin adding animations,
sounds, movies, a kids’ page and exhibits
designed exclusively for the Web. Further
down the road, they plan to add a password
protected area especially for Field Museum
members, an “Ask the Scientist" chat room,
archived copies of In the Field and a searchable
research database.

“Right now we are concentrating our
efforts on content,” says Breslauer. “The thing
that is so exciting about the Web is that it is so
dynamic. And unlike an exhibit where it is
more difficult to go back and make changes
once it is installed, a Web page is very simple
to keep up to date and fresh.”

Harris Educational Loan Program
Takes The Museum To Chicago Schools

By Dan Brinkmeier
Coordinator, Harris Educational
Loan Program

can't believe it!” exclaims a teacher, literally

jumping up and down with joy. “This is just

what I needed for my class!" she says as she
opens boxes overflowing with carved African
calabashes, musical instruments and bright,
decorated cloth. She chooses one, and heads
out the door — another happy borrower. It’s all
in a day's work for the folks down in the Harris
Loan Program, helping Chicago-area teachers
take the world of The Field Museum right into
their classrooms.

Even educators who consider themselves
experts in using the Museum's educational
resources may not be fully aware that the Har-
ris Loan Program is one of the Museum's hid-
den treasures, a “storehouse of surprises”
linking The Field Museum with the Chicago-
area's educational community.

But Harris is no secret to more than 3,000
of Chicago's public, private and parochial
school teachers, as well as educators from
summer programs and day-care centers. As
school budgets shrink and teachers demand
better science materials to use in their classes,
more area educators will come through the
doors of Harris Loan Center and leave delight-
ed, loaded down with a bull snake diorama or
“Volcanos!” experience box that will no doubt
excite a classroom full of students.

One of the largest, as well as the oldest,
museum outreach programs in the country,
Harris provides teachers from the Chicago area
with an incredible variety of ready-to-use edu-
cational media units covering natural history,
world cultures and contemporary science
issues. Harris Loan is also unique among other
major Chicago educational outreach programs
because of its huge selection of exhibit-relat-
ed themes and media, including video tapes,
slide sets and audio programs. And perhaps
most amazing of all, materials are lent out free
to school teachers in the City of Chicago.

Teachers can choose from three main

types of educational material: exhibit cases
with mounted specimens (around when Harris
was established); “experience boxes” full of
objects and video; and audio and slide sets.

Exhibit cases usually depict natural histo-
ry scenes from the Chicago area, showing wild-
flowers in bloom or the Midwestern opossum
in its environment. Students benefit by being
exposed to the lifelike mounted specimens
and the incredible background paintings (now
a lost art form); if you were a child in a Chicago
school anytime since 1912, you may remember
seeing the cases hanging in school hallways.
Many people still have fond childhood memo-
ties of being transported to some distant pre-
historic world while gazing upon the Trachodon,
or “Duck-billed Dinosaur" exhibit case sitting
on the windowsill of a classroom. Most of the
original cases are still being carried out the
Harris door, standing up to the wear and tear
of many years. Many of the exhibit case
themes are quite popular during certain sea-
sons. Make your reservations early if you want
to borrow the snowshoe rabbit during the win-
ter, or any box with baby birds or bird's eggs
during the spring— they're booked solid!

Today, Harris also lends extremely popu-
lar “experience boxes," that contain touchable
objects, replicas of cultural artifacts, maps,
posters and audiovisual media.

Students can now experience African
music not only by listening, but by actually
playing traditional instruments such as the
xylophone-like balaphon, or the thumb piano,
called a mbira. Students can even look.at
organisms that live beneath the surface of a
woodland pond, conduct scientific research on
the flora and fauna of the Illinois prairie or
learn about the geological processes that
helped shape the Midwest's landscape 300
million years ago. In fact, experience boxes
open up many fascinating worlds.

And the future of the Harris Loan Pro-
gram? Our commitment to helping Chicago's
teachers includes new media and new content
that teachers need. Older materials are being
revised, and prototype CD-ROMs are being

developed that combine video, audio and
visual images in a multimedia learning activity
that can be used by students working alone or
in small groups. A major focus this year is sup-
port of the opening of the new Living Togeth-
er exhibit with hands-on activities that teach
themes such as home and community, image
and identity, and multicultural math. In addi-
tion, we have produced new exhibit case dio-
ramas for the first time in many years.

Especially important are efforts to coordi-
nate the use of Harris materials within all Field
Museum education programming by support-
ing school groups and promoting new exhibits.
Harris promotion efforts also have a brand new
look, with a new Web site catalog that will
keep borrowers updated on new materials,
policy changes and education events.

Perhaps at this very moment, a student
sits in a Chicago classroom, having a staring
contest with a porcupine or a great horned owl
that is on loan from the Harris Program. And
it’s just possible that someday, this student
will carry the same case into the classroom,
when he or she becomes a teacher. Some
things never change, and if a tradition of excel-
lence has made Harris Loan successful for 85
years, then we plan to keep it that way.

To Order

Call 312.922.9410, ext. 495, or fax this form to 312.922.0091. You can
also mail it to: The Field Museum, Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr., Chica-
go, IL 60605, Attn: Museum Stores

(Above): A new exhibit
case box produced by
Mark Kennedy, Harris
preparator, for the
“Dinosaur Families”
exhibit.

The Harris Educational
Loan Center is located on
the ground floor in the
west wing. A catalog of
Harris material is avail-
able on the Web at
<<http://www.fmnh.
org/education/Harris_
Loan>>. Dan Brinkmeier
and his crew can also be
reached at 312.322.
8853.

Harris Loan is open from
Monday to Friday from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sat-
urday from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m.

La ene 7 te ta. | lhe

We ship UPS. Please use a daytime address, no p.o boxes, please.

Name
Address
City, State, Zip a
Membership # Daytime Ph.
ITE SIZE QUANTITY TOTAL
Subtotal
Illinois deliveries add 8.75 % sales tax
Shipping $4
Total

Charge to: VisaJ MasterCard J AMEX!) Discover LI
Account number Exp. Date

Signature
| I Please make checks payable to The Field Museum

lyse. .oemoo Se ean ee Se

IN THE FIELD SEPTEMBER*OCTOBER 1997 i

Feb. 6 —21, 1998 .

on the border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, made

Niagara look like a faucet. After all, it is here where a
three-mile wide river suddenly plunges for 275 feet into the
“Devil's Throat” to create one of nature's great spectacles.

This “great spectacle” is the second stop on a travel
adventure that begins in Buenos Aires — South America’s
most elegant capital, and a city that has managed to retain the
elegant, old-world atmosphere of a European capital — and
ends in the “Waters of Fire,” geothermal pools heated by the
Hudson Volcano in Chile.

After spending a few days in Buenos Aires, Iguassu Falls
and a private working estancia in Pampas (the economic heart
of Argentina), travelers will then fly to the San Carlos de
Bariloche in the center of Argentina’s Lake District — an area

f leanor Roosevelt allegedly remarked that the Iguassu Falls,

116708

EGYPT

And The Nile
By Yacht

February 2 — 16, 1998

o other area of the world

possesses such a concentra-

tion of truly monumental
sights and historic landmarks: the
Pyramids, Abu Simbel, the
Sphinx, Luxor, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. From the
resplendent barges with prows of beaten gold used by the
Pharaohs, to today's colorful feluccas that ply their way on the
Nile, there is an endless list of splendors to explore.

You, too, can follow their ancient paths, enjoying the
fabled sights and absorbing the atmosphere of the country
during an eight-day cruise on the splendid m.s. Nile Empress.
With a maximum capacity of only 50 passengers — accommo-
dated in spacious cabins, each with its own picture window —

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBR.

WOT

3 9088 01371 575

0

FIELD MUSEUM TOURS

of about 300 kilometers that straddles the Andes between
Argentina and Chile. It is here that you will encounter count-
less rivers, lakes, waterfalls, thermal pools, glaciers, abundant
vegetation and wildlife, that, when combined, create one of
the most beautiful landscapes in the world. In fact, the entire
area is part of the Nahuel Huapi National Park, created in 1904
to preserve the region's ecology.

From Bariloche it is on to Puerto Blest — nestled on one
of the western arms of Lake Nahuel Huapi, the Lake District's
biggest lake — for a cruise to Puerto Frias in Chile. From here
a motor coach will take travelers through the Perez Rosales
Pass at 3,300 feet above sea level to Peulla, a small town on
the eastern end of Lago Todos los Santos, considered to be
southern Chile’s most beautiful lake.

The next leg of the trip is perhaps the highlight of the
Museum tour — a cruise aboard the Sforpios III through Chile's
“inside passage,” a narrow waterway protected from the Pacific
Ocean by a chain of islands and fjords. The ship‘s incompara-
ble cuisine synthesizes the best in international cooking with
the authentic culinary traditions of southern Chile to provide a
gustatory bonanza, complemented by the finest Chilean wine.
On Sforpios Ill, travelers will explore the inaccessible byways of
pristine archipelagos, isolated fishing villages, remote fjords
and lagoons, as well as the mile-long face of the spectacular
and incredibly blue San Rafael Glacier.

The cost of impressions of South America ranges from
$5,995 to $7,295, depending on choice of accommodation.
Airfare is not included.

the m.s. Nile Empress is more like a
private yacht than a passenger
ship. But the public areas and
facilities, including sun deck,
pool, bar, lounge and dining
room, make the yacht the equal
of any large luxury liner. Your
Egypt experience will be greatly
enhanced by the excellent lead-
ership of distinguished
Egyptologists Peter Piccione and
Ismail Aly who will conduct all
sightseeing tours and shore
excursions. Through their special lectures and through visits to
exclusive sites not open to the public, travelers will gain rare
insights into the people and culture of the “Land of the
Pharaohs.” On this trip you will also experience the Nile as few
Americans ever will. However, our relaxed pace allows every-
one to pursue their own interests without missing one pre-
cious moment of this magnificent tour. The Museum is offering
a special rate of $5,770 that includes land, cruise and economy
air. Also available is an optional six-day extension to Jordan.

‘A

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|