THE FIELD MUSEUM’S MEMBER PUBLICATION Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids YOURINNER FISH LEAVE NO CHILD INSIDE a SPRING 2008 MARCH-MAY VOL. 79, NO. 2 EDITOR: Nancy 0’Shea The Field Museum GUEST EDITOR: Maureen King DESIGN: Bockos Design, Inc. Printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks. All images © The Field Museum unless otherwise specified. IN THE FIELD (ISSN #1051-4546) is published quarterly by The Field Museum. Annual subscriptions are $20; $10 for schools. Museum membership includes IN THE FIELD subscription. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policy of The Field Museum. Notification of address change should include address label and should be sent to the membership department. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Membership, The Field Museum 1400 South Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60625-2496 Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, I\linois, and additional mailing offices. COVER, MAIN IMAGE: Arguably, the dragon is the most famous of mythic creatures and plays an important role in the cultures of Asia, Europe, and the Americas. COVER, INSET: A mythic creature that gained popularity within recent years, Chupacabra, means “goat sucker” in Spanish. © D. FINNIN/AMNH useulm 1400 South Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60605-2496 312.922.9410 www.fieldmuseum.org The Field Museum salutes the people of Chicago for their long-standing, generous support of the Museum through the Chicago Park District. AMNE D. FINNIN DIANE ALEXANDER WHITE DAVE CHRISTOPHER IRMA ARCE Shedd Aquarium Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids (March 19—Sept. 1) traces the cultural and natural history roots of some of the world’s most enduring mytho- logical beasts of land, sea, and air. Left: An ancient Chinese shadow puppet. Paleontologist Scott Lidgard, PhD (left) is a Field Museum scientist studying marine ecosystems. His ground-breaking work on the tiny marine invertebrates called bryozoans is helping to answer some big questions. What does the human hand have in common with the wing of a fly? Can we trace the evolutionary origin of ailments as varied as cancer and hiccups? Your Inner Fish, a new book by Field Museum Provost Neil Shubin (left), unearths some often startling finds. 10 Leave No Child Inside! is a national movement with the goal of reconnecting children with nature. Learn about the movement and The Field Museum’s role within it. Left: Altgeld Gardens students exploring Beaubien Woods in Calumet. Adler Planetarium MANY BUSES AND RAIL LINES PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FIELD MUSEUM. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL OR VISIT WWW.TRANSITCHICAGO.COM. VISIT WWW.RTACHICAGO.COM FOR REGIONAL TAR A SPECIAL LETTER Why Ants and Fishes? We have new blood coming into the research arm of The Field Museum as strategic replacements for scientists who left over the past few years. Joining us are: Ken Angielczyk, PhD, assistant curator of fossil mammals, Corrie Moreau, PhD, assistant curator of insects, and Leo Smith, PhD, assistant curator of fishes. Ken Angielczyk, PhD Corrie Moreau, PhD Leo Smith, PhD PARHAM IEF AOMI F Dr. Angielczyk, who received his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 2003, is a paleontologist studying dicynodont therapsids, formerly referred to as “mammal-like reptiles.” He is also interested in ancient ecology and extinction. Dr. Moreau graduated with a doctorate from Harvard University in 2007 and 1s an entomologist who studies the evolution and biodiversity of ants. She looks at both DNA and morphology to try to resolve interrelationships of this diverse group. Dr. Smith, who received his PhD from Columbia University in 2005, is an ichthyologist who researches scorpion fishes and fish venom. Like Dr. Moreau, he uses both molecular and morphological data to study evolution. I am often asked: Why hire scientists who work on things like dicyno- donts, ants, and fishes rather than subjects with a higher public profile like dinosaurs and Egyptian mummies? As a research institution, we are committed to breaking new scientific ground and making a lasting impact. We have only about 36 primary research positions at The Field Museum, and in filling them we look for scientists who can leverage their research positions into successful scientific programs. So we hire curators based on the broad significance of questions they ask and their potential to be productive scientists, rather than on their specific subject matter. One of The Field Museum’s major research missions is evolution and biodiversity research. It is important to note that increasing knowledge about organisms like dicynodonts, ants, and fishes does more than fill in the puzzle of evolution and the history of biodiversity. In actuality, some of the most critical scientific concepts, from continental drift to modern evolutionary methods and philosophy, were developed by paleo- mammalogists, entomologists, and ichthyologists. Who can guess what advances in scientific knowledge these new curators will produce? We are betting their contributions will be rich, and that they will be outstanding additions to the Museum’s world renowned ance Brant Lance Grande research faculty. Senior Vice President and Head, Collections and Research IN THE FIELD FEATURE SF *® i "Ae ee eyes, Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids arch 19 Nl NI ] e W By Maureen King, Guest Editor Powerful, dangerous, and magical beings have been a part of the human experience for thousands of years. Giving shape to humankind’s greatest hopes, fears and most passionate dreams, mythic creatures continue to thrill, terrify, entertain, and inspire Above, left to right: From the fire-breathing dragon to the soaring phoenix, humans everywhere —sometimes inspired by from the Ming Dynasty living animals or even fossils —have brought mythic creatures to life in stories, songs, and works of art. (1386-1644), an incense A new, eye-popping exhibition, Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids (March 19 though burner in the form of a Sept. 1) uses paintings, life-size models, and cultural objects from around the world to examine the Chinese unicorn; a deity legend and the science behind some of the most fascinating creatures ever conceived by the mind of man. in both Hinduism and Mythic Creatures also features fossils of prehistoric animals as well as preserved specimens to investigate Buddhism, the Garuda ts a and illustrate how —through imagination, speculation, and even fear—they could have inspired half eagle, half man; and the development of some legendary creatures. a 17-foot-long dragon Woven throughout the exhibition is that most famous of mythic creatures: the dragon. Artifacts with a wingspan of from many countries and periods illustrate the important roles dragons play in the cultures of Asia, over 19 feet Europe, and the Americas. In Asia, dragons can be as small as silkworms or fill the sky when they rise from the waters every spring and send rain to help crops grow. In Europe, the dragon is an evil creature that captures princesses and challenges heroic knights. In the Americas, the Aztecs worshipped the god Quetzalcoatl, or “feathered serpent.” Interactive touch-screens allow the visitor to create a dragon and then watch it come to life in a virtual environment, while a video demonstrates the process of creating dragons for movies. Creatures of Water, Land, and Air Fantastic beings that inhabit the depths, such as the kraken, sea monsters, and mermaids are well represented in the exhibition. When European explorers set out on voyages of discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, rumors of sea monsters aroused their curiosity and fear. Sailors’ tales ranged from accurate observations, to honest mistakes, to tall tales. Mermaids are possibly the most popular and intriguing creatures across all cultures. In Europe, Africa, and the Americas, they are a personification of the sea itself— powerful, seductive, and dangerous. Mythic beings that walk the Earth, such as the unicorn, are featured in the folklore of many cultures. In Europe, the unicorn’s horn was believed to counteract poisons. In Asia, the unicorn had a scaly coat, one or multiple flesh covered horns, and a wolf-like head. Exhibition visitors can see a narwhal tusk—a long, thin tusk, thought to have inspired the tales of the European unicorn. Most mythic creatures have ancient roots that go back hundreds or even thousands of years, but the Chupacabra is an exception. This new mythical creature, whose name means “goat sucker” in Spanish, started gaining recognition in the late 1980s. Stories of the creature’s glowing red eyes and vicious fangs, as well as its penchant for drinking the blood of farm animals are told today throughout Latin America and the southwestern United States. Mythic beings that take flight include the Sphinx, a terrible monster with the body of a winged lion and a woman’s head, and the Tengu, a goblin-like being, that lived in the forests of Japan and would mock and punish people whom he deemed too prideful. This banner, made in Haiti, portrays the Haitians’ version of a mermaid. The Asian phoenix, a mystical bird that appears at a time of peace or to announce the birth of a virtuous emperor, is represented by a clay roof charm in the image of the phoenix; charms such as this one guard the roof tiles of palaces and temples. In this section of the exhibition, visitors will also discover the fabled winged horse Pegasus from Greek mythology, the Garuda—a birdlike divinity found in Hindu and Buddhist stories, and the snakelike Naga, illustrated by Balinese shadow puppets. ITF Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York in collaboration with The Field Museum, Chicago; Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau-Ottawa; Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney; and Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta. Lead sponsor: MetLife Foundation SOME NOT-TO-BE-MISSED EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS A 17-foot-long dragon with a wingspan of over 19 feet. e A 120-foot-long Chinese parade dragon. e A 10-foot-long unicorn. e A Pegasus carousel sculpture. e A Feejee mermaid” with the head and torso of a monkey and the tail of a fish. e Images of the ‘Mami Wata” (mommy water), a powerful African water spirit. e An11-foot-long roc with a wingspan of over 19 feet and huge talons. e A kraken with 12-foot-long tentacles. e Two life-sized models of real creatures: an over-six-feet-tall extinct primate, the Gigantopithecus, and the largest bird ever to have lived, the over-nine-foot tall, extinct Aepyornis. e Askeleton of the four-legged, beaked dinosaur Protoceratops, believed to have inspired tales of the mythical Griffin, part eagle and part lion. Above, left to right: a roc is a creature believed to be so enormous that it could carry off elephants into the air; at over ten feet tall, the Aepyorni, now extinct, laid the largest eggs in the world; and the Gigantopithecus is a very distant relative of humans that lived in southeast Asia for almost a million years. PRING 2008 » MARCH AY 5 IN THE FIELD INTERVIEW Seeking Big Answers from Tiny Animals A Conversation with Scott Lidgard By Greg Borzo, Media Manager, Scientific Affairs For 23 years, Scott Lidgard, PhD, associate curator of fossil invertebrates, has been at The Field Museum studying marine ecosystems. He focuses on the bryozoan, an understudied and underappreciated animal that has helped answer some of biology’s biggest questions. Dr. Scott Lidgard in the Museum’s exhibition, Evolving Planet. X ANDER WHITE )IANE ALE ITF: What are bryozoans, and how did you come to specialize in them? Dr. Lidgard: Bryozoans are small invertebrates. Most build and live in stony skeletons, on the bottom of the world’s oceans, as well as in freshwater streams and lakes. Scientists have described about 5,000 living species, but we think there are three-to-five times that number waiting to be identified. And another three-to-five times that number have probably lived at one time or another over the past 500 million years. As part of the filter system that lives on the seafloor, bryozoans help maintain the health of our oceans. In some shallow ocean waters, bryozoans take over the work of better known and more appreciated reef-building corals. But just like corals, bryozoans create structures that foster biodiversity by sheltering small fishes, worms, arthropods, and other forms of aquatic life. Also, they filter waste products and single-celled organisms, and convert carbon dioxide into their calcium carbonate skeletons. Both processes help keep the ocean and atmosphere richer in oxygen. No, I did not have a toy bryozoan when I was a kid that got me started on these animals. Nothing like that. I got interested in bryozoans because my research starts with wide-ranging questions about ecology, evolution, and the environment. ITF: What are the kinds of questions your research is trying to answer? Dr. Lidgard: How do we actually measure the pattern of evolution on diversity over geologic time? How do certain groups of animals interact and displace one another over millions of years, and from the equator to the poles? What makes one group more successful than another, as different predators evolve through time? How did changing environmental conditions affect the diversity of life? Bryozoans can help give us answers because they leave a lasting, rich fossil record of their evolutionary history. While most fossils are of adult animals, bryozoan fossils include many stages of growth and development, because they are colonies made by “budding” of connected individuals. In addition, the skeletal shapes of some bryozoans have not changed much over millions of years while others have changed dramatically. And since bryozoans still exist in huge numbers and great diversity, they allow for comparisons over broad spans of location, conditions, and time—right up to today. In Evolving Planet, a moving mural shows aquatic life from the Cambrian Period, about 500 million years ago. ITF: What are you studying right now? Dr. Lidgard: I’m spending most of my time studying the global biodiversity of bryozoans and the role of predation in evolutionary trends. ‘Bryozoans can help give uS answers In a recent project, I found that a surprising 399 species in eight phyla prey on bryozoan colonies, because they leave a lasting, rich fossil even though the tiny organisms do not offer much reco rd of thei r evolutionary histo bya nutritional value. Among other things, this illustrates how bryozoans fit into the food chain, and the critical role of their colonies as refuges et _ ; The sea floor for other invertebrates and young fishes. as it might have ITF: Obviously, you find bryozoans fascinating, looked 220 million but why should the average person care about these years ago. tiny animals? Dr. Lidgard: Three-fourths of humans live within 100 miles of the sea and depend on it for livelihood and sustenance. Nevertheless, we are destroying our marine ecosystems through pollution, dredging, and overfishing. Ecological studies suggest that humans are reducing certain marine ecosystems to something reminiscent of 550 million years ago, prior to the explosiemaf animal diversity that has enriched life on Earth Even the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs did not create such devastation! The bottom line is that we need to understand how our marine ecosystems function in order to better appreciate and preserve them. ITF This cutaway drawing shows part of a bryozoan colony with two individuals—the first with its feeding organ extended, and the second with feeding organ retracted within the external skeleton. OF SPECIAL INTEREST Two Special By Krystal Villanosa, Writer Screened at last year’s Margaret Mead Film Festival, Sisters-in-Law celebrates dynamic women tn non-traditional roles in Kumba, Cameroon. Film Festivals at The Field The experience of watching a film at The Field Museum is often awe-inspiring, sometimes funny, and always enriching. In 2008, The Field Museum will host two film festivals: the Banff Mountain Film Festival and the Margaret Mead Film Festival. Both are geared to adult audiences. The Banff Film Festival, a one-evening program of short films, brings mountain stories to life through spectacular images and sound. You'll experience the adventure of climbing ice and rock, kayaking, and snowboarding. These films are sure to get your adrenaline going! The festival is a celebration of mountain culture and wildlife that boosts awareness of environmental issues. For those with a passion for diverse cultures, social justice, and political commentary, the Margaret Mead Film Festival showcases the many complexities and conflicts that have arisen in recent years due to globalization. In past years, this film festival has taken on such controversial topics as Mexican-American migration, bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan, worker rights in China, and drug trafficking in the United States. Unique to the festival is the inclusion of question and answer sessions, panel discussions, and roundtable conversations that are held after film screenings and often lead to lively debates. Whether you are a nature enthusiast, an armchair adventurer, or a political science buff, the Banff Mountain Film Festival and the Margaret Mead Film Festival offer very special film-going experiences. ITF Banff Mountain Film Festival WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 6-9pm $5, members $3 Reserve your seats now as space is limited! Call 312.665.7400. Margaret Mead Film Festival SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 10am—4pm ree! Reserve your seats beginning August 15. Call 312.665.7400. MARCH-MAY f = useum =