o9g0z 9g ‘uoRbULYseEM ped @30N 99S N @A¥Y UOLANZLAsSUOD BF “4S YAOT yaxg AJBIGLL/FSUT YURLUOSyaLWS tay yom uM #, In the 5-12 14 The Museum receives single largest corporate gift in its history from Monsanto. A complete schedule of November/December events, including the Museum's lineup for the Chicago An invitation to the Women's Board Holiday Tea Celebration. Humanities Festival. living together Pages 7 ~ 10 Living Together is a public-learning project about human diversity that will help visitors explore differences and similarities among cul- : tures. The project includes a permanent exhibit ; opening Nov. 8, 1997. The Field Brings Home “Sue” The Largest and Most Complete Tyrannosaurus rex Ever Discovered By Robert Vosper Sotheby's in New York City on Oct. 4, 1997, nine bidders, including the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the Dallas Museum of Natural History, were locked in an intense battle to purchase “Sue” — the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex ever unearthed. Starting with an opening bid of $500,000, the price for “Sue” rapidly surpassed $6 million, leaving two remaining bidders — an unidentified party and The Field Museum. When the bidding finally peaked at $7.6 mil- lion, the rest, as they say, is history. “We really wanted ‘Sue’ because we felt she was too important scientifically to end up in a private collection," said Field Museum President John McCarter immediately after the auction. “Our goal was to make this fossil avail- able for scientific study, public education and display.” When Sotheby's adds its buyer's premium, the Museum's final bill for the world's most cel- ebrated fossil will total $8,362,500. Richard Gray, president of the Art Dealers Association of America and a close friend of McCarter's, assisted the Museum throughout the bidding process. In a private room over- looking the main auditorium, Gray, McCarter and Peter Crane, vice president of acade- mic affairs and director, phoned the Museum's bids to the auction floor. According to Gray, after the Muse- um placed its $7.6 million bid there was a long pause as auctioneer David Redden waited for a counterbid, something that never materialized. “After a while the tension got so intense that I looked at Redden and kept saying to myself, ‘hit the hammer, hit the hammer!” said Gray. ; After Redden finally dropped the hammer to close the auction, Gray then made his way from the private room, through a standing-room-only crowd, to the podium. His announcement that The Field Museum was now the proud owner of the 65- million-year-old fossil was met with an explo- sion of applause. The Museum's purchase would not have been possible without the support of individ- ual and corporate donors, especially McDon- ald's Corporation, Walt Disney World Resort, The California State University system and the Pritzker family. “We're honored to work with The Field Museum, one of the world's best known and ts eight minutes on Saturday morning at most respected scientific institutions,” said Jack Greenberg, chairman, McDon- ald's USA. “By working with our partners at Disney to help The Field Museum acquire this national treasure, we'll be able to ensure that Sue’ will be shared with the broadest possible audience. We see this as McDonald's gift to the world for the millennium.” “Sue,“ which has been assigned specimen No. PR2081 in the geology department fossil collections, will be prepared in public in the McDonald’s Fossil Preparatory Laboratory to be developed at The Field Museum. Once the original fossil, which is more than 40 feet long, is mounted and on public dis- play at the Museum, a life-size, replica cast of the completed skeleton will be showcased in DinoLand U.S.A. in Dis- ney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. DinoLand U.S.A. is sponsored by McDonald's. “We too are delighted to have been part of a consortium that has acquired this incredible specimen for The Field Museum, ensuring that it is preserved for all future generations to enjoy," said Al Weiss, pres- ident of Walt Disney World. “Using the unique storytelling ability of our Imagineers, Disney's Animal Kingdom will be able to tell the story of ‘Sue’ and other extinct dinosaurs, further enhancing our guests’ understanding and enjoyment of these once magnificent creatures,” he added. As part of McDonald's millennium celebra- tion, The Field Museum will develop exhibits featuring two additional life-size casts of “Sue” to travel throughout the United States and around the world, bringing the excitement and educational value of the most complete T. rex to a broad audience. Experts from the Califor- nia higher education system and the Getty Conservation Institute will join The Field Muse- um in developing new state-of-the-art tech- niques for conserving and displaying this unique paleontological treasure. Public prepa- ration of the fossil will take place at The Field Museum throughout 1988 and 1999. The origi- nal bones will be mounted and displayed in 2000. “This is the end of a chapter in the story of ‘Sue’ in that we now know where ‘Sue’ will be,” said Peter Crane. “But it is the start of a whole bunch more chapters in learning about this animal.” Although Tyrannosaurus rex, named almost a century ago, is the most widely recognized dinosaur in the world, much remains to be understood about this remarkable animal. In fact, only four specimens are known that are more than about 60 percent complete. “It is the biggest of all the T. rex fossils ever found,” explained John Flynn, MacArthur Cura- tor of fossil mammals and chair of the geology department. “It is upwards of 85 percent to 90 percent complete, which is an incredibly rare kind of preservation. This will allow us, for the first time, to access the complete anatomy of a single individual.” Research on “Sue” will also help answer the question as to whether T. rex was an active hunter or a scavenger feeding on already dead carcasses. In addition, the completeness of the specimen will allow more detailed studies of the biology, growth and behavior of T. rex than have previously been possible. For example, preliminary observations by Museum paleon- tologists indicate that "Sue” did not lead a quiet life. It is believed she has a broken and healed left fibula, ribs and tail bones; bite and puncture wounds on the left side of the skull; and a muscle reattachment to the right humerus. This evidence will hopefully provide new insights into the life and times of one of largest flesh eaters to inhabit the Earth. "Sue" — which is believed to be female because of her size (female dinosaurs, like their close relatives the predatory birds, are larger than males) — was discovered by Susan Hendrickson (hence the fossil's name), near Faith, S.D., and excavated in 1990 by the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, Inc. on land belonging to Maurice Williams. As a mem- ber of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Williams' land was held in trust by the federal government. After Black Hills Institute paid Williams $5,000 for the fossil, the federal gov- ernment seized the material after it was found that the Black Hills Institute had not obtained the necessary excavation permits. After a pro- tracted legal battle, the federal courts eventu- ally awarded ownership to Williams. Acting on behalf of Williams’ interests, the federal gov- ernment placed “Sue” on the auction block. Williams will receive most of the proceeds from the sale. Photo Courtesy of Sotheby's (Above): The skull of “Sue” is over 5 feet long and has more than 36 dagger-like teeth. (Left): A tooth from “Sue” that is more than 11 inches long and serrat- ed like a steak knife for cutting. The tooth is now on display in Stanley Field Hall. John Weinstein /GN88120,12c (Middle): Ghanaian zoologist Christopher Gor- don conducting research in Ghana's Volta River. On October 22, the Museum presented Gordon with the Parker/Gentry Award for his conservation efforts. The award, which recog- nizes a conservationist whose innovative work in preserving the world's nat- ural habitats has yet to receive much publicity, is an outgrowth of the Museum's environmental program. Conservation and Science Between The Pages n unprecedented challenge faces us as we approach the new millennium: bal- ancing the natural resource needs of a swelling global popula- tion while halting the rising rate of environ- mental destruction. In The Diversity of Life, biol- ogist Edward O. Wilson predicts that we are in the midst of one of the greatest extinction spasms in geological history. Looking at the rate of tropical rain for- est destruction alone, Wilson estimates that three species an hour are doomed to extinc- tion. Most, if not all these species, are unknown to science. Understanding the complexities of our environmental challenge is not easy. Though | am fortunate to be surrounded by the nation’s top scientists, | have found books like Wilson's to be an invaluable source in placing this chal- lenge in perspective. And, as my colleagues upstairs remind me, no single book can tell the entire story. For example, in Humanity's Descent, Rick Potts offers an illuminating premise that links the rise of Homo sapiens sapiens to domination with the uncanny ability of our ancient rela- tives to adapt swiftly to dramatic habitat dis- turbances, a gift that remains the hallmark of our survival. Ironically, this gift — our ability to control, harness and manipulate the environ- ment — may also lead to our demise. Jared Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel takes this theory one step further and suggests that imbalances in the world's environmental resources have allowed some cultures to rise oouDifbamy Christopher Gordon to domination at the expense of others. The consequence of our ability to manip- ulate the environment is vividly told in an epic examination by David Quammen in The Song of The Dodo of the inability of island envi- ronments to sustain life. After exploring the relationship between physical isolation and the struggle of life, Quammen then suggests that in our pursuit to expand and develop, we have sliced the once vast expanses of main- land environments into so many isolated pockets that untold species across the conti- nents now face the same bleak future as their island counterparts. On a more emotional level, Jonathan Harr in A Civil Action — recommended to me by long-time Museum member Jean Carton — tells a chilling story of how environmental inaction and delay can lead to incredible human tragedy. In this true story from the 1970s, parents in Woburn, Mass., watched helplessly as their children fell victim to a rare form of leukemia. Only after being involved in a legal drama worthy of a John Grisham novel did two large companies eventually admit to dumping trichloroethylene and other industri- al chemicals into the town's water supply. Researchers at The Field Museum are acutely aware of the complexities of the envi- ronmental problems we face. By turning the pages of In the Field you can catch a glimpse at the Museum’s wide-ranging involvement in conservation and environmental programs. For example, Museum researchers are document- ing biodiversity using rapid assessments in unexplored areas of South America, the results of which are being used by decision makers in these regions to set conservation priorities. We also have scientists conducting environmental assessments in the Chicago area in an attempt to preserve Illinois’ remain- ing natural prairies. These are just a few exam- ples of the Museum's commitment to finding solutions to our environmental predicament. The titles mentioned in this column are also just a few examples of the books that Museum members have recommended to me during my first year as president. Others include Murder in The Museum of Man, a humor- ous look at museum politics (recommended by Museum member Marion Lloyd), and T-Rex and The Crater of Doom, Walter Alvarez’s behind- the-scenes account of the birth of the contra- versial theory linking an asteroid impact with the extinction of the dinosaurs. As the weather turns cooler over the holi- day season, | hope you will find the time to read some of these books because I think they may help shed light on how important your support is to the Museum's scientific and cultural mission. Enjoy the holidays and the new year. John W. McCarter, Jr. Field Museum President and CEO Adler Planetarium oliday Festival of Lights: The Adler Plan- etarium & Astronomy Museum will pre- sent a week-long extravaganza to learn about all things that shine (or seem to) in the and activitie most of what Holiday Fes Friday, Decem December 31 at 2:15 p.m. : Shedd Aquarium void the 11:59 rush and celebrate the arrival of 1998 with your family at Shedd Aquarium's Kiddie New Year, Wednes- day, December 31, from 3 — 6 p.m. The fun- filled afternoon includes a special marine mammal presentation, a last look at the “Frogs!” special exhibit (which closes Decem- ber 31), craft activities, games, music and food. The highlight is welcoming in the new year — at 5 p.m. — with an underwater countdown by an aquarium diver in the 90,000-gallon coral reef exhibit. Tickets are $21 for children ages 3 to 11 and $25 for nder attend for free. ‘élose to the general public 2 p.ti {hat day, so reservations are required. For more information, call 312.939.2438. eS NOVEMBER*DECEMBER 1997 NOVEMBER:':DECEMBER 1997 Vol. 68, No. 6 The Field Museum Editor/Designer: : Robert Vosper Exploring The Earth And Its Production Director: People Shi Yung 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 Jn 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 Jn the Field, The Field Museum, Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr,, Chicago, IL 60605-2496. Second class postage paid at Chicago, lfinaes. IN THE FIELD A Chinese — American Connection Some Unusual Plant And Animal Disjunctions In Biogeography And What They Tell Us By Bill Burger Curator of Vascular Plants Botany Department e all know that plants and animals are not distributed evenly around the world. If you want to see kangaroos, you visit Australia, not South America. If you have gone to Africa to see wild tigers, you are out of luck (they only live in Asia). Despite preferring cold waters, polar bears and penguins never get to see each other (except in zoos). And so it goes — many areas of the world have animals and plants found nowhere else. But then again, some ani- mals and plants are geographically very wide- ranging. The mountain lion originally roamed nonstop from Alaska to the southem tip of South America, Cheetah populations once ranged from southem Africa to India. The study of animal and plant distributions, bio- geography, is a discipline that can tell us a lot about the ecology of a region and perhaps also something about its history. An early puzzle of biogeography centered on the discovery of unusual similarities between the flora and fauna of eastern Asia and the eastern United States. The world has only two kinds of tulip trees, only two alligator species, only two paddlefishes and only two species of the lizard’s tail plant (Saururus). In each of these pairs, one lives in easter China while the other lives in the eastern United States. They are each other's closest relatives and found nowhere else in the world. Museum Receives Single Largest Corporate It is easy to find many more of these bio- geographic similarities. For example, there are three species of Sassafras (the sassafras tree) and Symplocarpus (the skunk cabbage); both genera have one species in China, one in Japan and one in the easter United States. And there are three species of the red-flow- ered trumpet creeper (Campsis), with two in China and one in the United States. The strange family of giant amphibians that includes the hellbender of the eastern Ozarks and the western Allegheny mountains also has two related species in China. Again, these organisms are not found anywhere else in the world. Some related groups of freshwater tur- tles, while distributed more widely, also have their greatest concentration of species in east- em Asia and eastern North America. When closely related species are separated by unusually large distances we call them dis- juncts, and when we look at fauna and flora of eastern Asia and eastern North America we are seeing an unusual number of both plant and animal disjunctions. What has been going on here? Patterns are important. Asa Gray, Harvard University’s first professor of botany, was the earli- est to comment on this patter in 1846. After studying shipments of plants collected in Japan, he became aware of the unusual similarity between easter Asian flora and the plants he was studying from the eastern United Gift In Its History From Monsanto t an Oct. 15. 1997 campaign celebration of the Museum's current $60 million fund drive, the Monsanto Company announced a $4 million grant in support of a new exhibit that will take visitors literally underground to learn about the science of soil. It is the single largest corporate gift in The Field Museum's 104-year history. “Monsanto is an ideal partner for us,” said John McCarter, Field Museum president. “We share a research interest in science and conservation, and a public interest in educat- ing people of all ages about today’s most pressing environmental issues. We look for- ward to working together on several educa- tional projects.” The first of those is Life Underground: Foundations of the Biosphere, a new perma- nent exhibit that is scheduled to open in the spring of 1999. Monsanto will contribute $3 million to the $12 million project, which focuses on soil ecosystems and the vital role they play in sustaining life on Earth. The additional $1 million will go toward educational programs at the Museum, includ- ing an annual “Good Earth Celebration“ for students throughout the city and “Wild in Chicago,” a weekend festival involving more than 30 environmental organizations. A por- tion of the grant will also support the November 14 Women's Board event, “Amazo- nia: A Night in the Rainforest,” which will raise funds for environmental research and education. “This grant symbolizes our long-term commitment to environmental education,” said Nicholas L. Reding, vice chairman of Monsanto. “We look forward to growing this relationship beyond the walls of this impor- tant institution to the people of Chicago.” In Life Underground visitors will journey through an underground gallery to view roots, fungi and soil organisms at up to 100 times their normal size, coming face-to-face with a giant centipede, ant, or snail — to mention just a few of the animals that make their liv- ing in the dirt. The exhibit will demonstrate what makes for healthy soil; how soil ecosys- tem affects other parts of the environment (like water, air and wildlife); and why sustain- ability of soil systems throughout the world must be a priority heading into the 21st cen- tury. Highlights of the 15,000-square-foot exhibit include a Midwestern soil research center, a theater with a Global Backyard program that reveals the differences in soil systems around the world and a Mud Room with actual specimens and soil and water experiments. The 97-year-old Monsanto Company has its roots and headquarters in St. Louis. In Jan- uary 1997, the company announced that it would focus its research on life sciences and spin off its chemical businesses into a compa- ny called Solutia. Two of Monsanto's largest businesses are based in the Chicago area: its pharmaceutical sector (Searle) in Skokie and its nutrition and consumer products sector in Chicago. The company has been in the soil busi- ness for decades, with much of its research focusing on sustainable productivity in agri- culture. Its research has led to increased agri- cultural yields through weed, virus and insect control and the development of sustainable farming practices. States. Many animal genera sowed a similar repeating pattern over a wide range of groups. When unrelated creatures have the same kind of unusual geography there should to be an underlying explanation. But are these patterns really meaningful? Such disjunctions are not very apparent between some animal and plant genera with many widespread species. Oaks, maples and pines have hundreds of species found widely across the northern hemisphere and it is not clear that there are similar kinds of unusual disjunctions in these groups. Among the thousands of species in eastem Asia and in the eastern United States, a few distinctive disjunctions may be statistically insignificant. But alligators and tulip trees are very unusual organisms. Is it possible that they are carrying a message from the past? As the plant and animal disjunctions became better known, the idea developed that perhaps these creatures were the sur- vivors of a warm-temperate forest that was much more widespread tens of millions of Continued on page 13 (Below): The North American species of pad- dlefish (Polyodon spathula). This speci- men has been stained for research purposes. Note: Photo courtesy of Lance Grande as appear- ing in the March 1991 Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, “Osteolo- gy and Phylogenetic rela- tionships of fossil and recent paddlefishes (Poly- odontidae) with comments on the interrelationships of Acipenseriformes,” by Lance Grande and William E. Bemis. Ron Testa/ GN85324.1C Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation : Filing date: October 1, 1997. Title: In the Field. Publication no. 898940. Frequency of publication: Bimonthly. Number of issues published annually: 6, Annual subscription price: $6. Office: Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605-2496. Publisher: The Field Museum, Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605-2496. Editor: Robert Vosper, The Field Museum, Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605-2496. Owner: The Field Museum, Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605-2496. i 4 Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders: None. The purpose and function of this organization and the exempt status for = # federal income tax purposes have not changed during the preceding 12 months, i 4 Total copies printed £ Paid and/or requested circulation (sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales) Paid and/or requested mail Subscriptions Total paid and/or requested circulation 4 Free Distbution by mail Free Distribution outside mail Total free distribution Total distribution Copies not distributed, office use, leftovers, spoiled Returns from news agencies 4 Total 2 Percent paid and/or requested circulation A = Average number of copies each issue during preceding 12 months _ B=Actual number of copies of single issue published nearest filing date B 26,000 none 22,616 22,616 1,402 fone 1,402 24,018 1,982 none 26,000 94.16 | certify that all information furnished above is tue and complete. /s/ Jimmie W. Croft, vice president of finance and Museum services. IN THE FIELD NOVEMBER*DECEMBER 1997 3 S. SALE S December 5, 6 & 7 Double Your Discount For three days, Field Museum members will receive 20 per- cent off all merchandise in our three stores, which are open daily. The Main Store Come visit the main store for an exciting new look and a wide variety of unique gift ideas: *#% gourmet foods from around the world #8 beautiful hand-made items that support indigenous crafts people and local conservation efforts around the globe £3 ornaments and holiday items to deck your halls with an international flair #3 new jewelry, stationery, apparel and much more DinoStore £3 one-stop shopping for the dinosaur fan on your list The Kid’s Market £ stocking stuffers galore, with an educational twist Bring your Membership card and come explore our stores Bushman Is On The Move n Jan, 1, 1951, Chicagoans lost a dear friend: a 6-foot-2-inch, 600 pound, low- land gorilla by the name of Bushman. When Bushman died at the age of 23, after spending most of his life at Chicago's Lin- coln Park Zoo, his body was acquired by The Field Museum as specimen No. Z-9815. After Field Museum taxidermists Leon Walters and Frank Wonder prepared the hide for a model constructed by Joe Krstolich, the Museum installed Bushman in Stanley Field Hall, just south of the fighting elephants. In 1986, he was moved downstairs near the children’s store. At the end of the summer, Bushman was again relocated, this time to protect him from ground-floor construction on a new per- manent exhibit and to honor him with a place in the Museum worthy of his populari- ty and prominence. The Chicago icon now stands guard atop the staircase on the sec- ond floor, at the north end of the building. The picture above is a 1944 illustration by Charles Knight. living together Exhibit Preview, Lecture and Book Signing Tuesday, Nov. 4, 1997 5-9 p.m. The Field Museum invites members to a pre- view of Living Together — a new permanent exhibit about human diversity that will help visitors explore differences and similarities among cultures (see p.7). Following the pre- view will be a 7 p.m. lecture and book sign- ing in the James Simpson Theater with: Mary Catherine Bateson For lecture only: $3 members; $5 nonmember guests (please pay at door) Mary Catherine Bateson is a noted cultural anthropologist and linguist, best-selling author and scholar. Her research is rooted in cultural anthropology and the study of communication. Recently, her emphasis has been on adaptation to change, especially in life cycle and gender roles. Bateson is the author of such well-known books as Peripheral Visions: Learning Along the Way, Composing a Life and With A Daughter's Eye: A Memoir of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson. She is the Clarence J. Robinson Profes- sor of anthropology and English at George Mason University. After the lecture, Bateson will sign copies of her most recent work Peripheral Vision. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. For more information, please call 312.922.9410, ext. 871. NOVEMBER*DECEMBER 1997 IN THE FIELD li/ ] Saturday Teen Quest: Designing Your Future (Teen Program} 9 a.m. —5 p.m. For the first time, the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium and The Field Museum will join forces to introduce high-school age students to some of the many interesting career possibilities in museums (museums use the talents of many people, from artists to zoologists). Go behind the scenes at each institution and meet the scientists, educa- tors, exhibit designers and animal-care special- ists to get the answers you need to explore and design your future. Participants will begin the day at The Field Museum. Resource materials on schools and internships will be avail- able. Lunch is included. $35 ($30 members of Adler, Shedd, or Field). To register, please call the Shedd Aquarium at 312.986.2300. 11/1 Saturday Quarry Fossil Hunt 7 a.m. — 2 p.m. Visit a local working quarry rich in fossils from the Ordovician period (400 million years ago) with education staff member Peter Laraba. Sharp eyes are required as we search through soil piles for brachiopods, bryozoans, gas- tropods and rare trilobites. Discussion of the local geology and demonstrations of collecting techniques will be included. Bring a variety of plastic bags for your samples, as well as a bag lunch and beverage. Dress for a day in a work- ing quarry. Departs from the west door. $35 ($30 members). Call 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. I 1/ 5 Wednesday Corn: The Giver of Life 6 — 8 p.m. For centuries, corn, unlike any other crop, has been symbolic to the Americas for its various uses as food and for the many products that can be made from the plant. Corn was grown and used by the Aztec, the Maya and the Inca; corn images can be found in their religious, cultural and social practices. Instruc- tor Teri Cortes Duncan will identify the differ- ent types of corn and will teach you how to prepare a sampling of corn dishes, including Aztec corn and lime soup, blue corn poppy- seed muffins and corn ice cream. Tours through Museum exhibits will also be includ- ed. $36 ($32 members) Call 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. 11/6 - 11/20 Thursdays The Role of Native American Women in Ritual & Religion 6 — 8 p.m. (three sessions). In this collaborative course, Rosalyn LaPier — member of Blackfeet nation of Montana and the Native American Educational Services (NAES) College — will explore the role that Native women played within their people’s cosmology and societies. Most scholars acknowledge that precolonial Native women had status and power similar to men within their societies. The question that most scholars ask is how and why this status was attained. When answering this question, most scholars explore the secular world, focus- ing on the economic, political and social func- tion of Native women. For some tribes the significant role that women play in their soci- eties is founded in the origin narratives and the tribe's cosmological history. $53 ($47 members) John Weinstein/ GN86072.10C. 11/12 — 11/14 The Epic of Evolution Conference 9 a.m. — 5:30 p.m. The Field Museum, in con- junction with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Chicago’s WYCC-TY, is sponsoring The Epic of Evolution Conference as part of the Program of Dialogue Between Science and Religion. This conference will provide an accurate account of the inter- action between the evolutionary sciences and religious thoughts by offering presentations on contemporary evolutionary science, the history of religious responses to evolution and religious and philosophical reflections on the find- ings of evolutionary science. This confer- ence will be videotaped to produce educational materials and a pro- gram for future broadcast on WYCC. For further details and registra- tion information, call 312.922.9410, ext. 673. ] I /30 Sunday Baskets and Their Makers In Rural Japan, Lecture 1 p.m. Louise Cort, curator for ceramics for the Sackler and Freer Galleries at the Smithsonian Institution will discuss the exhibit, “A Basket- maker in Rural Japan” — on display from Nov. 28, 1997 to Feb. 8, 1998. The exhibit features sturdy and meticulously crafted bamboo bur- den baskets, fishing creels, kitchen storage bas- kets and farm implements made by basketmaker Hiroshima Kazuo. According to Mr. Hiroshima, “The handmade thing forms a link between the hearts of the person who made it and the person who uses it.” Louise Cort visited Mr. Hiroshima in Japan on several occasions and experienced his basketmaking techniques firsthand. Through a slide-illustrated lecture, you will visit his hometown and dis- cover the roles of the baskets and basketmak- ers there. No fee; preregistration is not required. Call 312.322.8854 for more informa- tion or to register. l 2/ 5 Friday Behind The Scenes With Invertebrates 6 —8 p.m. Invertebrates are animals (like snails, crabs, starfish, jellyfish and squids) with- out backbones. Explore the environmental importance of these fascinating animals when you go behind the scenes with John Slapcinsky in the Field Museum’s invertebrate collection. Use a microscope to observe hundreds of tiny snail and clam shells in a sample of sand; see living snails and slugs; touch a squid; and learn about the factors that threaten some invertebrate species. You will also learn about the scientific staff who study them. Adults and children grades 3 and up. $10 per participant ($8 per member participant). Call 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. 12/ 6 Saturday The Art of Native American Doll Making 10 a.m. — 2p.m. Learn to make two Native American dolls, male and female, in the Plains Indian style with the owner of Okee-Chee’s Wild Horse Gallery. Artist Sharon Skolnick will take you through a step-by-step process giving you the skills and knowledge to create dolls made of hand-sewn and hand-painted canvas. You can also learn to add beadwork or shells to a buckskin shirt or dress. All supplies are provided. $50 ($45 members) 12/13 Saturday Season's Celebration 1 —3 p.m. As we approach the winter solstice (the day when the sun is at its low point and the days are the shortest of the year) it is a good time to reflect on the ways cultures have celebrated this season. Throughout the cen- turies, many cultures have created festivals and rituals that feature light in different forms. Join education staff member Kristie Webber to learn about some festivals around the world as you create take-home decorations made with nat- ural materials for your own celebration. Adults and children grades K — 4. $10 per participant ($8 per member participant). 12/ 15 Saturday The Art of Stone Tool Manufacture 10 — 11:30 a.m. Join Noel Justice, assistant director and curator of the Glenn A. Black Lab- oratory of Archaeology at Indiana University, and explore the ways of life of prehistoric peo- ples through an overview of archaeological time periods, prehistoric cultures and their chipped stone tool technologies. Slides will illustrate arrowhead types and other tools, as well as how they are identified, what they rep- resent and how an archaeologist uses them to reconstruct prehistoric time periods. $24 ($21 members). Call 312.322.8854 for more infor- mation or to register. (Left): A rare trilobite. (Below): A prehistoric man creating a stone tool. AVI 1658. 12/ 15 Saturday Plants For The Holiday Season 9:30 — 11:30 a.m. Human cultures have long associated plants with the cycles of the seasons and nature. Join education staff member Kristie Webber and learn about the symbolic history of selected plants, including juniper, fir, rose- mary and yew. Then make a 14-inch wreath using a variety of mixed evergreens with herbs and dried flowers added for accent. This wreath is intended for outdoor use. Please bring sharp clippers and a box or bag to carry your wreath home. $36 ($32 members). Call 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. (Above); In the 1920s and 1930s, baskets like these were used to store rice and to drain water from sea salt. (Top Right): Japanese basketmaker Hiroshima Kazuo constructing a basket in his workshop. A Basketmaker In Rural Japan Nov. 28, 1997 to Feb. 8, 1998 Basketmaker in Rural Japan,” an extraordi- nary exhibit that celebrates the life work of Japanese basketmaker Hiroshima Kazuo, opens at The Field Museum on Nov. 28, 1997 and continues through Feb. 8, 1998. Born in 1915, Mr. Hiroshima is the last professional basketmaker in the mountainous Hinokage region on the island of Kyushu in southern Japan. The exhibit presents a comprehensive col- lection of 106 objects, including bamboo bur- den baskets, fishing creels, kitchen storage baskets and farm implements crafted by Mr. Hiroshima, as well as a complete set of basket- making tools. The baskets are presented not as precious objects, but as functional items that demonstrate exceptional craftsmanship. The “The nodes of a bamboo stalk may divide it into many separate sections, but in its heart it always stretches in a single line straight toward the sky” Hiroshima Kazuo exhibit also includes a spe- cial 10-minute video in which Mr, Hiroshima shares his thoughts of what it means to be a craftsman. For visitors, “A Basket- maker in Rural Japan“ is an opportunity to appreciate the spirit and dedication of a master bamboo crafts- man. The exhibit not only focuses on the craft of bas- ketmaking, but also on the reflections of the basket- maker — his ideas about workmanship and his reflections on the meaning of baskets as handmade objects. According to Mr. Hiroshima, “Making a good basket is not a process about thinking what to do. It's more like a form of prayer.” Mr. Hiroshima has been producing baskets for rural communities for 64 years. Using local bamboo and paying great attention to detail, Mr. Hiroshima constructs the baskets that are in demand by the island's residents. Fishing, farming and lumber har- vesting are the mainstay of the Hinokage economy. The baskets Mr. Hiroshima creates also reflect the everyday lives of the islanders. In November 1992, Mr, Hiroshima received a Ministry of Labor award as an “Outstanding Contemporary Craftsman.” Due to the economic transformation of the region and the popularity of plastics, bamboo basketmaking began to disappear in Hinokage. Currently, Mr. Hiroshima is the last active bas- ketmaker in the region. Exhibit Development akamura Kenji, a Hinokage craft researcher, commissioned Mr. Hiroshima to replicate his basket styles for donation to the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibit draws from the collection belonging to Naka- mura Kenji and his wife, Kunio, as well as from a collection of baskets woven by Mr. Hiroshi- ma between 1985 and 1988, and donated by Nakamura Kunio to the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Infor- mation about the baskets and their uses is based on Nakamura Kenji’s research and the field research of the exhibit's Smithsonian curator, Louise Cort. “A Basketmaker in Rural Japan” was orga- nized by the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smith- sonian Institution, Washington, D.C., from the collection of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Support for this exhibit was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Special Exhibition Fund and Nip- pon Express Co., Ltd. Sisters of the Great Lakes Art of American Indian Women Dec. 20, 1997 to March 29, 1998 isters of the Great Lakes“ is a celebration of Native women: their endurance, cul- York, Illinois, Wisconsin and Canada. The clay sculpture (right), titled “Three Sisters,” was created by artist Tammy Tarbell-Boehning. In her sculptures, the artist incor- porates the shapes and designs of traditional Iroquois pottery and tries to capture the essence of Native American women’s spirituality. The exhibit is free with general admission. ture and dreams. The exhibit brings together the artistic visions of 20 Native American artists who demonstrate, through a collection of mixed-media works, what it means to be Native and female in contemporary soci- ety. The female artists in this exhibit represent a variety of trib- al groups from Michigan, New Opens ppbeniber - fF or many years, about the only thing most = Americans knew about cultures outside 5 perhaps Canada and Mexico came from museum exhibits, magazines like National Geo- graphic and PBS specials. For a brief minute, these mediums would catapult the audience to worlds that were mystical, exotic and fan- tastical. Occasionally, the viewer would catch a glimpse of a cultural practice that seemed primitive and bizarre, like the Mursi women of Omo Valley in Ethiopia with wooden plates in their lips or the Kuna men of eastern Panama planting crops with wooden sticks. The world today is much smaller, and the people we once stared at on television and on the pages of magazines are now our neigh- bors, co-workers and classmates. However, as we walk through downtown Chicago and encounter people from all over the world, often our reactions to different cultural prac- tices have not changed. Many of us still con- sider practices that are different from ours as strange and bizarre. But who cares? After all, isn't our culture the norm from which all oth- ers deviate? But is our culture really the norm? Pre- tend for a second that you are the Mursi woman or the Kuna man and you just read a magazine article about a Los Angeles man using steroids to increase his muscle mass or a Chicago woman commuting for two hours each way between work and home, Wouldn't you think that these “American” practices are somewhat bizarre and extreme? When we don’t know the reasons for dif- ferent cultural approaches and we believe that our culture is the norm, the result is often misunderstanding and conflict. But how do we begin to find a way to get beyond fear and conflict toward appreciation, understanding and respect of cultural diversity? One answer is to offer people a frame- work they can use to understand that these seemingly “bizarre” cultural practices (like lip plates) are different responses to global con- cerns that everyone is exposed to. And that the response to these concerns is the result of a complex equation where constraining factors like environment and history interact with pat- terns of creativity to create culture. fiwing together the Bwolation fn 1992, President Emeritus Sandy Boyd felt | : that although the Museum had many ® exhibits showcasing the world’s cultures, it was not doing enough to explain contempo- rary cultural diversity, nor preparing people to live in a world where cultures were coming together at a rapid rate. Between 1992 and 1994, exhibit develop- ers, members of the Museum's Center of Cul- tural Understanding and Change (CCUC) and Museum educators explored and discarded a number of different approaches to Boyd's con- cern. In 1994, the team decided to take a risk and create an exhibit unlike anything the Museum had attempted: an exhibit based on a conceptual framework, derived from the major tenets of anthropology, that would explain cultural diversity and provide visitors with the tools to appreciate cultural diversity, rather than just celebrate it. They also wanted visitors to see themselves in the displays and to walk away understanding that there are as many connections among cultures as differ- ences. Hiwing together ~~ the concept / ith everyone agreeing that the exhibit W would be based on a conceptual frame- work, there remained one huge obstacle: explaining the reasons for cultural diversity within the visual medium of an exhibit. The answer was to put a team of exhibit develop- ers and designers, anthropologists, educators and scholars in a room, close the door, and let them argue, brainstorm and debate. Even when members of the original team left the Museum, the process continued unabated. And because the exhibit was unlike anything the Museum had tried before, the process was often challenging and sometimes painful. “In essence, the team was exploring uncharted waters with this exhibit,” says Richard Faron, associate director of exhibits. “We knew where we wanted to go, but since no other cultural institution had ever tried an exhibit like this ... we had no road map to follow. At times the discussions got quite intense.” The result of this process, however, is an exhibit unprecedented in the museum world: Living Together — Common Concerns, Dif- ferent Responses. The organizing theme of the exhibit is captured in the phrase “common concerns, different responses" — a distinct way to explain the very intricate idea that all humans have common concerns and that the respons- es to these concerns, like raising children and gathering food, are shaped by factors such as the environment, history and people's creativity. “We felt this concept would be extremely powerful in breaking down the barriers that exist to understanding and respecting different cultures,” says Laura Gates, vice president of Museum affairs. “And unlike other multicultural exhibits that ask visitors to celebrate diversi- ty or to see the beauty and strength of a particular culture, we wanted Living Together to help explain the reasons for cul- tural diversity." Beginning with a long list of universal concerns, the eventually narrowed the li three: Home, Image and Community. “Anthropology has identi- fied these three as the most basic common concerns,” says Alaka Wali, content specialist, John Nuveen Curator of anthropology and director of the CCUC. “They are also very familiar, engaging and powerful.” Hivringy together ~» the challenge | , Bith the list of concerns reduced to three, Y the team then had to bring the frame- work to life. Working with an advisory board consisting of community organization members, scholars and Museum members (the board was convened by Jaci Carter, CCUC external affairs manager), the team chose arti- facts from the collections representing con- crete examples of Image, Home and Community. By contrasting and complement- ing the artifacts with contemporary objects, dioramas, interactive displays, audio presen- tations and video presentations featuring real Chicagoans talking about their culture, the team began to develop different visual narra- tives within each section of the exhibit. For example, in the Home section there are three dioramas (see next page) that illus- trate how the demands of family structure and patterns of subsistence influence the different ways people organize their homes. Included in the display are a Chicago two-flat, a Hopi pueblo and a Masai compound. In the same section, another display demonstrates the John Weinstein /GN88235.3C (Above): Some of the members of the Living Together team (as of March 1997). (Lower Left): A scene from the interactive com- puter program that will allow visitors to explore the inside of a castle, an American Victorian home and a Japanese Minka (pictured here). (Below): A display on gender in the Image section. Kimberly Mazanek/ GN88425,18 John Weinstein/ GN88338.11C (Above): A Hopi pueblo. The form of the Hopi pueblo accommodates an extended family structure. (Middle): Chicago two- flat. The form of this tra- ditional Chicago home accommodates a nuclear family structure. John Weinstein/ GN88338.11C way people mark the entrances to their homes to communicate social status, to protect their homes and to identify the people living in the home. Within this display, for instance, there is a mezuzah, a Bagua charm from China’s Sichuan province and Our Lady of Grace stat- ue from a Chicago home — all different ways cultures use spiritual objects to protect the entrance to their homes. “From the start, we did not want this exhibit to be about specific objects from the collection,” says Faron. “We wanted the objects and all the other elements to tell a story that is much larger than any single object.” In the introduction, outside the main exhibit hall, for instance, visitors will encounter a 16-foot-high, 20-foot-long glass display of 135 shoes, including silver wedding shoes from India, a Hopi bride's boots and an astronaut's Skylab boots. In smaller displays, shoes are paired to illustrate how factors like environment, history and cultural values affect the remarkably creative ways that people address the universal need to cover and pro- tect their feet. Shoes are matched by use (work, play, dance, etc.), showing the incredi- bly broad and rich diversity of cultural responses to the same universal need. It was important to the team to assure that visitors became active participants in the exhibit. The Museum’s earlier exhibits create an environment in which two different cultures (the culture on display and the visitor's cul- ture) are separated by a sheet of glass. In Liv- ing Together, interactive computer displays, label copy and props all work together to question and challenge a visitor's assumptions about cultures and lead them to think about why cultures, including their own, respond dif- ferently when faced with similar problems. And by incorporating familiar objects and the real stories of Chicagoans, the team created an atmosphere in which contemporary “ Ameri- can” culture becomes an integral component of the exhibit. For the Community section, for example, a group of Chicagoans recorded their personal stories of how a crisis event led them to emphasize the importance of one group affilia- tion over all other ties. And in the Home sec- tion, visitors can watch a video of families explaining how they give meaning to their home by organizing its space. In one video, an immigrant couple points out examples in their home of how they incorporated Tai- _— wanese culture into a very “Western” con- + cept of space. Tracking down the most vivid and com- pelling content for the exhibit was not ' always easy. For example, Michelle Miller, an exhibit developer and anthropologist, thought it would take a few phone calls to | find an authentic United States Special Forces T-shirt — a shirt she wanted to dis- play next to a headhunter’s shirt from the Philippines (both shirts are worn to convey _ work-related interests). After months of calling » the Pentagon and being transferred to every conceivable department, she eventually hit | the jackpot after promising an army officer that the T-shirt would not be displayed in a » negative context. Madeleine Tudor, another exhibit developer and anthropologist, had her own problems finding people like the Tai- wanese couple willing to have their stories and homes videotaped for public display. Throughout the entire process, Lara Fur- niss, who took over as lead exhibit designer in 1996, experimented with different ways to weave the three distinct concerns of the exhibit (Image, Home and Community) into a coherent thematic display — all in the space of 3,500 square feet. Her other challenge was to find a captivating way to showcase the exhibit content within the conceptual frame- work, In the end, she drew on her experience as a theater set designer and created a stage that mirrored the theme of Home, Image and Community. _ When visitors leave the introduction, they will pass under an archway into a park-like set- ting complete with a tree, life-sized man- nequins and a basketball hoop. Surrounding the park (which is an open space to allow peo- ple to ponder and discuss the exhibit) is a replica of a typical Chicago barber shop and salon (Image), a Chicago bungalow (Home) and a playground (Community). The design crew then painted the entire stage and all the props in neutral gray so the realism of these elements would not distract visitors from the vibrancy and importance of the exhibit con- tent. “Every step of the way we tried to simplify the exhibit design as much as possible, as well as to create an environment that was familiar and comfortable for visitors,” says Fur- niss. “My other goal was to construct a space that was as open as possible so that school and corporate groups could close the space and conduct programs in privacy.” fiwing together — the program rom the very beginning, the team wanted Living Together to be a fully integrated public-learning program that would serve as a launching pad for educational program- ming for teachers, students and community organizations. In fact, after the exhibit opens on November 8, the Museum will turn Living Together over to the community. “Living Together isn’t something you go see, it's something you interact with and use,” says Faron. “The ‘use’ part relies heavily on educational programming. As a team we often referred to the exhibit as home base, meaning it’s just a start. It is like a hub of a wheel, but there are all these spokes, like the education- al programming, that radiate out of it.” The Living Together programming is divided into three parts consisting of educa- tion programs targeted at schools, educators and students (the Chicago public schools are already working with CCUC and the education department to incorporate the Living Togeth- er framework as a key element of their multi- cultural curriculum); public programs designed living together ... continued trom previous page for Museum visitors and other general audi- ences; and customized programming that allows organizations and interest groups to use the exhibit and other materials and resources to enhance their own programs. The education department will also be using the Living Together conceptual framework to offer programs that make connections across cul- tures and exhibits, rather than focusing, as they had done in the past, on a single exhibit or culture. As visitors walk out of the exhibit, they will also be able to pick up a booklet with directions to other areas of the Museum that contain additional examples of the common concerns explored in the exhibit. For example, visitors are invited to investigate the Muse- um's exhibits that contain an Inuit House, a Pawnee Earth Lodge and a Tuareg Tent. “When | joined the Museum in January, | immediately realized that Living Together is an educator's dream,” says Mary Ellen Munley, director of education and outreach programs. “The exhibit serves as the foundation fora public-education program that will give peo- ple the tools they need to understand cultural diversity and to gain the knowledge to form the relationships necessary to function in today’s culturally diverse society.” It is the team’s hope that the exhibit and the educational program will transform the Museum into a forum for discussion about cul- tural diversity and will serve as a community center to bring people together who do not “normally” get to know each other in a safe comfortable space. “I think this exhibit and the educational programming will open a door to understand- ing cultural diversity,” says Wali. “Whether people walk through the door or not is going to be up to them. | hope visitors to The Field Museum will look a little deeper and ask the question: Why are cultures different? If you ask this question then you have opened your- self to a whole world of exploration about humankind.” “I think people who are willing to go through the door are in for a really exciting time,” she adds. “And the people who just want to look through the window, well they will enjoy themselves too.” living together was funded through the generosity of the following donors: (as of Nov. 1, 1997): The Coca-Cola Foundation Fel-Pro/Mecklenburger Foundation Lloyd A. Fry Foundation The Mayer & Morris Kaplan Family Foundation General Mills Foundation The Joseph L. & Emily K. Gidwitz Memorial Foundation Helen M. Harrison Foundation The Joyce Foundation The John D, and Catherine. T. MacArthur Foundation — The MacAyeal Family in Memory of Robert Crockett Reed, Jr The John Nuveen Company The Rockefeller Foundation liwing together opening Saturday and Sunday, November 8 & 9, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. At the opening ceremony of Living Together, The Field Museum will officially turn the exhib- it over to the community. This two-day festival highlights the common theme of “coming together to make a difference!" Linking the chain — opening ceremony Sat., 10 a.m. & Sun., 10:45 a.m. Different community organizations will create a peace chain by adding colorful links, each one representing a special sig- nificance to those who made it. Mean- while, the Happiness Club, a group of 35 children from diverse backgrounds, will sing and dance to their own lyrics of unity. Community drum circle: coming together to express the universal language of rhythm Sat., 11 am. & Sun., 3:30 p.m. Drum circle leaders will initiate a commu- nity drumming group that will bring peo- ple together in the same rhythm. Everyone who has a hand percussion instrument is encouraged to bring it. Per- cussion instruments will be distributed to children while they last. Community voices: coming together to know each other Sat., 10 a.m. & Sun, 10:45 a.m. Various organizations will be highlighted that have been leaders in bringing differ- ent groups of people together. Booths will be set up throughout the Museum. Coming together for fun and games Sat. & Sun., noon — 4 p.m. Learn to play games from around the world. Games will be scattered throughout the Museum so visitors can explore the fun aspect of Living Together. Coming together to listen to our youth Sat., 1:30 p.m. Sun., 12:30 p.m. & 3 p.m. A group of teens will explore cultural diversity through theater. The original play — written, produced and directed by these Chicago youths — will focus on bridging the gap in cultural understanding. Coming together to celebrate — musical performance Sat., 2:30 p.m. — Funkadesi will deliver a musical performance representing five dif- ferent continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and North America. Sun., noon — Maxwell Street Klezmer Band will present “Wedding Music Around the World,“ including traditional music played at Russian, African-American and Eastern European weddings. Sun., 1:45 p.m. — The Primal Connection will create cross-cultural connections as they blend African, Latin, Middle Eastern and urban rhythms into a complex weave of sound. Pies galore! Coming together to break bread and more. Sun., noon — 4 p.m. Meat pies, veggie pies and sweet pies of many forms, shapes and flavors are eaten throughout the world. Join us to taste a sampling of pies from around the world. living together education prog 11/8 - 11/30 Every weekend in November Henna body tattoos Field Museum visitors who shy away from the commit- ment and pain of a permanent tattoo can experience the ancient custom of Mehndi or henna body painting begin- ning Saturday, November 8 and continuing through Sun- day, November 30 (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Mehndi artists use a paste from the leaves of the henna plant and other natural herbs and apply it topically to the skin, forming intricate designs that can be either ethnic or contemporary in design. The process is painless — no needles are used and the skin is never broken. The paste leaves a brownish-red stain that lasts two weeks to a month. Mehndi design applications begin at $20. Do-it-yourself henna tattoo kits will also be available for $15. Photo Courtesy of Tim Coleman 11/11 Tuesday Self image: ritual, religion and the body 6—8 p.m. All people create an “image” that balances how we want ourselves to appear against how society expects us to appear. An individual's appearance reflects local responses to environment, cultural and family traditions, social status, gender and personal creativity. Join Jean Comaroff, chair of the anthropology department at the University of Chicago, for a round-table discussion explor- ing image from the viewpoint of cultural anthropology. $18 ($15 members). Cal] 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. 11/15 Saturday The fun, the challenge and the choices: developing the Living Together exhibit 9 a.m. — noon. This special program is for anyone involved with efforts to celebrate diversity, increase cultural under- standing and improve people's capacity to live together in harmony and with respect. Meet some of the people who worked together for more than three years to make Living Together a reality and discover some of the chal- lenges, choices and constraints they faced during this cre- ative journey. Ample time will be given to participatory discussion and a self-guided walk through of the Living Together exhibit, as well as other exhibits that explore cross-cultural connections. $18 ($15 members). Call 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. 11/13 Tuesday A sense of place 6-8 p.m. Shelter in many cultures symbolizes privacy and protection from the elements. It also represents a unique space where social bonds are created within fami- lies and communities. Join members of the Living Togeth- er advisory team for a tour of the exhibit and an exploration of the common anthropological, environmen- tal and psychological issues relating to the concept of home as an extraordinary space. In addition to the Living Together exhibit, we will also tour the Museum's cultural exhibits that highlight a variety of representations of home, including the Pawnee Earth Lodge, the Maori House and the movable Tuareg home in the Sahara Desert. $18 ($15 members). Call 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. 11/21 Friday The celebration of life through dance: Trinity Irish Dance Company, Sundance Productions and Natyahalalayam Dance Company 8 p.m. — midnight. One of many “common concerns” that connect the human experience over time and across cul- tures is the desire to celebrate life. Dance movements transcend the celebration of life by using the body to express the intricate connections we have to our environ- ment and to inform and influence our traditions. At the heart of all dance movements beats several rhythms that can be found in cultures throughout the world. Join Trinity Irish Dance Company, Sundance Productions and Natya- halalayam Dance Company in an examination of three dis- tinct cultural expressions of dance: Irish, African and East Indian. Also learn about their similarities and differing responses to common rhythms. Refreshments will be available for purchase. $25 ($21 members). Call 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. 11/22 & 11/25 Saturday & Tuesday If the shoe fits... 10-11 a.m. Shoes play a starring role in stories around the world, including the familiar tales of “Puss in Boots,” “Cinderella,” and “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.” We tie shoes to the back of newlyweds’ cars for good luck and put shoes out for St. Nick to fill with treats. Join edu- cation staff member Mara Cosillo-Starr as she steps into the world of shoes as we visit the Museum’s newest exhibit, Living Together. Adults and 3 & 4 year olds. $14 ($12 members) for one adult and one child. Call 312. 322.8854 for more information or to register. John Weinstei 13 Cc 12/6 Saturday Home is where the heart is 10 a.m. — noon. Journey through the Museum with educa- tion staff member Maureen Ransom and explore similari- ties and differences in home and lifestyles of many cultures — both past and present. Discover how all peo- ple around the world give specific meaning to home and how their homes fit their lifestyles. Adults and Children Grades 3 — 5. $10 per participant ($8 per member partici- pant). Call 312.322.8854 for more information or to register. 12/13 friday — Family overnight 5:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 to 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 20. What is it like to be in a museum after the crowds have gone home and the lights have been dimmed? Experience The Field Museum in a unique way as you and your family spend a night of discovery and exploration before falling asleep among Museum exhibits. Overnights are designed for families (adults accompanied by children grades | — 6). The Museum's newest exhibit, Living Together, will be our feature of this night with workshops highlighting cul- tural traditions from many different people around the world! Don't miss the fun! Adults and children grades | — 6. $43 per nonmember participant ($38 per member par- ticipant). Please note: Registrations for the Overnight will only be accepted for an individual family unit ;please, no organized youth groups. For information on overnights, call 312.322.8854. Information and prices on our exclusive Overnight T-shirts and caps will be included with confirmation. tio 9, 1997 nities Festival is a on of urban culture and ind, distinguished by its laughter, entertainment . Each year, on the second ber, world-renowned ing artists, as well as n of leading cultura philosop Hd sui- cide; the yee tei | « the stand. While the art wo 5 Chica place a “pioneering work of contemporary sculp- ture” on the lakefront, others are not too sure. “It looks like hell and is a waste of taxpayer money,” is the response of Slats Grobnik, paladin of the common man. Slats sues to block this “joke,” on the grounds it would be a public nuisance. The trial is incorporated into the Chicago Humanities Festival Benefit Dinner. Tickets are $250. For further information, call Cris Kayser at 312.422.5585, ext. 231. Loaf and Jug: Bread and Beer in Ancient Babylonia Saturday, Nov. 8, 10 -11 a.m. A. Montgomery Ward Lec- - ture Hall Marvin Powell, professor of Northern Illinois University, contrasts the making of bread (women’s work) with the making of beer (men’s work) and its important role in festivals. Hoop Dreams: Work or Play? Saturday, Nov. 8 , 11 a.m. — 12 p.m. James Simpson Theatre Lester Munson, sportswriter and contributor to Sports | Illustrated, moderates a dis- ! cussion with Frank Deford, sportswriter, Emmy award- winning television writer and author of Every- body’s All American; Bob Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots; Ross Miller, University of Con- necticut history professor; and others. Are profes- sional sports play, work or big business? Baboon Watching: It's a Wonderful Life! Saturday, Nov. 8 , 11:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. A. Montgomery Ward Lecture Hall Jeanne Altmann, behavior ecologist at The Univer- sity of Chicago and Brookfield Zoo, shares her three decades-long observations of baboons in Kenya. Living in a female-based society, baboons spend much of their time in extended, playful grooming, and in intense social groups without warfare, institutions and receives support from the Illi- nois Humanities Council, the National Endow- ment for the Humanities and through private funding. The theme of this year’s Chicago Humani- ties Festival is “Work & Play,” an examination from a cross-disciplinary coterie of artists, his- »,,torians, musicians, writers, poets and philoso- rs of the issue involved in the ways work lay affect and alter people's lives. ickets to Chicago Humanities Festival Sir Ranulph Fiennes, explorer and author of Where Soldiers Fear To Tread and Hell on Ice, speaks about his life of adventure leading numer- ous British expeditions to the North and South Poles, and his discovery — by following clues left latco Polo and the Queen of Sheba — of bar, the Atlantis of the Sands. Special Exhibit The Haifa Faisal Collection of Saudi Arabian Tra- ditional Arts displays artifacts from the Arabian peninsula involving work, play and hospitality. Towards the Return to a Nomadic Culture Saturday, Nov. 8, 2:30 — 3:30 p.m. James Simpson Theatre * Jacques Attali — novelist, economist and philoso- pher — speaks about nomadism as the new para- digm of work, learning and play. Attali has been advisor to both President Francois Mitterand and the United Nations Secretary General. Homestead, Pa. 1986: Disposable People and Jobs Saturday, Nov. 8, 4-5 p.m. James Simpson Theatre William Serrin — Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Homestead and The Company, the Union, New York University chair of journalism, and former journalist at The New York Times — stirringly recounts the death of the steel city Andrew Carnegie built. Did anyone care? A surprising assessment of what the experts (labor and man- agement) failed to see. Vocations and Avocations: A Panel Discussion Saturday, Nov. 8, 4-5 p.m. A. Montgomery Ward Lecture Hall Catch your favorites in discussion! Anthony Sampson, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Jacques Attali and Diane Ackerman. The panel will be mod- erated by John Carlin, Washington, D.C., bureau chief for the London Independent. The Power of National Service Sunday, Nov. 9, 1 — 2 p.m. James Simpson Theatre Harris Wofford, CEO of the Corpo- ration for National Service (Ameri- Corps), encourages people to volunteer time and energy to help solve community problems. Wof- ford launched the Peace Corps in 1961, is a former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and since 1980 has been the president of the Interna- tional League for Human Rights. Humanities Festival VIII: Work & Play events are $3 (excluding the Slats Grobnik v. Public Art event/Chicago Humanities Festival Benefit Dinner) and can be purchased through the Symphony Center Box Office (Orchestra Hall), 220 S. Michigan Ave., or by phone at 312.294.3000. Box Office hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. — 6 p.m., and Sun- day, 11 a.m, -4 p.m. For more information, call 312.422.5350 or visit the Chicago Humanities Festival Web site at: <>. Tricksters: Play Teaches Parables For Life Sunday, Nov. 9, 1 - 2 p.m. A. Montgomery Ward Lecture Hall Daniel Varisco, professor of anthropology at Hofs- tra University, and John E. Woods, professor at the Center for Middle East Studies at The University of Chicago, will delight participants with stories about the most captivating trickster in the Arab world, Ali Ben Zaid. Black Dionysus Sunday, Nov. 9, 2:30 — 3:30 p.m. James Simpson Theatre Orlando Patterson, National Book Award-winning author of Freedom in the Making of Western Cul- ture and professor of sociology at Harvard Univer- sity, examines the contradictory images of African-American men in popular culture and explores the meaning of these images in end-of- the-century America. The Writer's Desk: A Photographic Essay Sunday, Nov. 9, 4 — 5 p.m. James Simpson Theatre Jill Krementz, one of the century’s esteemed cam- era portraitists, explores the intimacy of the liter- ary act in her portraits of 50 famous writers. Music and Theater Speak: Coming Together to Listen To Our Youth Nov. 8, 1:30 — 3: p.m. Nov. 9, 12:30 - 2 p.m & 3 - 4:30 p.m. Black Box Theatre Written, directed, produced and acted by Chicago teens, “Living Together: When Work is Play and Play is Work” draws on personal stories as a base for exploration and understanding of the history and personality of four Chicago neighborhoods. Sponsored by The Field Museum and Music Theater Workshop. New Book Celebrates The Chicago Region's Rich Biological Diversity which The Field Museum is a member, recently released the first-ever comprehen- sive look at the rich biological diversity of the Chicago region. The book, Chicago Wilderness: An Atlas of Biodiversity, celebrates the globally sig- nificant concentration of woodlands, prairies, wetlands, streams and forests that survive in the crescent from southeastern Wisconsin through the six-county Chicago region to north- western Indiana. The 64-page, full-color book, which is free to area residents, also includes information on geological histories, surveys of animals and the role of people on the land. Funds for the publication were provided by the Illinois Con- servation Foundation, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Conservation 2000 Fund, the Nature Conservancy, US EPA, USDA Forest Service and USDI Fish & Wildlife Service. More than 2,000 of the first printing of 10,000 copies will be distributed to teachers, schools and libraries throughout the region. Not only will this book be useful for edu- cators, but will also enhance the experience of residents visiting the natural areas that stretch south and west from the shores of Lake Michi- gan and that harbor thousands of native species of plants and animals. “Chicago Wilderness” is the forest preserves, state parks |" Chicago Region Biodiversity Council, of Sharing Holiday Traditions Gift Giving, Music Performances From Around the World Dec. 26 — 31, 1997 ll am.—3 p.m. itness a rich tapestry of performances and activities as The Field Museum pre- sents a special celebration Sharing Holi- day Traditions: Gift Giving, Music and Performances From Around the World. This week-long festival will explore how different people from around the world and around Chicago perform seasonal activities. The festival features Christmas music per- formed by local choirs, a Native American dance production and a holiday theater per- formance. Activities will focus on some com- mon themes shared around the world such as giving gifts, decorating our homes and marking time. Participants will also learn how to make Kwanzaa gifts, wreaths, menorahs and pinecone birdfeeders, while discovering and making calendar systems from other cultures. The festival is free with general admission. CONNECT TO THE FIELD MUSEUM On THE Wes Look for online epi eonearron the field, news, an up-to-date calendar of events, museum information and much more at. . . and other natural areas that these species depend upon for survival. Seemingly an oxymoron, Chicago Wilder- ness actually contains some of the best rem- nants of the Midwest's “wilderness.” In Illinois, less than one-tenth of one percent of tallgrass prairie ecosystems remain. Even smaller frag- ments of the woodland community known as midwest oak savanna are left, making them rarer than the tropical rain forests. The frag- ments found in Chicago Wilderness support 181 species listed by the State of Illinois as endangered or threatened. To most effectively preserve this natural legacy, leading conservation agencies and area organizations like The Field Museum have pooled their resources and expertise to con- serve Chicago Wilderness. The Chicago Region Biodiversity Council funds projects carried out by teams of scientists, educators, land man- agers and dedicated citizens. Since its incep- tion in April 1996, the Council has endorsed 109 collaborative projects and has funded 67 of those projects, including the Atlas. To receive your free copy of the Atlas, pick up an order postcard at the Museum's visitor services office on the second floor, or call Laura Dini at 312.922.9410, ext. 426. For a full listing of members, or to preview the Atlas, visit the Chicago Wilderness Web site al <>. John Weinstein/ GN88109.17AC of the Chicago Region Biodiversity Council The Nature Camera Club Of Chicago The Nature Camera Club of Chicago meets at The Field Museum on the second Monday of each month (excluding July and August) at 7:30 p.m. in Lecture Hall 2. Meetings feature programs by experienced nature photographers or slide competitions with judging and commen- tary by respected nature photographers from other clubs. Nature pho- tography is a hobby that can enhance and enrich your interest in the natural world. Everyone is welcome to attend. For additional informa- tion, contact Bill Burger at 312.922.9410, ext. 318. Lp Sg ean ees i a a | 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 88 Se MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Please check one: C) New Membership C) Renewal Name Address City Home phone State Zip Business phone MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES Cy Individual — one year $40 / two years $70 Cy Family — one year $50 / two years $90 (Includes two adults, children and grandchildren 18 and under) Cy 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 'ielemetaleetoentaestonntenstoeniantantantontantontentontententontentententon Hye ee ee ee 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. John Weinstein/ GN88454.23C (Above): Gaorov Gupta, an intern from University of Illinois at Chicago, mesmerizes a child with a story about fish. 9a.m.—3 p.m, Digging Dino Dirt demonstration, Visit the Life Over Time exhibit and learn how scien- tists are trying to understand the environment in central Montana by picking out microscopic animal bones from dirt in which dinos lived and died. Watch on a large screen monitor as microscopic discoveries are made right before your eyes! | p.m. Preschoolers Alert! Story Time: Facts, Fables and Fiction is an exiting new program located in the Place for Wonder. Included in the program is a story, a song and an art activity that children can take home. (One adult for every three children, please), For weekly list of topics, please check the “Field Notes Sheet” located at the information booth in Stanley Field Hall. 11:30 a.m. Native Americans tour. Discover the diversity of American Indian nations and focus on their concepts of home to compare the cultural similarities and differences. Learn about Native American influ- ence on present-day America. 10 a.m. — 1 p.m. Lava activity. Now that they are cool, touch some of the substances produced by a volcano. 10 a.m.—5 p.m. Living Together opening weekend festivities. See Living Together program page for free public programs. 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. 11 am.—1 p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza- tion tour. 1:30 p.m. Tibet Today and a Faith in Exile slide lecture. See Lhasa and other places now open to tourists in Tibet. Learn about Tibetan refugees Highlights of The Field Museum tours are offered Monday through Friday, at 11 __ a.m. and 2 p.m (except Thurs- days — only at 2 p.m.) Visit — some of the exhibits that make this Museum one of the world’s finest. Find out the stories behind the exhibits. Check weekend listings for Saturday and Sunday highlights tours. in India, Nepal and elsewhere. Wit- ness the dedication ceremony of a Himalayan Buddhist Chorten in Indi- ana by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. ll a.m. &1 p.m. Highlights of The Field Museum tour. 11:30 a.m. Native Americans tour. 12:45 p.m. The Aztecs, The Maya and Their Predecessors tour. Learn about the diverse and complex pre- Columbian cultures of Mexico and Central America. 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. 10 a.m. — | p.m. Human Origins & activity. Museum Closed. Happy Thanksgiving! Phenomena: Our Images/Ourselves! A unique installation further explor- ing the theme of image in the Living Together exhibit. Through live demonstrations and video screen- ings, Phenomena: Our Images/Our- selves explores body transformation as the ultimate fashion statement of our times, as well as its connections to cultural diversity. 11 a.m. —3 p.m. Body Watch demon- strations. Meet and witness contem- porary ways of body transformation with on-site demonstrations by some of Chicago's leading practitioners: e Tattooing by Patrick Cornolo, from Body Basics. « Body Piercing by Hank Bang- cock of the Chicago Tattooing Co. ¢ Plastic Surgery Imaging by Dr. John Smith, president of the Chicago Society of Plastic Surgery, and Dr. Frank Vicari, member of the Chicago Society of Plastic Surgery. This demonstration is sponsored by the Chicago Society of Plastic Surgery. e Mendhi artists from Allah's Sacred Earth demonstrate the art of temporary henna tattoos (see Living Together program page). 1 p.m. The Phenomenal Fashion Show! Explore the increased use of body adornment in our society and its cultural origins. This multimedia event will juxtapose live models with video images and photographs from The Field Museum's archives. Electronic Debates The set of the ‘fashion show’ will serve as a video forum conducted by two of Chicago's leading media youth organizations, Video Machete and Street Level Youth Media. They will be screening: ¢ “Just because I look this way...” A video that deals with the on-going debate of body adornment. e “Live Body Watch!” Live video feeds of the body adornment demonstrators projected onto a large video screen. ° “Body Debate” An opportunity to understand how we interpret, dis- play and feel about body transforma- tions. Join in and participate by expressing your opinion or come and watch. Il a.m.—3 p.m. Phenomena: Our Images/Ourselves! A unique festival forum presented in conjunction with the Living Together exhibit. See Fri- day, November 28. | p.m. “Baskets and Their Makers in Rural Japan” lecture. Louise Cort, curator for ceramics at the Sackler and Freer Galleries at the Smithson- ian Museum, will speak about the roles of baskets and basketmakers in Japan. Her slide-lecture will feature Japanese basketmaker Hiroshima Kazuo in his home. 10 a.m. —1 p.m. Rocks and Minerals activity. 10 a.m. — | p.m. Human Origins activity. 11:30 a.m. Native Americans tour. 1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza- tion tour. 10 a.m. — | p.m. Terrific Teeth activi- ty. Can teeth tell you what an animal eats? Take part in this fun activity and find out! 1:30 p.m. The Early Maya Civiliza- tion tour. 10 a.m. — | p.m. Pareus activity. 10 a.m. — | p.m, Human Origins activity. 1:30 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. 11:30 a.m. Native Americans tour. Museum Closed. Happy Holidays! 11 am. —4 p.m. Coming Together to Celebrate festival. Join us as groups share their holiday traditions through performance, song, dance, demon- strations and hands-on activities. (See Get Smart page). RESOURCE CENTERS Daniel F. & Ada L. Rice Wildlife Research Station Learn more about the animal king- dom through videos, computer pro- grams, books and activity boxes. Open-daily 10 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Webber Resource Center Native Cultures of the Americas Use books, videos, tribal newspa- pers and activity boxes to learn more about native peoples. Open daily 10 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Place for Wonder Touchable objects let you investi- gate fossils, shells, rocks, plants and items of daily life in Mexico. Weekdays: | p.m. — 4:30 p.m. Weekends: 10 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Pawnee Earth Lodge Visit a home of mid-19th century Pawnee people. Learn about these Native Americans and their tradition- al life on the plains. Weekdays: | p.m. program Weekends: 10 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. WINTER FIELD GUIDES The winter Field Guide will be available Dec. 2, 1997 and will be chock-full of exciting classes for both families and adults. It will also highlight a selection of the upcoming special exhibits, including “A Basketmaker in Rural Japan” and “Sisters of the Great Lakes.“ A Chinese — American Connection . Photo Courtesy of John C. Murph years ago, a forest that ranged across much of temperate North America and Eurasia. Geolo- gists knew that the northern hemisphere has changed dramatically over the last 60 million years. As the Rocky mountains and the Cas- cades rose to greater height they produced a dry “rain shadow” in the Great Basin and Great Plains, creating interior deserts and broad prairies. In the western states, mountain build- ing changed the local climate that in tum deci- mated earlier faunas and floras. The rise of the Himalayas had profound effects on the climate of Asia. Geologists also have been gathering evi- dence that suggests the Earth has gradually cooled over the last 30 million years, with large northern ice sheets forming over the last 2 mil- lion years (the ice ages). This increasingly severe weather forced temperate biotas to move southward. With no barriers to migration, eastern Asian faunas and floras could move southward unimpeded (while most animals can migrate quickly, plants can only migrate through seed dispersal as their populations slowly shift south). In eastern North America there were dry conditions to the west, a small- er area available for movement, and a southern barrier to migration at the Gulf of Mexico. This resulted in greater loss of plants and animals than in China. The situation in Europe was even worse. Here the southward-shifting biota ran up against a broad series of high mountains trending east to west. Beginning with the Pyre- nees in the west, and moving eastward through the Alps and Balkans to the mountains of Turkey and Iran, the geology of Europe pre- sented high barriers that doomed many north- ern plants and animals to extinction as the climate cooled. According to this theory, the ice ages resulted in a depauperate flora in Europe north of the Alps; left a moderately rich flora in eastern North America; and had the least effect on China's flora and fauna. You might complain that this is nothing more than a fanciful just-so story, but we are being scientific so we will call it a hypothetical scenario. Is there historical evidence to support the story? Fossils of the appropriate ages and localities obviously would be the best evi- dence. Wyoming was the home of a fossil alli- gator 50 million years ago, before the Great Plains became as cold and dry as they are today. Paddlefishes lived in the same area, while their modern descendants of today can only be found in China's Yangtze river and the Mississippi river systems. A particularly inter- esting plant fossil — found in Asia, Europe and North America — was thought to be an extinct Sequoia. Careful study showed that these fos- sils differed from Sequoia in important respects, so scientists in 1941 renamed these ancient plants Metasequoia. In that same year, researchers discovered a population of large undescribed coniferous trees in western China. This living tree proved to be identical to some Metasequoia fossils! A group of plants once widespread over the northern temperate zone survives today only in small populations in China. The alligator, paddlefish and Metasequoia fossils conform nicely with our historical sce- nario. However, paleontolo- gists have unearthed fossil evidence that shows biogeo- graphic relationships between North America and Europe, as well as between Asia and western North America. These studies suggest a more complex history for modem biotas of the north. There is another way to test this historical hypothesis: comparing the DNA phylogenies of related groups of species living in China and the United States. Using DNA nucleotide sequence data, researchers attempt to develop genealogical “trees” of relationships to deter- mine if related groups’ branching patterns con- form to geography. Two alligators and two tulip tree species may be easy to understand, but when making phylogenetic “trees” we need more species to compare a variety of branching patterns. As might be expect- ed, recent results suggest a more complex scenario. It turns out that in these larger groups all the American and all the Chinese species are not necessarily each other's closest rela- tives. Patterns of relatedness suggest that in some genera there were already separate species in China and America in times Search For Fungal $ Bill Burger's article Sole it is weliecunenticd that there are certain species of plants d animals #v¥found only in China and eastern North America. Though there is some evidence in the scientific litera- ture that these disjunctions also occur in the fungi king- dom, nobody has tested it — until now. For the last two summers, Greg Mueller, associate _curator of mycology and chair of the botany depart- ment, and Qiuxin Wu, mycology collections manager, have been working with Chinese scientists collecting fungi in northeastern China near the North Korean bor- der (Changbai mountains) and in southwestern China in Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. sites), So far they have found an incredible diversity of fungi in the Chinese regions. For example, in a one- quarter acre site in the Changbai mountains, they uncovered more than 200 different species. Within this wealth of material, they are beginning to see very dis- tinct morphological similarities between some of the Chinese fungi and those from the U.S. sites. “We have now looked at the general appearance of the Chinese fungi and have found that there is little dif- ference between Chinese and North American popula- Mueller and Wu are currently comparing the mor- phology and DNA of the fungi collected in China with fungi found in two U.S. sites with similar elevations, cli- mates and habitats. Those sites are in the upper penin- sula of Michigan (similar to the northeastern China site) and North Carolina (similar to the southwestern China e Continued from page 3 long past, and that they split into separate species since then. In addition, some eastern U.S. species are more closely related to species of the western United States than they are to any of their Chinese congeners. These new DNA data do not weaken the alligator and tulip tree evidence, but they do paint a more complex picture, and are congruent with stud- ies of fossil floras in Asia, Europe and North America. Researchers at The Field Museum are currently comparing mushroom species of east- ern China and the eastern United States to pro- vide additional data for unravelling this biogeographic puzzle (see sidebar). In a general sense though, the alligators, hellbenders, paddlefishes and tulip trees did have something important to tell us. These plants and animals are indeed the living descendants of widespread forests of long ago. Not as uniform as we once thought, those forests have become fragmented and further differentiated over the last 40 million years and through the ice ages. Today, you can catch a glimpse of that ancient time by viewing alliga- tors in a southeastern swamp, or walking among the tall straight-boled tulip trees of the Appalachian forests. _ group.” Relics _ tions of some species,” says Mueller. “In our cursory DNA studies, we are also finding slight differences in DNA between these species. But they are still more similar to each other than to any other species in the (Left): A hellbender. (Below): Suillus ameri- canus — an example from the fungi kingdom of a North American/Chi- nese disjunct species. Photo Courtesy of Greg Mueller “On a preliminary basis, this is evidence that physi- cal separation between these U.S. and Chinese species hasn't been for very long,” Mueller explains. “They have been separated long enough that we are seeing differ- ences at the genetic level, but little difference morpho- logically. This all fits the common hypothesis that these fungi were once broadly distributed and that glaciation wiped out everything in Europe and other parts of northern and central Asia, leaving two populations behind — one in temperate east Asia and one in North America. But we still have a lot more analysis to do.” As part of this collaborative project, which is fund- ed by the National Science Foundation and National Natural Science Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, three Chinese scientists will travel to Chicago in 1998 to use the Field Museum's labs and collections, and to conduct field research with Mueller and Wu. “This project is just the start of a longer term collab- orative project where we are interested in documenting _ the diversity of mushrooms and other fungi of China,” explains Mueller. “And because fungi are essential to healthy forests, we are making our data available for mals’ conservation programs.” use in China’s Ministry of Endangered Plants and Ani- — R.N.V. IN THE FIELD NOVEMBER*DECEMBER 1997 is The Field Museum Library’s 1997 Holiday Wish List members to support the development of its collections. This holiday wish list presents books that would be significant enhancements to the Library's collections — which are indis- pensible resources for the Museum's research and public education programs. Please consid- era gift to help The Field Museum library maintain the strength of its collections. A book- plate will record a donation made either on your behalf, or honoring a family member or ]« Field Museum Library invites Museum ee eee r I I I I I I I I I I i I I I i f | I I I | I i I ! I Lo friend, Even a small contribution toward the acquisition of one of these titles is a wish ful- filled. Bibliographica Textilia Historiae: Towards a General Bib- liography on the History of Textiles Based on the Library and Archives of the Center for Social Research on Old Textiles |CSROT], edited by Seth Siege- laub. (International General, 1997). $110. The Biodiversity of African Plants: Proceedings of the XIVith AETFAT Congress, 22-27 August 1994, Wageningen, The Netherlands, Edited by L.J.G. van The Field Museum Library Holiday Wish List Contribution Your Name Address City State Zip Home Phone Business Phone ___ Gift in Honor of: Name Address City State Zip Amount of Gift Book Title 2 Donor/Honoree Name(s) (for bookplate): ©) Check here to receive more information about the Friends of Field Museum Library. der Maesen. (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1996). $335. The Central Amazon Floodplain: Ecology of a Pulsing System, W.J. Junk, editor. (Springer Verlag, 1997). $197. The Cédice de Santa Maria Asuncion: Facsimile and Commentary: Households and Lands in Sixteenth-Cen- tury Tepetlaoztoc, by Barbara J. Williams, H.R. Har- vey. (University of Utah Press, 1997). $275. Common Fossil Plants of Western North America, 2nd edition, by William O. Tidwell. (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998). $55. A Guide to the Mammals of the Southeastern United States, by Larry N. Brown. (University of Ten- nessee Press, 1997). $50. John Abbot's Birds of Georgia: Selected Drawings from the Houghton Library, Harvard University, with intro- duction and commentary by Vivian Rogers- The Women’s Board of The Field Museum cordially invites you and your family to the HOLIDAY TEA CELEBRATION . Wednesday, December 3, 1997 — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. FEATURING: The Stu Hirsh Orchestra The Jesse White Tumblers A special arrival by Santa Claus Andy Head, Stiltwalker Frank Birdsall, Stiltwalker Mr. Imagination A potpourri of entertaining and Origami African Adinkra Japanese Kites ACTIVITIES: FOR EVERYONE Peruvian Tops Hanukkah Dreidls Egyptian Hieroglyphs Mexican Paper Flowers Mr. Imagination Pawnee Earth Lodge Museum Scavenger Hunt AGES 5 AND UNDER Bean-Bag Toss Face Painters Arachnid Assembling Place for Wonder AGES 6 To 12 Haitian Holiday Lanterns Polish Paper Cutting Mask Making Ojo de Dios — God's Eyes Rice Wildlife Research Station Address City/State/Zip Price. (The Beehive Foundation, Library of Georgia, 1997). $125. The Origin and Evolution of Pacific Island Biotas, New Guinea to Eastern Polynesia: Patterns and Processes, edited by Allen Keast and Scott E. Miller. (SPB Academic Publishers, 1996). $185. Plate Tectonics and Crustal Evolution, by Kent C. Condie. 4th edition. (Butterworth Heinemann, 1997). S60. Pleistocene Amphibians and Reptiles in Britain and Europe, by J. Alan Holman. (Oxford University Press, 1998). $80. Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind, by Laurence Monroe Klauber. 2nd edition, with a new foreword by Harry W. Greene. (University of California Press, 1997). $125. Please use the form on the left to make a con- tribution to help the library acquire these titles. Please indicate the title to which your gift applies. Please print clearly the name(s) of the donor and/or honoree as they should appear on the Library's gift bookplate (for example: your name only; honoree name only; both names with phrase “in honor of"). Please send the form (with a check payable to The Field Museum) to: Develop- ment Department — Library Friends, The Field Museum, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605. — WITH SANTA Reservations are limited and will be accepted in order received. Party attire is encouraged. Parking available in the East Lot. No early admission to party. No tickets sold at the door. For more information, please call the Women’s Board Office at 312.322.8870 NUMBER OF TICKETS Adult Members at $12.00 each Adult Nonmembers at $17.00 each (ages 13 and_under)- Enclosed is my check for $ $ . Please make check payable to The Field Museum. Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for tickets, and mail with this coupon to: Holiday Tea Celebration, The Field Museum, Women’s Board Office, Roosevelt Road at Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60605. NOVEMBER*DECEMBER 1997 IN THE FIELD B78580 November 1938 On The Field Museum’s Paleontological Expedi- tion to Colorado, a Museum volunteer, Theodore Burdosh, unearthed a new genus of crocodilian: named in a Museum publication as Ceratosuchus (horned crocodile). During the same expedition, the party also found a complete skull of a relative of true crocodiles: Leidyosuchus riggsi. MA iol - Sir Frederick J. Jackson donated his collection of 6,640 African birds, including 600 different species, to the Museum (at the time, the Muse- um’s second largest single acquisition of birds). Along with the collection, he also gave the Muse- um his field notes. Jackson collected the birds while lieutenant-governor of Kenya and governor of Uganda. A boat carrying curator Emmet Blake (who died in 1997) sank on the Courantyne River that forms the boundary between Guyana and Suriname. Blake, who was leading the Sewell Avery Zoolog- ical Expedition, was marooned on rocks in the middle of the raging river for 10 days. Eventually, Blake, an assistant and 13 guides were saved by a flotilla of small boats manned by local villagers. The expedition party was able to salvage about 50 percent of the scientific collections on board, which included 2,400 birds. December 1938 “An almost complete” skeleton of a huge prehis- toric animal known as the mountain ground sloth of South America (Pseudomegatherium lundi) became the focus of a new exhibit. The Field Museum was the first museum in the world to exhibit the fossil remains of this animal. Captain Robert M. Thorne, a member of the Second Mar- shall Field Paleontological Expedition to Argenti- na and Bolivia, discovered and excavated the ground sloth in a mountain valley of southern Bolivia. FROM THE PHOTO ARCHIVES... n this 1930s photograph, Paul Standley, former curator of the Museum's herbarium, is standing next to a model of Heliconia bourgaeana, a wild banana plant found in Mexico. The plant is still on display in the Plants of the World exhibit hall, located on the Museum's second floor. Standley was a world-renowned botanist who joined the Museum in 1928. He died in 1963 at the age of 79 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras (he had retired from the Museum in 1950 to live in Honduras and carry on his research at the Escuela Agricoloa Panamerica in E] Zamorano). Through his writings and years of intensive research and collecting in the field — especially in Panama and Mexico — Standley left an indelible mark on the scientific world. In 1961, the government of Guatemala awarded him the Order of the Quetzal, which is the highest honor that country bestows on its outstanding leaders. Museum curators received an unexpected visitor when a Cooper’s Hawk crashed through a third floor window. Stunned for a few seconds, the hawk took off through the corridors with a group of curators and researchers in hot pursuit. The hawk had escaped from a laboratory of the N.W. Harris Public School Extension — now known as the Harris Educational Loan Center. 106167 Pawnee Earth Lodge And Unity Month Celebrations WW vars Kimberly Mazanek/ GN88430.23C n Sept. 13, 1997, The Field Museum, the Human Relations Foundation of Chicago and the Chicago Commission on Human Relations joined forces in a celebration of Unity Month. Visitors were treated to the music and dance performances of Primal Con- nections, Red Sands Native American Dance Group and Ensemble Espafiol Spanish Dance Theater. The Red Sands Native American Dance Group (far right) also performed in honor of the 10th anniversary of The Webber Resource Center for Native American Cultures and the 20th anniversary of the Pawnee Earth Lodge exhibit. Sixty Pawnee tribe members traveled to the Museum from Oklahoma to participate in these anniversaries. A number of Chicago Native American dignitaries — including Faith a ce 3 Smith, Chippewa, president of NAES College accepted the welcome on behalf of the and Field Museum Trustee — welcomed the Pawnee tribe. The evening ended with many Pawnee to the Museum. William Howell, head Pawnee spending the night inside the Earth chief of the Pawnee Nasharo Council, officially Lodge (above). IN THE FIELD NOVEMBER*DECEMBER 1997 Splendors of Antiquity A Voyage To The Eastern Mediterranean Aboard The All-Suite 84-Passenger Private Yacht, Clelia II March 12 - 23, 1998 cross the ever-shifting desert sands of the Near East and the deep-blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, countless civilizations have risen and fallen. Some of these cultures vanished without a trace, while others left rich legacies and monuments that refuse to be lost to time. On this remarkable voyage — which encompasses the most important sites of the eastern Mediterranean, including Cyprus, Syria, Egypt, Israel and Turkey — participants will investigate the remains left by the ancient people who once lived along the shores of this historic sea. For 10 memorable days, you will journey along these ancient shores aboard one of the most distinctive cruise ships afloat today, Clelia Il — an exceedingly spacious and luxurious ship that offers all-suite accommodations for only 84 guests. This voyage will take you to exotic lands that were familiar to Egypt's Pharaohs, Israel's prophets, Alexander the Great, Mark Anthony and Richard the Lion-Hearted. You will explore the rarely visited archaeological gems of Syria, including Palmyra, one of the most spectacular sites of the ancient world, In Syria, we will also visit Aleppo, one of the oldest con- tinually inhabited cities in the world, and the perfectly pre- served Crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers. From fabled Alexandria, you will be driven to Cairo to tour The Rockies and Yellowstone: June 6 — 11, 1998 HSONIAN INSTITUTION LIBRA Wi 3 9088 01371 57 ii the 4,500-year-old Pyramids and the enigmatic Sphinx. These ageless monuments were already old to the ancient Greeks, who viewed them with the same sense of awe as we do today. You will also have the chance to visit Jerusalem, a city of incredible aura venerated by three major religions. The cost of the tour ranges from $5,395 to $11,495, depending on your choice of accommodation. window — the ms. Nile Empress is more like a private yacht than a passenger ship. : The cruise will start with a visit to the ruins of Karnack Temple and will end with a tour of the grand Colossus of Memnon and the Ramesseum. After the cruise, you will have a few more days to visit Cairo and to explore the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and the city’s ancient streets. Joining you as leaders of the tour will be Peter Piccione and Ismail Mohamed Aly. Piccione is an Egyptologist and Near Eastern historian who has lived and traveled throughout Egypt conducting research as an epigrapher and archaeologist for the Oriental Institute. Aly, an Egyptian tour guide since 1981, will provide participants with information about contemporary life in Egypt. The cost of the tour is $5,770, which includes land, air and cruise. Also available is an optional six-day excursion to Jordan, A Journey to Yellowstone, Grand Teton and the Rockies by Deluxe Private Train. Tunisla Unvelled: October 8 — 22, 1998