Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Volume 3, Number 2
Winter, 1974

MM. ynen sletter

MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY

Dr. Phillip Darlington

PROFESSOR ALFRED S. ROMER, 1894-1973

Professor Alfred S. Romer’s death on November
5, 1973 left the MCZ sad and quiet; it will never be
quite the same again.

Harvard’s Memorial Church was packed with as
many of Dr. Romer’s friends who could manage to
be there on November 19 for an eloquent and mov-
ing memorial service. The speakers were Director A.
W. Crompton, who talked principally about Dr.
Romer’s scientific work, Professor Paul H. Buck
(Provost of the University 1945-1953) with whom
Dr. Romer worked closely on critical problems fac-
ing the museum during his early years as Director
of the MCZ, and Professor Kenneth V. Thimann, a
long-time colleague in the Department of Biology
and a close friend. A personal remembrance by one
of his former students, Professor Keith S. Thomson,
now at Yale, reflected not only the high esteem but
also the warm affection he inspired in his many
students. Mrs. Romer and other members of the
family met friends after the service in the Agassiz
Room.

Professor Romer bequeathed to the MCZ his
magnificent personal library of scientific books and
reprints covering the fields of vertebrate anatomy,
embryology, and paleontology. A Memorial Fund
has been established to transform his office into a
comfortable, attractive reading room for faculty,
students, and visitors. Mrs. Romer will officially
open the Alfred Sherwood Romer Library, hopefully
before Commencement.

The fauna of the Texas Permian, which includes
the large sail-backed reptile with which his name
will always be linked, was Professor Romer’s major
research interest, and it is fitting that the last man-
uscript which he completed was a detailed stratig-
raphy of the Wichita Beds of the Texas Permian.
This put the finishing touches on, to quote Dr.
Romer, “an area of research which has occupied a
central place in my interest for more than half a cen-
tury”’.

This is not the place for an extensive obituary;
Professor Romer’s fundamental contributions to
scholarship in paleontology and anatomy and his
accomplishments as Director of the MCZ (1946 to
1961) and Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology
(1947 to 1965) have been documented elsewhere.
His friends here will long remember him as he was
every day among us — walking down Everett Street
in the morning, shoulders hunched, head buried in
the morning paper; holding court at 10 o’clock cof-
fee with his countless anecdotes from a lifetime of
varied experiences, always seen with a twinkling
eye; breaking into song to more fully amplify a par-
ticular point; admonishing the occupants of the new
MCZ Labs to “come out of the isolation ward”;
these are
some of the pictures that will remain vivid with
those of us who were fortunate eneuee to know
him.

Dr. and Mrs. Alfred S. Romer in Clairemont, California, November, 1968.

WHAT DID YOU DO LAST SUMMER?

This question elicited interesting responses from some of the MCZ’s graduate students who found them-
selves very far from Cambridge pursuing their research interests last summer. Here are three who have been
singled out because they brought back photographs which appealed to the Editor’s wanderlust (future travel-
ers: take note!).

lo
Photo by Vickie Kohler
Stan Awramik standing among the stromatolites (see below) in Shark Bay, Australia.

Before multicellular life developed, in that distant time known as the Precambrian (over 600,000,000 years
ago), sedimentary structures produced by algae — stromatolites — grew and flourished. These structures
sometimes reached towering heights and must have dominated much of the marine environment. Today the
prime area in the world where this process is still actively continuing is Shark Bay, Australia. A “simulated
Precambrian environment” exists because the high level of salinity excludes higher organisms and leaves the
algae undisturbed, allowing stromatolites to thrive.

Stan Awramik, a recent Ph.D. recipient whose dissertation is entitled ‘The origin and evolution of
stromatolites’’ and who is now working with Professor Elso S. Barghoorn, traveled to Shark Bay last summer
to conduct the first in situ microbiological studies ever undertaken. With the active assistance of Vickie Kohler
of the MCZ’s Invertebrate Paleontology Department and Steve Golubic of Boston University, Stan set up a
field lab, collected material by various means including SCUBA diving, and also shipped quantities of
stromatolite material back to Cambridge for more detailed analysis.

Paul Hertz underwent a rigorous and stimulating initiation into various aspects of tropical biology. As one
of 20 graduate students taking the course on Fundamentals of Tropical Ecology offered by the Organization
for Tropical Studies (OTS), Paul hopped around Costa Rica using varied, and sometimes breathtaking, forms
of transportation and became acquainted with all of the major environments of that country (including wet
and dry tropical forests, cold tropical mountain tops, marine and river sites) thanks to the strategically-
located field stations maintained by OTS. OTS is an international group of 29 member institutions (including
Harvard) and accepts graduate students for the course from any institution of higher learning on a competi-
tive basis; naturally, the students’ diverse backgrounds and interests add considerably to the educational
experience.

A typical day would see the students out in the field by 5:30AM carrying out various field assignments. The
afternoon rain provided an excellent time for indoor data analysis and the evenings were devoted to lectures

and discussion.

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Paul Hertz skinning a Baihops asper, ion popularly as a fer-de-lance, a feadsy Gaal ieee, sane

Paul, who is a second year graduate student working with Professors Ernest E. Williams and Thomas W.
Schoener, emerged from this total tropical immersion with a keen desire to return and continue his studies on
tropical lizards and birds.

John Fleagle, a third year graduate student working with Professor Farish A. Jenkins, Jr., returned to the
Malaysian jungle to continue his studies on primate locomotion, ecology, and behavior. He renewed his
acquaintance with a family of Siamong (gibbons) — they were just where he’d left them the year before — but
their preoccupation with a new baby reduced their receptiveness to John’s friendly advances.

John’s Ph.D. dissertation will be on locomotion and comparative anatomy of Malaysian primates and
gathering the necessary data requires many forms of ingenuity. First he shoots copious quantities of film,
attempting to follow the animals’ energetic routes through the jungle foliage. Upon his return to Cambridge, a
large amount of creative effort is expended on raising the funds to have the film developed. Once this has
been accomplished, he analyzes the movements frame by frame. Radiography and dissections provide addi-
tional insight into the mechanics of locomotion.

John is presently arranging to return to Malaysia for an extended stay to complete the basic research for his
thesis. Incidentally, while in the jungle last summer John collected an impressive array of fungus-dwelling
beetles. Since Malaysia is not on the route taken by most American entomologists, John’s contributions were
all new to the MCZ’s collections, much to the delight of Dr. John F. Lawrence, the MCZ’s beetle specialist.

One of the more spectacular frames from John Fleagle’s summer spent capturing monkeys in motion.

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A BUMPER CROP FOR THE MCZ’S VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Professor Farish A. Jenkins, Jr. takes stock of the situation!

It seems that the best way to find something is to
be looking for something else — at least this seems
to be true for the MCZ’s Vertebrate Paleontology
Department. Last year it was giant Pliocene
crodolians which were the unexpected bonus on
Professor Bryan Patterson’s expedition to north-
western Venezuela. This past summer another un-
expected find resulted in some exciting additions to
the MCZ collections and potentially to our under-
standing of modern mammals.

During the summers of 1971 and 1972, Mr.
Charles R. Schaff, Curatorial Associate in Vertebrate
Paleontology, and his field party searched for Cre-
taceous mammalian remains in the Cloverly Forma-
tion of Wyoming and Montana. Although no mam-
mals could be found, they did discover a beautifully
articulated ornithischian dinosaur. Last summer,
Professor Farish A. Jenkins, Jr. and Mr. Arnold D.
Lewis, Chief Preparator, headed a field party to re-
cover the dinosaur — and found Cretaceous mam-
mals!

It was Arnie who made the find, although he was
actually looking for a way to drag the blocks-of-
rock-containing-dinosaur out of the steep country
that adjoins the Prior Mountains near Bridger, Mon-
tana. Walking downslope, he could not resist pick-
ing up.some broken rock fragments; a slight color
difference from the normal buff gray matrix was suf-
ficient to trigger the ‘‘pick up” reaction of this ex-
perienced fossil collector. There were tiny teeth in
the fragments and a fortuitous break revealed mul-
tiple tooth roots — this was undeniably a mammal!
Shortly after, down came the dinosaur across the
spot where the mammal had sought refuge for the
last 135-million years (see photo).

Professors Crompton and Jenkins and the Verte-
brate Paleontology staff are eager to return to the site
next summer because there are indications that the
site is richer than anyone previously imagined. A
sample sackful of sediments was taken from the
mammal site, placed in sieves, and flushed with
running water. The sample yielded many nut-sized,
hard nodules, some of them containing more bones
of small mammals. This unusual state of fossiliza-
tion protects the delicate fossils from disintegration
during weathering, or from recovery techniques
such as sieving and washing, and greatly increases
the chances of finding whole, articulated specimens
— an extreme rarity for the early mammals. This
unique site could potentially yield material which
may answer key questions about the origin and evo-

lution of major groups of mammals. Considerable ex-

cavation and laboratory study yet remain to be
done, and will rely on well-developed techniques
and extensive data already amassed. But as far as
fossil collecting goes, serendipity is still queen of
that “‘science’’.

The hood of an abandoned automobile (duly returned) proved to be a handy sled to transport Tenontosaurus, an
ornithischian dinosaur fossilized in fine shape, down the hill side. Guiding their precious cargo are (I. to r.) Andrews
Jenkins, Jeri Hodsdon, Farish Jenkins, David Roberts, Thomas Roberts, Philip Bartels, with Arnie Lewis steadying the-
load from behind.

The lower jaw of a triconodont, a representative of an extinct line of carnivorous mammals. Triconodonts appeared in
the late Triassic (180 million years ago) and survived through the early Cretaceous (135 million years ago) — an
unusually long span. The largest of the Mesozoic mammals, they were characterized by shearing teeth and pointy
snouts. Shearing was achieved by aligning three or more cusps from front to back on each molar, which occluded with
a similar tooth above, producing a pinking-shear bite.

ON THE SHELF!

To the casual observer it may appear that collec-
tions of specimens in a museum have a pretty static
existence they sit on their shelves and occasion-
ally someone may look at one. Actually, they are in
constant flux, being rehoused, moved, exchanged,
loaned, or expanded with new acquisitions, either
from the field or other institutions, making the job
of a curator an active one indeed. In recent months
several of the MCZ’s collections have undergone
significant developments.

Snakes and Lizards

The reptile and amphibian collections are moving
into new bottles — modern and air-tight — while
the beautiful, but not so efficient, antique ones
they've vacated are being sold. So far two-thirds of
these collections have made the switch.

Corals

The corals are also enjoying upward mobility (lit-
erally!) as they are in the process of transferring
from the fourth floor of the “old building’ to the
fifth floor of the new one, under the supervision of
Mr. Dennis Opresko, a Ph.D. candidate at the Uni-
versity of Miami. He is spending this year reor-
ganizing the MCZ’s vast collection of corals.
Insects

The MCZ’s ant and beetle collections have pros-
pered in recent months due to two important
events. A major addition to the ant area arrived on

Fish

October 23 comprising the entire ant collection of
Professor Neal A. Weber. Professor Weber, who is
retiring from Swarthmore College this year and who
was William M. Wheeler’s last student, collected
ants from all over the world during a forty-year
period. He is the world authority on leaf-cutter and
other fungus growing ants and the representation of
this group in the collection will be increasingly im-
portant to economic entomology since leaf-cutting
ants are the leading agricultural pests in South
America.

A new acquisition does not become useful until it
is properly housed. Accordingly, a large, recently-
vacated room will now become the center for all the
MCZ’s unsurpassed collection of ants and we are
fortunate that Professor William L. Brown of Cor-
nell, ant specialist par excellence, will be spending
three months here to put the ants in order.

As for the beetles, a welcome exchange will now
unite the collections of the two beetle specialists
whose work forms the basis for beetle systematics
in this country. John L. LeConte and George H.
Horn were contemporaries who often worked to-
gether and exchanged material. The LeConte collec-
tion is at the MCZ while the Horn collection has
been at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sci-
ences. In exchange for a key collection of grasshop-
pers, the Horn collection will be transferred to the
MCZ in gradual stages over the next year. As a re-
sult of this swap, beetle studies in Cambridge and
grasshopper studies in Philadelphia will be greatly
facilitated.

Since two pictures are worth two thousand words, see the photos below for a full account of the dramatic
developments in the Fish Department's renovation program. (The program appears to have included Robert

C. Schoknecht, Curatorial Associate.)

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POLISH PALEONTOLOGIST VISITS THE MCZ

Professor Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska’s visit to the
United States (she was Visiting Alexander Agassiz
Professor of Vertebrate Paleontology for the Fall
term) was a keenly awaited event in paleontologi-
cal circles. As head of the eight highly successful
joint Polish-Mongolian expeditions into the Gobi
Desert since 1962, when a scientific agreement was
reached between those two countries, she brought,
for Western eyes to see, the most remarkable
paleontological discoveries of the last decade. Until
Professor Kielan-Jaworowska went to Mongolia, the
only remains known of mammals for about 100 mil-
lion years of their existence were isolated teeth,
jaws, and limb bones; her group has found over 150
complete skulls and partial skeletons.

Professor Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska, who has been
the Director of the Paleozoological Institute of the
Polish Academy of Sciences since 1961, is describ-
ing the newly found Cretaceous mammals and has
already published preliminary findings in the series
“Results of the Polish-Mongolian Paleontological
Expeditions” of which she is editor. (Some of the
less technical aspects of the expeditions’ adventures
are described in her book, Hunting for Dinosaurs
published by MIT Press in 1969.) During her Ameri-
can visit, Dr. Kielan-Jaworowska has availed herself
of the opportunity to compare her material with that
in this country’s institutions — an essential part of
her study. She shared her knowledge with col-
leagues and students in a lecture series entitled:
“Vertebrate evolution during the late Cretaceous of
Asia and possible migrations between Asia and
North America”, given in January.

Professor Kielan-Jaworowska began her research
career studying invertebrate paleontology, concen-
trating on jaw apparatuses of fossil annelids (sea
worms) and trilobites. However, the momentous re-
sults of the Mongolian expeditions permanently
changed her focus to vertebrates.

It isn’t only scientifically that Professor Kielan-
Jaworowska has aroused the curiosity and interest
of her American hosts. As Scientific and Adminis-
trative Director of a prominent research institution,
she is quick to compare the working conditions of
women in the two countries. Professional discrimi-
nation between sexes in Poland was totally
abolished after World War II and there are at least
two professional fields today in which women out-
number men, namely, medicine and dentistry.
Curiously, men are given compensatory preferential
treatment for medical school admission because
were places not reserved for them while they served
their military duty, women would make up almost
the total student body. However, although most
women work outside the home because two salaries
are essential for a family to live in relative comfort,
it is still unusual for a woman to reach a position of
prominence. In a country where fulfilling the needs
of daily life is cumbersome, if not downright dif-
ficult, it takes an unusual amount of talent, ambi-
tion, and just plain physical energy to combine the

L

9

Professor Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska

roles of professional woman, wife, mother, and
homemaker. While men have nothing against suc-
cessful wives, they are much less prepared to share
the domestic burden than their American counter-
parts. ‘“Obviously,’” Dr. Kielan-Jaworowska points
out, ‘it will take a long time to change centuries of
tradition.”

Professor Kielan-Jaworowska is married to Zbig-
niew Jaworowski and they have a 14 year old son.

HUMAN EVOLUTION IN A

NUTSHELL
(for Steve Gould)

Once upon the evolutionary stage
Of anthropoids
Dryopithecus was all the rage.

Although some pithy lines were later banned,
The one that made
The Gorilla my dreams was merely Panned.

Meanwhile, selected hominoids foresaw the
silver screen.
Australopithecus came close,

But Homo stole the Holocene.
John M. Burns
October 24, 1973

FROM THE
FIELD STATION

By William K. Newbury

Since arriving here last Fall, | have talked to many
individuals both within and outside the Museum
about the opportunities for research, education, and
recreation that exist in the Estabrook Woods, a large
tract of woodland in the Concord-Bedford area
which is part of the MCZ’s Concord Field Station
lands. The possibilities seem endless and my task is
to match people to programs in a mutually benefi-
cial way.

Several steps have already been taken. The Field
Station has produced a series of ‘‘Guides to Re-
sources’ which describe the existing biological,
geological, and meteorological conditions in the
area. A detailed four-color map is also now available
which will be of great help to those who wish to
find their way around the woods on more than a
superficial level. A proposal to the National Science
Foundation has been submitted which would pro-
vide funds for undergraduates to conduct research
studies in the Woods during the summer. The proj-

ects will yield valuable information while the un-
dergraduates, with the instruction of faculty mem-
bers, will acquire field research techniques.

The location of the Estabrook Woods in a heavily
populated area offers an ideal opportunity to study
the role man plays in shaping the “‘suburban
woods’’. A history of local land use, census taking
of the flora and fauna, a study of the present recrea-
tional use of the area (and ensuring that this does
not collide with research and conservation interests)
are among the projects that will be undertaken soon
by faculty members in conjunction with amateur
naturalists, such as the Friends of the MCZ. The
local schools have also been enlisted to participate
in these educational programs.

We are devoting a room in the new Field Station
building to collections of natural history materials
from the woods. This will also be a convenient
meeting place for local naturalists.

In the Spring issue of the MCZ Newsletter I hope
to be able to report that some of our ambitious plans
have become reality.

The MCZ Newsletter is published three times a year by
the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Univer-
sity, Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138;
A.W. Crompton, Director.
Editor: Gabrielle Dundon
Photographers: A.H. Coleman
Paula Chandoha

GET YOUR PEACOCK FEATHER AND SHELLS HERE!

Ms. Susan Nelson helping a
few of the thousands of children
who consider the Museum Shop a
highlight of their visit to the
MCZ and emerge waving its un-
official banner — the peacock
feather! Sue became manager of
the Shop in 1972 and thoroughly
e-ioys the treasure-hunting as-
pect of her job. She has managed
to assemble a remarkable assort-
ment of unusual items from
around the world. Jewelry made
from reindeer horn, shell, ivory,
oxen teeth (as well as gold and
silver) appeals to adults while the
inexpensive peacock feather and
shells are perennial favorites of
the young. Collectors can find
fossil, mineral, and shell speci-
nens, mounted butterflies, in-
sects in amber, and much more.
rhere is also a wide variety of dec-
rative craft work. Proceeds

the Museum Shop help to
pport the MCZ’s exhibition

yram