American Museum S Natural History ^
Worlds to Discover...
AMNH Expeditions Family Programs
Set out on an adventure for the entire family with AMNH Expeditions— fly a kite in Tiananmen Square; snorkel with playful Galapagos sea lion; enjoy
a scavenger hunt in the ancient Athenian Agora.
Members and friends of the Museum have been exploring the world on AMNH Expeditions for
more than 50 years in the company of AMNH scientists and guest lecturers. Our diverse lineup of
Family Programs is designed to engage, enrich, and
delight all generations.
For a complete listing of our upcoming
Family Programs and to book online, visit
our website at amnhexpeditions.org or call AMNH Expeditions at 800-462-8687 or 212-769-5700 MARCH 2007 VOLUME 116 NUMBER 2
COMMENTARY
38 BAD NEWS FOR BEARS
This fall, despite a public outcry, bears habituated to people
in Alaska's McNeil sanctuary may be hunted on adjacent lands. BILL SHERWONIT
FEATURES
52 BAR CODING FOR BOTANY
A system )nodeled o)i commercial bar codes may soon enable anyone to identify any plant
from a smallfragment of its DNA. KENNETH M. CAMERON
COVER STORY 58 ON THE TRAIL OF THE ANCESTORS
AnaSii:i pueblos lie in ruins across the American Southwest. ]]lhn bccanic of their iiihabitains? CRAIG CHILDS
ON THE cover: Doonvav, with kiva and roof entrance, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. Photograph by George H.H. Huey HfVM
DEPARTMENTS
4 THE NATURAL MOMENT Exit Strategies Photograph by Tony Martin
6 UP FRONT 64 BOOKSHELF Editor's Notebook ^ Laurence A. Marschall 8 CONTRIBUTORS % 68 OUT THERE 9 LETTERS Spin Control Charles Liu
74 nature.net ^Tf New Tubes Robert Anderson
75 THE SKY IN MARCH Joe Rao
76 EXPLORING SCIENCE 64 AND NATURE 80 ENDPAPER Notes from the Edge Robert R. Dunn 11 11 SAMPLINGS News from Nature
14 PERSPECTIVES Ice Cycles Donald Goldsmith
36 BIOMECHANICS No Bones About 'Em Adam Summers 36
PICTURE CREDITS: Page 8
Visit our Web site at www.naturalhistorymag.com He was a hardworking farm boy.
She was an Italian supermodel.
He knew he would have just one chance to impress her.
Rosetta Stonef The fastest and easiest
way to learn iTAUAN
Korean Polish Spanish Swedish Turkish Arabic Dutch Farsi Greek Indonesian (
Chinese English(UK) French Hebrew Italian Latin Portuguese Spanishc Tagalog Vietnamese
Danish English(usi German Hindi Japanese Pashto Russian Swahili Thai Welsh
Learn a language. Expand your world. Finally, there's a way to learn a new language that's easier than you could
ever imagine. Rosetta Stone interactive software teaches you any of 30 languages, all without translation, memorization,
or grammar drills. It's so effective that NASA, the U.S. State Department, and a variety of Fortune 500* executives
have made it their language tool of choice. That's also why we can back it with a six-month money-back guarantee.
(T) SPEAK: Speech-recognition tools compare your pronunciation *^ with a native speaker The natural way to learn. Rosetta Stone's
award-winning Dynamic Immersion" method o \\\ LISTEN: Native speakers and everyday language develop your ' listening comprehension skills naturally. taps the skills you used to master your native
language. By combining real-life images and the •^^ READ: Build your reading skills by linking written language
voices of native speakers, you become immersed ' to real-life objects, actions, and ideas.
in language and retain what learn. your new you WRITE: Practice writing the new language and receive immediate feedback.
\Z ?'9«tti Act now to receive 3 10% diSCOUnt.
Level 1 Level 2 Level 1&2 Best Value! Regularly $^55:60 Regularly $gg5. 00 Regularly $02 9 .00 NOW $175.50 NOW $202.50 NOW $296.10
The fastest way to learn a language. Guaranteed RosettaStone Language Learning ^K^^ Success 1-800-399-6162 RosettaStone.com/nhs037 Use promotional code nhs037 when ordering. THE NATURAL MOMENT
Exit Strategies
Photograph by Tony Martin
4 NAT;.i See preceding two pages Killer App Kenneth M. Cameron ("Bar Coding for Botany," page 52) imag- ines that one day soon, "global flora scanners" will catch bad guys who smuggle endangered plants across international bor- ders. My vision is more benign: You've taken the day off to hike the Even from across a field of sea woods in the early spring. Wet snow still fills the forest with cool, damp ice crowded with emperor air, but the sun is bright, and up ahead, at a break in the canopy, a blos- penguins, Tony Martin was startled som is bravely forcing the new season. The flower is unfamiliar. when he spotted a lone Weddell You unclip your handheld GFS unit from your belt. Stoop. Snip. You seal shoot through what looked like take a tiny bite of leaf with the hole punch, press "ID" on the keypad, soUd ice. Martin, a zoologist with and wait for the Hypernet response. Sure enough, the blossom is a rare, the British Antarctic Survey, began endangered blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia verna); no one has recorded the walking toward whatever crack or flower in these woods for twenty years. Immoderately pleased by your hole had allowed the seal to emerge sharp eyes and good luck, you press "Record"; the system clock marks from the Ross Sea below. Before he the time and date, the GPS module remembers the location, and the arrived, the seal slid back under the flower is filed in your personal database. Before you move on, you take ice, leaving Martin to wait. a digital photograph of the flower, and dictate a few remarks into the The portal proved to be about digital recorder. three feet across, its inner edges Behind this new technological magic is one of the most exciting serrated from the gnawing of the biological projects since the sequencing of the human genome. The seals' front teeth, a process known project, known as DNA bar coding, is an international effort to create as reaming. In the summer months a universal genetic database of life by sequencing short, species-specific intense reaming isn't needed, be- regions of DNA from every living species on Earth. Among botanists, cause the ice is thinner and has Cameron says, the goal is to identify two or perhaps three genes that more natural openings the seals occur in all plants, yet in combination are distinctive enough from spe- can use to surface. But whether cies to species to serve as reliable species markers. Between now and an under thick or thin ice, Weddells international meeting this September in Taiwan, of the Consortium for are far from hindered under water: the Barcode of Life (CBOL), Cameron and his colleagues in the Plant they can sleep, mate, or, most Working Group are seeking as much peer review as possible before a often, hunt for fish and squid. recommendation is made about exactly which genetic markers will On a hunt, Weddells can descend serve as bar codes in the database. a quarter of a mile under water and How long wiU it take to build the database? "Lots of people are hold their breath for more than an chomping at the bit to get into this," Cameron says. The bar codes for hour. On such dives the seals slow the vast majority of land plants could be ready within a couple of years their hearts, decrease blood flow, of CBOL's decision, he adds. At the same time, electronics and nanotech- and use oxygen stored in their nology circles are buzzing about how the relevant bar codes would be muscles. Physiologists dream that "read" in the field. Presumably, Cameron explains, once the plant matter genes for low-oxygen tolerance is sampled and dissolved, its DNA would be channeled along micro- might one day help treat people etchings on a chip-size glass surface, where a sequence of miniature with heart and lung diseases. chemical reactions and embedded logic circuitry would look for the Martin experienced the seals' relevant genes. No one knows how long Silicon Valley will need to make diving stamina firsthand, as he a usable product, but given the pace of change, several electronic genera- waited at the lip of the hole. After tions (that is, five or ten years) doesn't seem unreasonable. an hour of keeping vigil, he got a big surprise when a 500-pound seal launched itself out of the water Our regular "Biomechanics" columnist, Adam Summers, reaches a "like a missile out of a submarine," milestone with this issue. His column, "No Bones About 'Em" and landed on top of him. Fortu- (page 36), about the advantages of having a cartilaginous skeleton, is his nately, the next seal to come up for fiftieth for Natural History. That's a remarkable achievement for a scien- air simply poked out its deceptively tist and professor stiU young enough to have a seven-month-old child at petite head. —Erin Espelie home. Congratulations, Adam! —Peter Brown j' NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 Lag:eiids of Fire Fighting^^^ rrv, Get the 1924 ^1 Ahrens-Fox i| N-S-4 for just ^FIREl ^ENGINESi $3.95 Incredibly detailed Average length of fire engine replicas; 5 die-cast replica. 1 1924 AHRENS-FOX PUMPER Hand painted in The classic (VIodel A had a piston-powered pump authentic colors. which delivered 750 gpm, comparable to an A 1 class pump of today. Precision die-cast models, SEAGRAVE TYPE-K PUMPElT Featuring cab-forward design, individually painted by iiand. pioneered in the '50s, and the powerful deck-gun used by the County of Kentucl(y FIRE! Terrifjing blazes in the tall city buildings, the power of each original with extraordinary devastating fires in remote areas. The need was precision. Wheels made of metal and authentic for power, speed and versatilit)'. And, from the '20s painhvork. ,, ladders, hoses and pumping devices until the present day, world's , . the greatest auto , all reproduced in perfect miniature. Each makers have created innovative designs to deal bears the original operating fire company's with these demanding - and often life-threatening insignia, - situations. Today, The World's Great Fire Engines Each replica is accompanied by a colorful fact ' I brings together the most important trucks which sheet containing data about its history pre- have been re-created m the only officially author- pared by experts, 7b house thesefact sheets, ized die-cast collection 1939 BEDFORD This stalwart was of its kind. Each classic an attractive binder is pivvidedfreefor sub- especially active in England during the Battle of Britain, has been intricately crafted, hand-assembled and scribers. Each collection comes with a certifi- This one, from Liverpool, had a 500 gpm pump. hand-painted - so faithful to the original, it has Gate of authenticity. I I been approved by experts. Precision miniature reproductions and Special Introductory Price: Just $3.95 LEYUND CUB FK7 Built in 1936, the FK7 had assured authenticity for the first model! an 80 horsepower. 6-cylinder engine, Spanning almost a centun,-, 77;? World's Great You will receive the Ahrens-Fox Model A at the a 49 feet extension ladder Fire Engines includes the most celebrated special introducton,' price of only S3.95. and a 750 gpm pump. machines in the histor>' of fire-fighting from Subsequent models in the collection are priced around the w'orld. The 1924 .\hrens-Fox, whose at just 89.95 each... an extraordinary value! With pump could discharge 750 gallons per minute - this one-of-a-kind collection you will eryoy the equal to many modern fire trucks. The Leyland history and excitement that surrounds these Cub, a life-saving "hero" in World War II incredible machines. To subscribe, you need London, E\'en a replica of the 1907 Seagrave send no money now. Simply mail the order AC53 ft'om the LA, Fire Dept. form today These highly-detailed scale replicas capture wvTO-.delpradocoUections.eom ORDER FORM • Please mail promptly Mail to: The del Prado Collection. RO.Box 688, Holmes, PA 19043 del Drado I collection \'ES. Please enter my subscription to Tlie World's Great Fire Engines Die-Cast Collection, Name_ FLit^E PRIST Cl£\.y.l consisting of 25 models, I need send no money now . Bill me the special introducton.- price of Address- just 33.95 (plus 95C for shipping) for the .\hrens-Fox model and then the regular price of Citv-. 1907 SEAGRAVE AC53 S9.95* each thereafter I will receive mj' collec- Among the first motonzed fire-fighting veTiIcles, tion at the rate of nvo models per month. State- .Zip. the AC53 had a steel ladder, solid rubber tires and I maj' cancel at any time. a 4-cylinder air-cooled engine. "Plus S2.49 each for postage and handling, Telephone ( ) NT and P.\ residents onl>-. add state sales lax. FF046 30 -day Money-Back Guarantee CONTRIBUTORS famggg'^tffi^r.^iffK^'"™^ TONY MARTIN ("The Natural Moment," page 4) is a zoologist with the British Antarctic Survey, specializing in seabirds, seals, of his professional Ufe studying mm and whales. He has spent most aquatic mammals and birds in the polar regions and in the Ama- Peter Brown Editor-in-Chief zon. Lenses and a camera in his backpack accompany him on Mary Beth Aberlin Steven R. Black Executive Editor Art Director all his fieldwork, ready to capture an image such as this month's Board Editors WeddeU seal. Martin enjoys writing and lecturing about wild- of Erin Espelie, Rebecca Kessler, life, and he is completing his sixth book. Albatross, which will be distributed in Mary Knight, Vittorio Maestro, DoUy Setton States Voyageur Press. the United by GeoSireyWowk Assistant Art Director Gracieia Flores Editor-at-Large Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, BILL SHERWONIT ("Bad Contributing Editors News for Bears," page 38) is a nature writer who has made Robert Anderson, Avis Lang, Charles Liu, Laurence A. Marschall, Pachard Milner, his home in Alaska since 1982. He has contributed essays to a Robert H. Mohlenbrock.Joe Rao, Stephan Reebs, wide variety of pubHcations, and he is the author of ten books Judy A. Rice, Adam Summers, Neil deCrasse Tyson about Alaska. Since the late 1980s he has visited McNeil River State Game Sanctuary several times, and has written extensively Charles E. Harris Publisher about the sanctuary, McNeil's bears and their protection, and Edgar L. Harrison Advertising Director the legacy of Larry AumiUer, who was McNeil's manager for thirty years. His Maria Volpe Promotion Director Sonia W. Paratore National Advertising Manager site is www.billsherwonit.alaskawriters.com. Web Rachel Swartwout Advertising Services Manager Meredith Miller Production Manager Michael Shectman FulfiUinent Manager KENNETH M. CAMERON ("Bar Coding for Botany," page 52) For advertising information in as Curator and spends his working hours the Bronx Cullman call 646-356-6508 Director of the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Program for Advertising Sales Representatives Molecular Systematics Studies at the New York Botanical Gar- Detroit—Barvon Media Sales, LLC, 313-268-3996 den. In the evenings and on weekends, however, he retreats to C/iiw^o—Robert Purdy & Associates, 312-726-7800 West Coast—On Course Media Sales, 310-710-7414; a cabin a lake in the Hudson highlands. His most one-room on Peter Scott & Associates. 415-421-7950 recent previous contribution to Natural History was an article Toronto—^American Publishers Representatives Ltd., 416-363-1388 Atlanta and Miami—Rickles and Co., 770-664-4567 about his research specialty, the evolution and classification of Vanilla and related South America—Netcorp Media, 51-1-222-8038 orchids ("Age and Beauty," June 2004). His work has been featured in The New National Direct Response—Smyth Media Group, 914-693-8700 York Times, Tlie Wall Street Journal, and on the PBS television series NOWi.. Todd Happer Vice President, Science Education A native of the American Southwest, CRAIG CHILDS ("On the Educational Advisory Board Trail of the Ancestors," page 58) has long been stumbHng across David Chesebrough COSI Columbus traces of the Anasazi, a prehistoric people who once flourished Stephanie Ratcliffe Natural History' Museum of the Adirondacks Ronen Mir SciTech Hands On Museum there. Inspired as well by the work of archaeologists in the re- Carol Valenta St. Lx>uis Science Center gion to learn more about the Anasazi, he set out to gather the threads of evidence that would explain their fate. The result is Natural History Magazine, Inc. his forthcoming book. House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civili- Charles E.Harris President, Chief Executive Officer zation across the American Southwest, is in this issue is being which excerpted and Judy Buller General Manager pubHshed by Little, Brown and Company. Childs's writings appear in maga- Cecile Washington General Manager Charles Rodin Publishing Advisor zines and newspapers, and he is a regular commentator for National Public Radio. His previous books include Tlie Secret Knowledge of Water: Discovering the Essence of the American Desert (Sasquatch Books, 2000) and The Desert Cries: A To contact us regarding your subscripdon, to order a new subscription, or to change your address, please visit our Season of Flash Floods in a Dry Land (Arizona Highways Books, 2002). He lives Web site www.naturalhistorymag.com or write to us at in western Colorado with his wife and two young sons. Natural History PQ Box 5000, Harlan, lA 51593-0257. Naiiinl History (ISSN 0028-0712) is published monthly, except for combined PICTURE CREDITS Cover; ©George H.H. Huey; pp. 4-5: ©Tony Martin/Woodfall Wild Images; p.9; Cartoon by Dolly Setton; issues in July/August and December/January, by Natural Hisrory Magazine, p.ll{top):The Granger Collection, New York; (middle); ©PHOTOTAKE Inc./Alamy; (bottom): Pierre Guezennec/Naturim- Inc.. in affiliation with ihc American Museum of Natur.i! History. Central ages;p, l2(top); NASA/ESA/Johns Hopkins University; (middle left);©Franco Banfi/SeaPics.com; (middle right): Richard Field; Park West at 79lh Street, New York. NY 10024. E-mail: nhmig@nacural pl3 (top): ©RolfNussbaumcr/npl/Minden Pictures; (bottom): ©DOC WHITE/namrepl.com;pp.l4-15, 18; ©Art WolfcAvwvv. hi5toryniag.com. Natural History Magazine, Inc., is solely responsible for 1 artwolfe.com; p. 6: illustrarions by Ian Worpole; pp.36-37; illustrations by Tom Moore; p.38-39, 41 : Larry Aumiller; pp.39 & 59: editorial content and publishing practices. Subscriptions; S30.00 a year; for Maps by Joe LeMonnier; p.40: Bill Sherwonit; p. 42: ©Jim Oltersdorf/Accent Alaska; pp.52-53: illustration by Jac Depczyk; p.54: Canada and all other countries: S40.00 a year. Periodicals postage paid at New Publications Mail No. Lawson/EIA/telapak; p,55 (left): Rex Butcher/Garden Picture Library; (middle): Densey Clyne/Garden Picture Library; (right): York, NY, and at additional mailing offices, Canada 40030827. Copyright © 2007 by Natural History Magazine, Inc, All rights Craig Jewell; pp.56-57: illustration by Frank Ippohto; pp.58-59, 60(left), 61(right), & 62; ©George H.H. Huey; pp.61-62; Gene re5cr\'cd. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written consent Balzer/Museum of Northern Arizona; p.63: Regan Choi; p.64: Courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History; p.65: of NiUurat History: If you would like to contact us regarding your subscrip- Courtesy of the Aide Leopold Foundation Archive; p.66: Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY; pp.68-69: DBIMAGE/Brand Pic- X tion or to enter a new subscription, please write to us at Natural History, tures/Jupiterimages; p. 80 (background): ©Alan Collins/ Alamy; (top); ©Arco Images/Alamy; (bottom); ©imagebroker/Alamy RO. Box 5000. Harlan, lA 51593-0257. Posmiaster: Send address changes to S'auiral History, P.O. Box 5000. Harlan. lA 51537-5000. Printed in the U.S.A. I 8 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 LETTERS Stars and Monuments ther side ot the north celes- and living organisiiLs are Rk:iiari) CA)NNiir re- Donald C'loldsniitli s article tial pole: Kochab, a bright essentia] parts of the soil, PL1E.S: Although I said in on the "vvandfring" ot the star in the Little Dipper, and particularly of the "bio- my article that none of the North Star ["Turn, Turn, not tar from Thuban, and mantle"—the upper layer in methods advocated in the Turn," 12/06-1/071 led me Mizar, one of the stars which most underground Lmnaean system was com- wonder, how did that wan- in the handle of the Big organisms live and dig. They pletely original, editorial dering affect the orientation Dipper. According to her coUecrively impart a biody- space prevented me from of ancient nioiuinients, such hypothesis, slight variations namic to Earth s soil that is elaborating on the ante- as the Eg^-ptian pyramids in the northward orienta- probably unique in the uni- cedents. So I am grateful to and England's Stonehenge, tion of various pyramids verse, and totally unlike, we Tom Hoeber tor correcting to astrononiiciil features? arose from the way preces- believe, Martian soil, lunar the unintended slight to R,iY Orii: sion affected the Egyptian soil, and the like. Theophrastus. Rcihivocl City, California surveyors' ability to deter- Donald L.Joliiisofi mine true north with that University of Illinois Shark Etiquette DONMU GtUIXSMlTH RE- method. If so, those varia- Vrhaiia. Illinois R.Aidan and Anne PLIES: Orientations would Martin's amazing arricle have differed, depending on on white sharks ["Sociable the ancient builders' goals. mmmm. Killers," 10/06] prompts The prevailing view about me to ask about shark be- Stonehenge is that it was havior I witnessed on a built primarily to mark sun- scuba diving trip in Palau. rise at the summer solstice. At a seamount, one shark To orient the structure, all was hanging vertically in the ancient builders had to the water over the peak do was note carefully the while so-called cleaner fish point on the horizon where cleaned it. Off to one side, the sunrise began its retreat at the base of the seamount, southward. Precession does ten or fifteen other sharks not affect that point. swam in a circle. As soon "Wc don't \nind visitors, as long as you don't cat our porridge. In contrast, monuments as the cleaned shark swam built to orient toward a tions could help date the Happy Birthday, away, one shark peeled particular star would no pyramids' construction. Theophrastus away from the circle and longer point to that star In his article, "Happy swam up to be cleaned. after a few centuries. Only Editor's Note: Donald Gold- Birthday, Linnaeus" We never saw any sign of a complete cycle of pre- smith's further reflections on [12/06-1/07], Richard conflict among the sharks cession would restore the precession and other tnotiotis of Connift' credits Linnaeus about taking turns. Did size original orientation. the Earth in space appear oti with being "the inventor ot prevent the conflict? A large literature deals /iiJijc 14 ("Ice Cycles"). the system by which every Jennifer Mcintosh with possible astronomical living species gets its two- Pacific Palisades, Caliprnia orientations of the pyra- Soils: Alive! part scientific name." The mids. In my article I over- One statement in Robert actual origin of this bino- R. AiDAN AND Anne simplified, at best, in stating R. Dunn's delightful arricle mial shorthand goes back Martin reply: Cleaning that the pyramid builders "Dig it!" (12/06-1/07) more than 2,000 years, to stations are remarkable relied onThuban as a north deserves clarification. He Theophrastus, the original places on reefs, where star (and 1 was apparendy writes: "When tunnels cave classifier of plants. When many species of fishes sus- in thraO to a myth when in, animals that are effective classical Greek knowl- pend aggression and preda- I believed that a tunnel in diggers can escape. Those edge was rediscovered in tion, and each individual the Great Pyramid aligns that aren't, become part the fifteenth century, his waits its turn for tiny with it). K.E. Spence, of the soil." Tiken literally, convenient rwo-part nam- cleaners to pick off para- an Egyptologist at the that implies that animals ing system was revived. sites or dead skin. Many University of Cambridge, and other organisms must Thereafter a succession of species of sharks and rays has argued that the pyramid be dead before they be- botanists used it. queue and take their turn; builders used a combina- come part of the soU. But Tom Hoeber size seems to have no eflect tion of two stars, one on ei- to soil scientists, both dead Gold Hill, Oregon on preferred access. Inarch 2007 N.^TURAL HISTORY 9 What intrigues us about as 17,700 feet in Peru's duit between the lake and isolation may reduce the Jennifer Mcintosh's report Cordillera Vilcanota. the high ponds for all three threat of predation for the is the vertical orienta- Assuming they came from species. No surface water- adults, and the intense mid- tion of the sharks (which lower-elevation ponds, what courses Hnk those ponds to day solar heating may ac- were most likely gray reef could have led at least one even higher ponds, and we celerate the metamorphosis sharks) . Many bony-fish reproducing pair to ascend have not observed T. mar- of tadpoles into adults. A cHents adopt unusual pos- to such suicidal heights? moratus (the aquatic species) more speedy metamorpho- tures while they are being And how could they have above that elevation. sis would also reduce the cleaned, but sharks typically survived the ascent? In contrast, the two ter- tadpoles' chances of being either He on the bottom Norm Condit restrial species can migrate eaten, and enable them to or swim more slowly so Staten Island, NewYork to higher ponds, and we leave the seasonal ponds that the cleaners can keep have observed P. marmo- before they dry out. In any up. Because sharks rely on Biologists Tracie A. and rata tadpoles at a cluster of case, no one should assume dynamic Uft to maintain Anton Seimon reply: small ponds at 17,700 feet. that these well-adapted position in the water col- Three species of frog occur Because reaching those iso- species fmd their environ- umn [see "No Bones About in the high alpine water- lated ponds would require ments inhospitable. 'Em," by Adam Summers, shed of Sibinacocha, a large arduous traverses, it is plau- page 36], it is not easy for lake at 16,000 feet: the sible that they landed there Natural History welcomes them to reduce speed; aquatic Telmatobius marmora- by other means, perhaps correspondencefrom readers. where there are strong cur- tus, and two terrestrial spe- as accidental passengers Letters should he sent via rents, it may be easier. cies, Pleurodema marmorata aboard birds or mammals. e-mail to nhmag@natural and Bufo spinulosus. We have Yet in two visits to the historymag.com or by fax to Froggy Went A-Hikin' found the same three spe- highest ponds we found no 646-356-6511. All letters In "Living the High Life" cies at 17,200 feet in ponds adults, which might indicate should include a daytime [9/06], Kevin Krajick de- that feed a small stream that adults only migrate to telephone number, and all scribes the discovery of flowing into the lake. Thus the high ponds seasonally letters may be editedfor length tadpoles in ponds as high the stream provides a con- to breed. The high ponds' and clarity. Across the Top of Europe RUSSIA'S WHITE SEA & NORTH CAPE ADVENTURE Join us aboard the superb Clipper Adventurer awA discover a world of rugged beauty and abundant wildlife in this arctic wonderland. Russia's sublime White Sea islands are the summer residence of tens of thousands of seabirds—kittiwakes, razorbills, black guillemots—and its waters are home to beluga whales and their young. Explore the exquisite monas- tic legacy of these islands, step ashore in remote villages of reindeer herders, and sail across the top of Europe to witness the spectacular geography of Norway and millions of nesting puffins. 5 Reasons Soapstone is Better! • Soapstone holds twice as much heat as metal. White Sea to North Cape • Soapstone heat is steady, even and comfortable. • Soapstone has a proven record of durability. Aboard the 110-passenger Clipper Adventurer • It has beautiful color, texture and marbling. August 14 -28, 2007 • Variations in the stone make each stove unique. Plus, no power is required, so you can enjoy radiant warmth regardless of the weather! FREE COLOR Address City/Slalc/Zip_ Woodstock Soapstone Co., Inc 66 Airpark Rd., Dept. 2882, West Lebanon, NH 03784 www.woodstove.com 1>^iap-664-8188 f^'J^ trirni .tun »^ •'^JlNu -n • 1 vnx.-i -tUM' 400-Yard Dash N3. f The Dead Sea Scrolls, biblical texts written sometime before Fragment of Dead Sea Scroll A.D. 68, were discovered in 1947 then, would connect the settle- (above): whipworm (left), an in caves near the ruined settle- ment, the Essenes, and the Dead intestinal parasite, magnified 25X ment of Qumran on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Sea. But who were the scrolls' Feces can't normally remain scribes? Most scholars think at intact in the desert for hundreds The Chemistry least some of them were mem- of years. But the dead eggs of bers of an ancient Jewish sect intestinal parasites can—so long of B.O. called the Essenes who, they as they are buried and thereby Everyone has a special smell, of- argue, lived at Qumran. Newly protected from sunlight and ten recognizable to other people discovered evidence—of a de- wind. A team led by Joe E. Zias, a bath on their walk back down and to dogs. New research, cidedly worldly nature—bolsters a paleopathologist at the Hebrew to the settlement. That sounds the most comprehensive study that view. University of Jerusalem, sampled like a healthy practice, but the of human odor to date, shows Two of the scrolls instruct the soil in and around Qumran. In bathwater was anything but fresh: that body odor is made up of religious adherents to build com- only one area did they discover Qumran relied for water on runoff a diverse array of volatile com- munal latrines some distance eggs from human intestinal para- collected during a brief annual pounds. One's own distinctive northwest of their city. Further- sites. As predicted, the site was rainy season. Skeletal remains scent, moreover, comes from more, Josephus, a Jewish histori- about 400 yards northwest of the indicate a population in extremely a personalized blend of those ographer of the first century a.d., village (a nine-minute uphill hike, poor health, possibly because chemicals. wrote that the Essenes were ada- Zias determined) and hidden disease-causing organisms were A team led by Dustin J. Penn, mant about defecating in "retired from view behind bluffs. repeatedly carried from toilet to an evolutionary and behavioral spots" and burying their feces. Zias believes that the sect bath, where they flourished and ecologist at the Konrad Lorenz Evidence of buried feces a good members, their mission accom- infected new hosts. (Revue de Institute for Ethology in Vienna, distance northwest of Qumran, plished, immersed themselves in Qumranj —Stephan Reebs collected samples of saliva, armpit sweat, and urine from nearly 200 people living in an Scent of a Moth ing that the story in that Austrian village. Sweat, the team Female moths of the spe- species is more complex. discovered, includes the greatest cies Utetheisa ornatrix boost Unlike the males of number of volatile compounds; their chances of attracting most other moth species, the team counted 373 such a mate by pumping out sex U. ornatrix males mate compounds that subjects consis- pheromones in unison—the infrequently compared tently produced throughout the olfactory equivalent of cho- with females, because it ten-week study. rusing frogs—according to takes the males several Each person produced new research. Hangkyo Lim days to produce a sper- his or her own subset of the and Michael D. Greenfield, matophore—a kind of compounds. The subsets both behavioral ecologists insect prenuptial gift that overlapped, yet individuals Utetheisa ornatrix: girls compete for boys at the University of Kansas in carries nutrients, toxins were readily distinguishable. Lawrence, tested females in the release of pheromones. to ward off predators, Unsurprisingly perhaps, men the laboratory to find out whether Until now, biologists had de- and sperm. That valuable gift and women tended to produce they adjust their chemical signaling scribed sexual communication entices females to mate multiple different mixtures—though no in the presence of other females. in moths largely as a straight- times, another behavior unusual single compound differentiated Females housed in groups began forward interaction between in moths. Those quirks lead to a the sexes. The study provides releasing pheromones sooner signaling females and responsive circumstance fairly uncommon in a new method for measuring a and continued to signal longer males, which fly upwind toward nature: the sexually receptive fe- person's baseline odor. Because and with fewer interruptions than the source of the pheromones males outnumber the males. Lim body odor can change with the did isolated females. They also they detect. Lim and Green- and Greenfield suspect that the onset of illness, the method appeared to signal more vigor- field's findings, however, show competitive signaling behavior of could lead to new ways of diag- ously: the group-housed females that female U. ornatrix moths U. ornatrix females stems from nosing disease. (Journal of the pumped their abdomens more rap- also keep track of what their the surplus. (Behavioral Ecology) Royal Society Interface) —5. R. idly, a behavior thought to enhance competitors are doing, suggest- —Nick W. Atkinson March 2007 N.ATUR.M HISTORY 11 2 — SAMPLINGS Cosmic Rain Cosmic rays—charged particles cal productivity on Earth. mass must have been emitted by supernovas and Two main factors, when the sediment was other highly energetic sources Svensmark assumes, have deposited. in space—continually strike the accounted for most of the Svensmark discov- Earth's atmosphere. Most sci- changes in Earth's cosmic- ered that when cosmic entists, however, had assumed ray exposure through geolog- rays were most intense they could have little effect on ical time: the amount of shield- (between 2 billion and 2.5 terrestrial life. Then last year, ing from cosmic rays afforded billion years ago, for instance), Henrik Svensmark, a physicist at by the Sun's magnetic field, and Hot gas cloud from a supernova, life was particularly unstable: the Danish National Space Cen- the rate of supernova forma- a cosmic-ray source periods of high productivity ter in Copenhagen, published tion throughout our Milky Way. alternated with leaner times. experimental evidence that cos- Svensmark estimated the Sun's measuring the ratio of the iso- Thus a surprising connection mic rays could increase the for- shielding by studying other sun- topes carbon-1 3 to carbon-1 exists between distant super- mation of cloud droplets, with like stars for clues to our star's in ancient sediments. Life pro- novas and life on Earth: intense obvious implications for climate history, and the supernova rate cesses, such as photosynthesis, cosmic rays appear to cause and thus for life. Now another from straightforward astrophysi- preferentially use carbon-1 2, so climate fluctuations that bring study by Svensmark reveals a cal records. He also estimated the higher the relative amount on alternating periods of feast remarkable link between cosmic changes in Earth's biological of carbon-1 3 left behind in sedi- and famine. (Astronomische rays and the stability of biologi- productivity through time by ment, the greater Earth's bio- Nachrichten) S.R. Double Trouble Small fish on the coral reefs of the Red is limited to a handful of mammals Sea face danger from all directions. and birds, animals with relatively Swimming in open water increases their strong cognitive abilities. But chances of lethal encounters with hungry Bshary's study shows that the active groupers, but hiding in a crevice exposes collaboration between groupers them to giant moray eels. It gets worse: a and eels increases new study shows that the little fish's pur- hunting success suers are in cahoots. for the groupers, at Redouan Bshary, a behavioral ecologist least—by as much as at the University of Neuchatel in Switzer- a factor of five. Once land, and three colleagues discovered caught, prey are never Hunting buddies: grouper (above) that groupers shake their heads in a dis- shared, but Bshary's and giant moray eel (right) tinctive way to invite moray eels to leave group thinks the their lairs and join the search for prey. The coral fissure, it sometimes gives a slightly dif- selfishness is actually the key to success be- predators then set off together to patrol the ferent headshake to mobilize a nearby eel. cause it eliminates competition for the kill. So reef; the eel sneaks through the rocks while Cooperative hunting between species had long as both species benefit from the arrange- the grouper waits to intercept fleeing prey. previously been noted only in humans hunt- ment in the long run, it doesn't matter which Similarly, the team found, if a grouper hunt- ing with dogs or dolphins. Even cooperative hunter happens to catch a particular fish. ing solo chases its target into an inaccessible hunting among members of the same species (PLoS Biology) —N.W.A. Basso Profundo several variations on the "blues," sponding to a particular geo- tion: after all, mating calls should each correlated with a particular graphic region. attract compatible mates. Blue whales, the biggest crea- region of the sea. Blue whales of both sexes Songs, McDonald's team tures on Earth, have the deepest Mark A. McDonald, an ac- make short calls, but only the proposes, could become a conve- voices: most of their vocaliza- oustician at Whale Acoustics, a males are known to sing, suggest- nient, noninvasive, low-cost way tions are pitched far too low company in Bellvue, Colorado, ing the songs may enable them for biologists to keep track of for people to hear. Their songs and two colleagues examined to attract mates or advertise their blue-whale populations and sub- repeat a series of eerie tones, thousands of sound spectro- presence to other males. (Under species—^though distinguishing blips, and creaks and may carry grams computed from blue- certain conditions their songs can animal groups by their behavior on for hours or even days. To whale songs recorded around travel thousands of miles, com- instead of their physical or ge- human ears, the alien, barely the world since 1959. They municating to other whales across netic characteristics remains con- audible songs are all but indistin- found they could visually classify vast ocean distances.) If so, each troversial. (Journal of Cetacean guishable. A new study shows, the spectrograms into nine song group may be characteristic Research and Management) however, that the leviathans sing distinct groups, each corre- of a particular blue-whale popula- —Rebecca Kessler 12 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 (D SAMPLINGS: THE WARMING EARTH Warm Down, Northward ments of the U.S. and Canada, identifying the bird species they Cool Up Bound hear or see along the way. Be- Many satellites orbit Earth in the Many bird species in the United cause the survey has continued thermosphere, between sixty and States are shifting their breeding uninterrupted since 1966, its data 500 miles above the surface. Air ranges northward, a new study enable ornithologists to analyze is pretty thin up there, of course, shows. Similar northward shifts long-term population trends. but in the long run it's enough to have been observed in Great Alan T. Hitch and his graduate make satellites slow down and fall Britain, so the cause of both is adviser, Paul L. Leberg, a conser- to a lower orbit, a phenomenon probably the same. Global warm- vation biologist at the University known as orbital decay. ing is the likeliest suspect. of Louisiana at Lafayette, report Great-taited grackle Orbital decay has been less The new study comes from that out of twenty-six south- pronounced in recent years, and data gathered by the Breeding ern-U.S. species they studied gers to more than 200 miles for that can mean only one thing: the Bird Survey (BBS), a program run in the BBS records, nine have great-tailed grackles. At the same thermosphere is thinning, which by the U.S. Geological Survey and significantly pushed the northern time, the northern limits of only in turn means it's cooling. Here's the Canadian Wildlife Service. limits of their breeding ranges two of the twenty-six species, where the story strikes closer Each year, skilled birders spend northward since the late 1960s. Bachman's sparrows and Bewick's to home. By burning fossil fuels a summer day driving or walking The northward shifts vary from wrens, have retreated southward. people have been releasing ever along more than 4,100 road seg- twenty-six miles for summer tana- Hitch and Leberg say the diver- more greenhouse gases—carbon sity of the nine southern species dioxide (CO2), in particular. And of satellite tracking to test a model and the temperature as shows they are not being drawn though CO2 warms the lower computer model of how the measured independently by sat- northward by some specific factor atmosphere, it cools the thermo- thermosphere responds to ellite orbital decay. Their model in the midlatitudes—more bird sphere, because at those rarefied input energy. In their model, confirms that CO2 has indeed feeders, for instance. Nor are heights it converts the energy of the investigators calculate how cooled the thermosphere, and it their ranges simply expanding. If collisions with other molecules to much the thermosphere has predicts a further cooling of that were the case, northern spe- heat that radiates into space. cooled in the past thirty years 3 percent by 2017. cies should have expanded their Liying Qian and Stanley C. by estimating the contributions If the useful lifetimes of satel- ranges southward, too, and there Solomon, both atmospheric of two factors: variations in solar lites depended on physics rather was no systematic indication of scientists at the National Center activity (which warms the ther- than on budgets, maybe excess that. Instead, rising temperatures for Atmospheric Research in mosphere directly) and chang- CO2 would be good for some- seem to be nudging southern Boulder, Colorado, and two col- ing levels of CO2. They found thing, after all. (Geophysical ecosystems northward. (Conser- leagues have taken advantage good agreement between their Research Letters) —S.R. vation Biology) —S.R. Concrete Their most impressive creation, from nearby limestone quarries, decade-old idea: parts of the the pyramid of Khufu, stands carved them with copper chis- Great Pyramids were built not of Evidence forty-five stories tall and is made els, and hoisted them into place carved limestone blocks but of How the ancient Egyptians built up of some 2 million massive, with immense ramps, levers, concrete casts. the Great Pyramids of Giza nearly three-ton blocks, some of which and wedges. But the absence of In ancient Egyptian concrete, 5,000 years ago, using only man- fit together flawlessly. supporting evidence—no ramps, Barsoum says, limestone parti- power and copper tools, is one Most Egyptologists think tools, or limestone waste piles cles were mixed with a silica-rich of Egypt's enduring mysteries. crews of workers cut the blocks remain—has given rise to alter- binder. The ingredients could be native, and often controversial, transported in manageable quan- explanations. tities, then poured on site. Now Michel W. Barsoum, a If confirmed, Barsoum's dis- materials scientist at Drexel Uni- covery will burnish the already versity in Philadelphia, and two impressive reputation of Egyp- colleagues have discovered evi- tian builders: they would get dence that could finally settle the credit for inventing concrete. issue—though in the meantime And their recipe may point to- it has certainly fueled debate. ward a clean, inexpensive, long- The team examined samples lasting substitute for portland from two pyramids at Giza and cement, which is widely used from local limestone formations today but highly polluting. with an electron microscope and (Journal of the American analyzed the samples chemically. Ceramic Society) Their results support a two- — Graciela Flores March 2007 NATUR.M HISTORY 13 , PERSPECTIVES Ice Cycles Long-term fluctuations in ocean temperatures lend support to Milutin Milankovitch's theory of climate change. But can his theory account for the ice ages? By Donald Goldsmith People at war rarely focus on theo- real, they merit a closer look, if only to ries of climate change. During understand how to factor them into or the first half of 1941, while the out ofpredictions ofwhat will happen kii^--''^ Second World War was raging in Eu- climatically in the next few decades. rope, a little -known Serbian engineer i and mathematician published a book The concept of a linkage between about ice ages. Milutin Milankovitch periodic changes in the Earth's was then living in the Yugoslav capi- motions and the alternation of ice tal, Belgrade, shortly before the Nazis ages with warmer periods originated invaded the country. In his book, with James Croll, a Scottish amateur translated as Record of Radiation on astronomer active during the third Earth and Its Application to the Problem quarter of the nineteenth century. ofIce Ages, Milankovitch strove to con- Although Croll lacked the more ex- nect the cycles of ice ages on Earth to act knowledge that later calculations small changes in our planet's motions would provide, he perceived that the in space. The world wasn't listening, Earth changes its orientation and orbit arguably for good reason. over periods of tens or hundreds of Historical bad luck caused Milan- thousands of years, roughly the time kovitch's book to appear at the wrong (as then estimated) between ice ages. time, in the wrong place, and in the Milankovitch seized on Croll's ideas, wrong scholarly language. At first his performed extensive calculations ofthe "book made little impression on climate changing amounts ofsolar heating that scientists in England and the United the cycles would produce, and claimed States, where most of the action was to have demonstrated a correlation in climatology. Several decades passed between those celestial variations and before many investigators took his changes in the Earth's climate. ideas seriously, and several decades Milankovitch concluded that the more before they had amassed enough true causes of ice ages reside in the data to verify that his planetary-motion effects arising from periodic changes cycles seem to agree with the overall in three quantities that describe the record of climate change on Earth Earth's motions in space. Those three during the past few hundreds ofthou- quantities, each varying according sands of years. to its own schedule, are: the angle Yet today, as climate change caused by which our planet's rotation axis by human activities is being recognized tilts from being perpendicular to the as one of the most pressing problems of plane of the Earth's orbit around the our age, long-range climate studies of Sun; the "eccentricity," or amount by all kinds deserve scientific attention. which the orbit deviates from perfect And because the Milankovitch cycles circularity; and the timing of the sea- in Earth's climate record appear to be sons with respect to the point on the 14 'NA r :V March 2007 , Earth's orbital path cUiscst to the Sim, changes is a small oscillation in the eccentricity ofan ellipse rises toward 1 which sli)vvly cliaiigcs because at the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis. Over a the ellipse becomes progressively more precession, or wobble, of the iMrth's period ofapproximately 40,000 years, elongated. (Formally, the eccentricity rotation axis. All tiiree chani;es arise the tilt varies between 21. .S and 24. .S is equal to the distance between the from the gravitational ettects ot other degrees, with an average slightly less two toci (jf the ellipse, divided by the planets in the sol.ir system, among than its current value \sir lower dia- length of the long a.xis.) All the planets which lupiter, by tar the most m.issive, {;riun on next /'i'.i,'(i. When the tilt gets of the solar system with the exception has the greatest etfecl. smaller—and that's the current trend, ot Mercury (and Pluto, it you still count An understanding ot the possible which will continue until about the it as a planet) have orbital eccentricities ctTects otthose changes on the Earth's year 11,800—the difference between less than 0.1. For the Earth's orbit, the climate begins with the ways in which summer and winter in each hemisphere eccentricity varies between 0.005 and they can affect the rhythm of the becomes less pronounced. The contrast 0.058, (with a current value ofO.017) |5ec seasons, the cycle that causes the most makes little difference in the tropics, upper (liaj^ram on nexlpafie]. The complete timdamental, and the most obvious, but at higher latitudes a smaller tilt cycle takes about 100,000 years. variations in the Earth's climate. The leads to cooler summers and warmer Although the changes in the Earth's cycle of the seasons arises from the tilt winters. Cooler summers bring less orbital eccentricity do not alter the of our planet's rotation axis. Because melting of high-latitude snowfall, and length of the year, they do change the the axis points in nearly the same that etTect overshadows any reduced distances to the Sun from the clos- direction in the sky (currently almost snowfall resultuig from warmer win- est and most distant points along the toward the star Polaris) throughout ters. Hence the declining tilt tends to Earth's orbit. The annual variations in the Earth's yearly orbit, the tilt of the favor the onset ot ice ages. the Earth—Sun distance are small—and axis alternately exposes the planet's The second of Milankovitch's cycles they certainly don't cause the sea- Northern and Southern hemispheres deals with the eccentricity ofthe Earth's sons—but they do have a marginal to more direct sunlight as the year elliptical orbit. Eccentricity measures effect on the amount of solar heating progresses. As of the year 2000 this how much the shape ofan ellipse devi- received on Earth at various times of tilt was 23.44 degrees. ates from being a perfect circle. The the year. Consequently, the changes The first of Milankovitch's cyclical eccentricity of a circle is zero; as the in eccentricity produce subtle, but no-^ ":?" Oti, it's not that the Society has a lot of members here. But same time lost and found. Find out how to get as for being thought of as the very end of the Earth goes a long way east osyou con go in North America. Call 1-800-563-6353 ffewjOUndland to explaining the sensation of just being here - feeling at the and ask for Seon. Or visit NewfoundlandLabrador.com LQDVQQ.Or check out our ne/g/ibors at Newfound/ondtabrador.com/neighbors SraJa^^ land than the Southern, and land masses react much more rapidly to temperature changes than oceans do. As a result, subtle differences in the yearly cycle ofsolar heating arise from having first one, then another, hemisphere closer to the Sun during a particular season. Since the Earth makes its closest Eccentricity of the Earth's ettiptical orbit (its deviation from circular- now ity) around the Sun changes periodically over a cycle of 100,000 approach to the Sun in the northern years. At certain points in the cycle the orbit can barely be distin- winter, and is farthest from the Sun guished from a circle, but at others the orbit becomes more elon- in the northern summer, both winters gated (a change that is exaggerated here for clarity). The changes in and summers are somewhat milder in shape cause smalt variations in the amount of solar heating on Earth. the Northern Hemisphere than they ticeable, changes in the strength ofthe "Turn,Turn,Turii," by Donald Goldsmith, are in the Southern. The more severe seasonal variation on Earth. December 2006/January 2007], and so it seasonal swings of solar heating in the slowly changes where the seasons fall Southern Hemisphere, however, are The third of Milankovitch's cycles with respect to the Earth's position in its mitigated by the temperature-stabiliz- arises from the combined effects of orbit. For example, the summer solstice ing oceans. two kinds of precession. The first is the in the Northern Hemisphere now takes At a time a bit less than halfway precession of the Earth's rotation axis, place when the night sky looks as it does through the 21,000-year cycle, in about a slow wobble of the imaginary line on about June 21. But because of the the year 11,700, the combined effects through the Earth's north and south precession of the axis, that solstice will oforbital precession and the precession poles that extends against the sky. The arrive slightly "earlier," with respect to of the axis will bring the Earth closest wobble causes that Une to trace a circle the stars, with each succeeding year. to the Sun on the summer solstice in on the sky once every 26,000 years [see The second kind of precession is the Northern Hemisphere. Then the vaguely reminiscent of an incred- extremes oftemperature will be hemi- ibly slow hula hoop gliding around spherically reversed. Winters and sum- the Sun. Astronomers call the hula- mers in the Northern Hemisphere will hoop motion "orbital precession"; become more extreme, and those effects it causes the Earth's perihelion, the will be amplified by the temperature- point along our planet's orbit closest sensitive landmasses. Meanwhile, the to the Sun, to slide around the Sun seasonal swings of solar heating in the at a rate of about once every 110,000 Southern Hemisphere will be milder, years. The Earth now reaches peri- and made milder still by the climatic helion in early January. But its orbi- inertia ofthe Southern Ocean. Overall, tal precession moves the perihelion in the differing proportions of land and the direction opposite to that of the ocean in the two hemispheres can subtly tilt-induced precession of the seasons. amplify or dampen how the precessional So the Earth reaches perihelion a few changes modify the Earth's seasons. days "later," with respect to the stars, In short, three cycles, recurring ap- with each passing millennium. proximately every 40,000, 100,000, The combined result is to speed up and 21,000 years, could periodically the rate at which the seasonal mile- alter the solar radiation that reaches stones are moving along the orbit with various places on Earth. All three respect to the perihelion. The full result from the combined motions of cycle of the precession of the seasons the Earth, Sun, Moon, and planets, as through the perihelion is not 26,000 they tug at one another in a gravita- years—one cycle of the precession tionally induced ballet. Milankovitch's Tilt of the Earth's rotation axis is responsible of the axis—but rather 21,000 years. great question can now be explored: for the annual cycle of the seasons. The axis That combined motion is the third of What do these three cycles imply for currently makes an angle of about 23.44 Milankovitch's cycles. the Earth's climate? degrees from the perpendicular to the plane How could that third cycle make a of the Earth 's orbit around the Sun, but the difference to the Earth's climate? The climatologists possessed a complete amount of tilt regularly cycles to and fro over If all a period of 41 ,000 years. The variation is difference arises from the fact that the record of climate change on our greatly exaggerated here for clarity. Northern Hemisphere has far more planet—temperature, rainfall, sea level. 16 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 I iloiul cover, aiul dcIht f;icti)rs — tlioy deficient in oxygen-lS. In a comple- By now, investigators have l.iiioriously ci)iild, with .111 .ippiopriatc i,'oiiiputi.T mentary way, seaw.iter grows richer m couiileii through the past lew thousand program, ciL'tcniuiu' wIkiIkt signifi- oxygen-IK, conijiared w iili oxygen-K), years ofice cores and estimated the dates cant fliaiit;cs take placi' in syiR' with ,it lower temper.it II res. lor even oliler ones. any or all of the three Milankoviti h l'.ilet)geologists who seek to recon- lo peer even farther back in time, cycles. In reahty, only partial and often struct the history of the oxygen iso- paleogeologists date sedimentary rock uncertain records exist, primarily of topes in ice have secured mile-long ice layers, relying prim.iriiy on the history tlie history ot temperature changes in cores trom Antarctica, whose water ot reversals in the polarity oftiie Earth's the world's oceans. molecules hold abundant oxygen. magnetic field. That history has been The most useful tool for obtaining They have also measured the chang- independently determined from stud- the history ot temperatures comes ing abundances of oxygen isotopes in ies of other rock layers that record the from the tact that o.xygen atoms occur the fossils of miniature creatures called same magnetic reversals, whose ages primarily in two isotopic forms, oxy- toraminifera, whose shells incorporate have been determined by radioisotope gen- Id and oxygen-18. C")xygen-16 is the oxygen atoms from the water that dating. By comparing ice cores and the commoner and lighter ot the two, the creatures inhabited. Sedimentary sedimentary layers trom various places so when it binds with two hydrogen layers of rock sprinkled with fossils around the world, paleogeologists can atoms in a water molecule, that mol- of toraminifera record the history of verify that they are measuring global ecule more readily evaporates. By oxygen in the oceans. rather than local changes in climate. contrast, when the heavier isotope, With that data in hand, all that re- oxygen- 18, forms a water molecule, mains is to assign dates to the manifold Ice cores take the history ot the it tencis to tall as rain or snow more layers in the ice cores (recorded in the Earth's temperature back through readily out of the sky. seasonal alternation between greater most of the past million years; the Those differences become more and lesser snowfall) and in sedimentary foraminifera in sedimentary rocks pronounced as temperatures decrease. rocks. The changing relative abundances provide less accurate but still highly By the time water evaporated from the of the oxygen isotopes in each layer can usetui data back about 2()( ) million years oceans is carried by the atmosphere then reveal how ocean temperatures ago. Other techniques add to those to the cold, polar regions, it arrives have changed with the march of time. results. For example, the geologists Paul Is it the fresh air. or the sea air? Maybe it's the fresh sea air. right with the world. And that is not a thought to be Whatever it is, something makes you feel that climbing into trifled with. To find out more call 1-800-563-6B53 and MewfbiMdland this photograph would make everything in your life seem ask for Maggie. Or visit NewfoundlandLabrador.com Labrador check out our neighbors at Newf0undhndLabrad0r.com/neighb0r5 a E. Olsen and Dennis V. Kent of Co- Those results illustrate the basic chal- "continental drift theory" in 1960, half lumbia University's Lamont—Doherty lenge that climate scientists face: to a century after Wegener proposed it. At Earth Observatory in Palisades, New understand, and thus to predict, whether that time, the evidence for continental York, have reconstructed the history climate will change, and by how much, motions seemed intriguing (and had of rainfall changes over continental as a result of the various influences on been noticed before Wegener proposed landmasses, supplementing the iso- our planet. "Climate is the ultimate his theory). Once earth scientists real- topic data for rainfall changes over black box," Kent likes to say—meaning ized that seafloor spreading can explain the oceans. They discovered that the that climate experts still can't calculate how and why the continents move, sedimentary records from ancient lake the details of climatic "output" from Wegener's theory gained relatively beds can serve as rain gauges, because "inputs" such as solar heating. rapid acceptance. dry and wet epochs left sediments of For example, the study of global Like the geologists of Wegener's differing colors. Rainfall records in warming in the past few decades has day, climate scientists can appreci- lake sediments, which stretch back 235 made climate scientists all too well ate "bare facts" as well as anyone. million years, offer the chance to find aware that tremendous feedback effects Certainly climatologists are aware that cyclical changes that should correlate can arise from even small changes in small changes in solar heating arise with the temperature changes from cycles ofplanetary motion; measured from ice cores and more precisely, they can calculate sediments. the small variations that arise In an ideal world, those .. Gtfew the difficulties fff from differences in solar heating approaches would combine to I understanding present-day climate throughout the Milankovitch yield an unambiguous answer to cycles. But they cannot explain ^ the question of how much the effects, reconstructing what clearly enough how those varia- changes in solar heating from f affected climate a million years tions can affect Earth's climate :^ each of Milankovitch's three p. - , ,- so strongly that an ice age arises j cycles—tilt, eccentricity, and j* ogo seems nearly impossiMe or recedes. Some day, they may precession—affect the Earth's L __ attain that understanding—or climate. In practice, the "sig- perhaps deeper insights into cli- nal" of any such effects, if it exists, is the amounts of greenhouse gases in mate changes may lead to the rejection buried in the "noise" ofthe incomplete the atmosphere. Consider methane: of Milankovitch's hypotheses. and imperfect climate record. To find predicting its rise or fall in the atmo- Meanwhile, the theory of Milan- any such signal, investigators rely on sphere is a daunting task. The reason is kovitch cycles has the virtue ofmaking statistical methods, but the challenges partly that its sources are as diverse as a definite prediction. Setting aside all are formidable. To their credit—and in bacteria in rice paddies and the diges- effects of human activity on climate, accord with the finest traditions of sci- tion of bovines, and partly that it is Earth should be currently on a tempera- ence—the difficulties have not stopped such a strong greenhouse gas: twenty ture downslope, growing ever cooler them from making the attempt. times as efficient as carbon dioxide at in the next 5,000 or 10,000 years. Sad So far as climatologists can now trapping heat from the Earth's surface to say, though, the present release of discern, the prize for best-demon- in the atmosphere. Given such dif- carbon dioxide, mainly through the strated Milankovitch cycle goes to the ficulties in understanding the pres- burning of coal and oil, overcompen- 100,000-year eccentricity cycle. That ent-day climatic effects of methane, sates for any cooling trend by several cycle —at least for the past million reconstructing the methane budget orders ofmagnitude. As clearly as any- years—correlates best with the history of a million or a hundred million one can peer into the future, human- of temperature changes. The other years ago seems nearly impossible. The generated global warming at today's two, the 40,000-year and 21,000-year connection between small changes in rate will be enough to offset all the cycles, also appear in the temperature solar heating on Earth and the climate Milankovitch cooling of the next five record, but with less certainty. To add changes that they may induce remains or ten millennia in a single generation. to the confusion, when climatologists a puzzle largely unsolved. It seems unlikely that nature will save look back through the much longer, us from ourselves. though less well established, record of Similarly, even though the reality of the past few hundred million years, the Milankovitch cycles seems well Donald Goldsmith is the author oftwenty they find that this statement no longer established, climatologists still don't books on astronomy, including Connecting holds true. Instead, a 400,000-year understand exactly our cosmic how With the Cosmos (published by Sourcebooks in cycle variation in habitat affects our cUmate. of eccentricity— Milankov- 2002). He is the co-author, with Neil deGrasse complication I had hoped to spare the itch's hypotheses stands in a position Tyson, qfOrigins: Fourteen Billion Years reader—appears dominant. analogous to that ofAlfi-ed L.Wegener's of Cosmic Evolution (Norton, 2004). 18 NATURAL HrsTORY March 2007 < SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION > THE GREAT OUTDOORS Springtime Adventures in the Afatural World -<^ SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION V Peru boasts ten thousand years of history and ancient cultures, a rich colonial tradition, and an extraordinary variety of wildlife THINK OF PERU AND THE FIRST THING arrived in Cusco in 1533, and scattered amid that comes to mind is the wealth of its age-old the Inca sites you'll find Andean Baroque cultures and the legendary Inca empire. structures that preserve the legacy of this colo- The city of Cusco, the ancient capital nial period, such as the ornate Cathedral and of the Inca, is lined with narrow, cobble- the Church of the Company of Christ. stone streets and Inca buildings. Cusco's Inca roots and colonial buildings placed it Don't miss the picturesque neighborhood on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List of San Bias, where the best artisans in the in 1983. The Koricancha, the luxurious and city have set up their workshops. After hours, sacred Sun Temple, just yards from the city's this magical city has an exciting nightlife with main square, was built in honor of Inti, the cafes, restaurants, and bars for all tastes. Just sun god, and its walls were once covered with ten minutes away from the city, you can see gold. North of the square you'll find the pal- the massive walls of the Sacsayhuaman fortress, ace of Inca Roca, which housed the sixth Inca and a few miles from there, you'll find the governor. Some believe that the Incan city was archeological sites of Qenko, Pukapukara, and built in the shape of a puma, or mountain Tambomachay, Incan buildings constructed lion, which squatted over the Saphi River; completely with stone. as evidence they point to street names that The most famous Inca site—and Peru's translate to "puma's spinal column," "puma most visited attraction—is the Machu Picchu tail," and other names designating parts of Historical Sanctuary. You can reach Machu the animal's body. The Spanish conquistadors Picchu via a scenic, three- to four-hour train < SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION > ride from Cusco, or better yet, get there by best times to visit Machu Picchu are during hiking the Inca Trail. This walking route the dry season, from April to September. through the mountains above the Urubamba Don't leave the Cusco area without a visit River traverses ruins, a cloud forest, and rich to the Manu NationjJ Park, a nature lover's subtropical jungle. The forty-five-kilometer paradise in the Amazon Basin. Manu hosts more trail, built along an old Inca roadway, takes than a thousand species of birds, I,200 butterfly about four days to complete. Machu Picchu species, over 20,000 plants, and innumerable (which means "old mountain" in Quechua, insects, amphibians, and reptiles. the Inca language) stands atop a mountain high above the Urubamba. A center of wor- ship as well as an astronomic observatory, it was the private retreat of the Inca ruler Pachacutec and his family. The site has two major areas: an agricultural zone, made up of terraces and food storehouses; and an urban zone, with ornately carved temples, squares, and royal tombs. Stone staircases and canals are found throughout the city. Because of its location in the cloud forest, Machu Picchu is home to unique species of flora and fauna, including the cock-of-the- rocks (Peru's national bird); the spectacled bear, the only bear species in South America; a rare dwarf deer called sachacabra; and the Huemal deer. In addition to more than 300 bird species (including the Andean condor 1^ and numerous hummingbirds), the site boasts some 200 recorded species of orchids. The ' - a , W II.J' ~*m^ ^^^m^ <\ff^f^- ''^^*'f>^^. ^mn^. '•^my^- COME TO PERU ^fJriMi^,^ .^WVje^^i- :.•«/: -ftHfrl- /•• "^^^SBfea '^^nr^^v •*-^ 1 eTofCaral Inca Uchabamba Doorway Pyramid of the Sun and of the Moon Chan Chan (Trujillo), the oldest mud city in the Americas Bifr»;--- www.peru.info Rodney Schlecht Mountain goat reigning over Glacier National Park Think of Montana as a of Red Rocks Lake National Wildlife Refuge are filled with the largest population of trumpeter giant, natural animal preserve swans in the lower 48 states. Along the Rocky Mountain Flyway, more golden eagles have been seen in one day than anywhere else in MONTANA HAS TONS OF FAMOUS SITES the country. And at the Kootenai River, you and sights you'll want to visit, such as Glacier might see a profusion of bald eagles on a single and Yellowstone National Parks and numerous autumn day. stops along the Lewis &. Clark Trail. But off the Montana has yielded som.e of the world's beaten path, you'll find fantastic birding, one- most significant dinosaur discoveries. The of-a-kind dinosaur digs, remarkable scenic drives, and plenty of wildlife. Biking in the shadow of the Rocky Mountain Front Montana has over 400 known species of birds, attracted by diverse habitats, from alpine zone at Glacier National Park to desert scrub, sagebrush steppes, and shortgrass prairie. Birdwatchers will appreciate the Bitterroot Birding and Nature Trail, one of the first completed trails in a planned statewide network, comprising 25 of the top nature sites between Lost Trail and Lolo Pass. The marshes < SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION > Montana's open land and majestic mountains make it a rare and special place fifteen stops along the Montana Dinosaur Trail allow you to discover these paleontological treasures for yourself. Some of the dinosaurs were uncovered at the famous Hell Creek Formation, dating from the late Cretaceous period. This site in the badlands frecjuently produces finds. including those at the Makoshika Dinosaur Museum: a life-size AUosaurus, a Stegosaurus in combat, and Pterosaurs of all sizes. The first Tyrannosaurus Rex ever discovered, back in I902, was found in Hell Creek near Jordan, which is now home to the Garfield County Museum. Find a dinosaur, or at least a dinosaur tooth, on your own: both the Garfield and the Makoshika, and many other sites along the trail, offer field digs to the public. And, don't miss the life-sized fleshed out model of Peck's Rex at the Fort Peck Dam Interpretive Center and Museum. Top: Missouri River, Within Montana's I47'000 square miles of northeastern Montana terrain, there are about 69,000 miles of public Left: Buffalo roaming highways it and roads, making easy to get around in Yellowstone Notional Big Sky Counti-y. Scenic drives such as the Lewis Pork and Clark Trail and the Nez Perce Trail take you among prairies, mountain ranges, and ghost towns, with many glimpses of wildlife along the way. Perhaps the best known of the scenic roads is the Beartooth Highway, which Charles Kuralt deemed "the most beautiful highway in America. Now a Scenic Byway, the Beartooth offers skytop views of snow-capped peaks, sightings are Yellowstone and Glacier National glaciers, alpine lakes, and plateaus. The three- Parks and the National Bison Range. Also hour drive reaches heights of nearly II.OOO rewarding are Montana's many wildlife refuges, feet, transitioning from a lush forest to alpine most of which offer self-guided opportunities tundra in the space of a few miles. You'll spot for photography, wildlife viewing, scenic vistas, Rocky Mountain goats, moose, black and grizzly primitive camping, hiking, and other year- bears, marmots, and mule deer along the way. round outdoor activities. The Charles M. In Montana, everyone has a few wild Russell National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri neighbors—not the kind who throw all-night River Country is the third largest refuge in parties but antelope, elk. moose, mountain the continental U.S. It's home to elk. mule goats, bighorn sheep, eagles, trumpeter swans, deer, red foxes, and coyotes, as well as an bears, wolves, and more. Montana has a greater abundance of songbirds; look for ospreys, variety of wildlife than any other state in the spotted sandpipers, and white pelicans along lower 48. and some of the best places for the boundaries of the resei"voir. To help you plan your Montana getaway, order a free travel kit including a 2007 vacation planner, packed with information, travel tips and calendar of events at visitmt.coiti. ^'^HB^^^^BI^v \ m I < SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION > Tumacacori National Historical Park Copper Queen Mine Arizona S rich and storied landscape is a treasure for intrepid travelers IN ARIZONA, GENUINE DISCOVERIES Explore Tubac's origins at the Tubac Presidio and off-the-beaten-path experiences await State Historic Park (Arizona's very first state around every corner. From vast ranchlands to park), located in the Old Town. Nearby, the historic mining towns, from Native American Tumacacori National Historical Park protects ruins to fossils 225 million years old, this the ruins of three of the oldest Spanish colonial is a destination unchanged by evolution. missions in the state. Here, charming small towns —like Bisbee San Xavier del Bac Mission, noted for its and Tubac—preserve their heritage and yet beautiful colonial architecture and colorful carve unique, and often artistic, niches in interior art, is nine miles south of Tucson. Arizona's present. This brilliantly white structure rises from In its heyday the former mining town the desert floor of dusty green mesquite and of Bisbee in southeastern Arizona was the sage; its imposing dome and lofty towers, region's mining, commercial, financial, and rounded parapets and graceful spires are a cultural center. Once known as the "Queen seamless blend of Moorish, Byzantine, and of the Copper Camps," Bisbee retains much late Mexican Renaissance architecture. It is of the flavor of yesteryear. Although its mines acclaimed by many as the finest example of have closed, visitors still flock to Bisbee's hot mission architecture in the United States, spots, including its underground tours of the Arizona's timeless discoveries can be San Xavier del Bac Mission Queen Mine, the Brewery Gulch, Copper found in every corner of the state. Venture Queen Hotel, and the Lavender Pit. off main roads and get to know the people Tubac, south of Tucson in Arizona's see- and the land. The spirit of the legendary nic high desert, is the oldest European- Old West continues to thrive throughout settled city in the state, established in 1752 the state in small towns, guest ranches, and as a Spanish presidio (fort). Artist studios Native American nations. Bring an adventur- now surround the grounds that once served ous curiosity, leave your watch at home, and as the home for a Spanish military garrison. simply enjoy. You're in Arizona. For your free Arizona travel packet, visit arizonaguide.com or call 1-877-556-3733 toll free. Traditional and contemporary art may look different, but they all share the same spark of inspiration. 1 (p M Grab life. Immerse yourself in a day full of adventure and a night full of fun. a ^ 7^1 More to discover and definitely more than you expect, all v\faiting here for you. For AU /I 11 your free travel packet, call 1-877-556-3733 toll-free or visit arizonaguide.com. grand canyon < SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION > In Tucson, take a walk on the vv^ild side — and the urban side, too IF YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT HIKING, climbing, or walking, Tucson is your dream come true. In the beautiful parklands surrounding the city, you'll find a hiker's paradise of trails, ranging from leisurely strolls to challenging treks that can take you from desert floor to pine-topped mountain peaks. Sabino Canyon boasts spectacular views, a variety of wildlife, and dozens of marked trails ranging from easy to rugged, the easiest one that takes you up 3-8 miles up the spectacular canyon. Saguaro National Park West also has many great trails, including the Sendero Esperanzo, which guides you to the top of 4>6oO-foot Wasson Peak in about two hours. Go north on Catalina Highway to Mt. Lemmon, thousands of feet above Tucson, to enjoy temperature averagfine about 20 degrees cooler, and hike the Todd Brenneman & & S — •i ^^ hike, follow the tuiquoisc line along liu- 1 lisloric Presidio Downtown Walking Tour/Turquoise Trail, a path that leads to 23 numbered locations; plaques in English and Spanish detail colorful histories. You can pick up the trail anywhere, ijut we suggest starting at Church Avenue and Washington Street. This is the site of the Presidio San Agustin de Tucson, a fort established in beautiful 6.5-iTiile Butterfly Trail. 1775 '^''*t marked the northwestern edge of the Also in north Tucson, the Pima Canyon Spanish frontier in Arizona. Trail —an exceptional hike for wildlife viewing Several splendid short trails run along and dramatic sceneiy—begins with a steep climb the dry riverbeds near the city, including the as you enter the canyon, then criss-crosses the mostly flat Santa Cruz River Park Trail. This streambed, offering a variety of short climbs route follows the banks of the normally di-y and descents. Pima Canyon is a bighorn sheep Santa Cruz River west of downtown. To get to presei-ve. Its steep climbs and rugged trails are the trail, simply follow any major downtown for intermediate and advanced hikers. Finger street west to the river. The Rillito River Park Rock Trail is a highly visible landmark in the Trail winds through the city along the north Santa Catalina Mountains—the climb is steep side of the Rillito riverbed. The asphalt trail is a you'll go from 3,000 to well over 7.OOO feet. favorite for walkers, joggers, skaters, and cyclists It's meant for intermediate to advanced hikers of all ages, and it's designed so you never have but its rewards include plenty of wild and plant to cross any streets. life, and stunning views of the city below. To start planning your Tucson vacation go For a more leisurely pace, take an urban to www.visitTucson.org. The Heart & Soul lou'Il be amazedfiom the momentyou get here. o/f/ie Desert. Captivating sights are everywhere. Lush desert plants and wildlife. fascinating Southwestern architecture, awe-inspiring mountains, spectacular sunsets. The sunshine brightensjiour spirit as a clear fresh breezfi coolsjour soul. Why, even the colors are different here. Tucson is the authentic desert paradise. Tuc&oni. Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau < SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION > Land of Fire and ice: Iceland WHETHER YOUR GOAL IS TO EXPLORE of the world's largest colonies of puffins. Head vast, untouched, and uninhabited expanses out to see the sights on fjords and peninsulas of landscape, or walk around town making that branch out all over the country, explore a friends, you'll feel free in Iceland. Throbbing glacier, take a bath in a geothermal pool, or tee with life by day and by night, all year round, off at midnight when you play golf in the land Reykjavik, Iceland's capital city, is just as much of the midnight sun. When you visit Iceland, a part of the Icelandic experience as the mid- you'll enter a whole new realm of experience. night sun or the magical landscapes forged by ice and fire. It offers a mix of cosmopolitan culture and local village roots, and best of all it's only a fifteen-minute cab ride from wild nature. In Iceland, you'll discover nature as you've never seen it before. The country has some of the world's most important nest- ing grounds for birds: near Latrabjarg is the world's single largest seabird-nesting cliff, while southern Iceland hosts the globe's big- gest skua colony. Iceland is also home to some ;S'^?v^ '^-ii''!i?j«^'j .jrwjt^SM^^iaiSiS^StaMa™'-' ICGl8nCl. A pristine wonderland abundant with natural hot springs, ® virgin glacial lagoons, breathtaking waterfalls and active volcanoes and geysers. From these protected environs comes some of the freshest fish, icelandnaturally.com lamb and water known to Earth. Energetic Reykjavik's great nightlife and hot restaurants are pure bliss. Come get a taste for yourself. Visit lcelandNaturally.com to learn more about Iceland and Icelandic products. Also, register online to win an exciting adventure trip. ' < SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION > Fun in the Sun: Alabama's Gulf Coast WITH THIRTY-FIVE MILES named one of the country's of white-sand beaches, niagnil- jest bird-watching finds. icent resorts, and some of the I his well-marked trail loops friendliest people you'll ever around delta bottomlands. meet, Alabama's Gult Coast Mobile Bay, and the sandy is a place not easily forgotten. terrain bordering the Gulf To explore the Mobile of Mexico. Bay area, bike or hike along ^ Feel like casting a line? ?| the Eastern Shore Trail. This Orange Beach boasts a fleet £' countywide network of trails of more than a hundred begins at the USS Alabama Battleship Memo- charter boats ready to take you out fishing, or ^i rial Park, where you can see the mighty World set out on a deep-sea expedition from Dau- I War II battleship, a spy plane, submarine, and phin Island. Putter around on one of the ar- jj other militai-y craft and weaponry. ea's championship golf courses. Travel back in ^ "' Stop at the Weeks Bay Estuary Reserve, histoi^y with a visit to Fort Morgan, the site of one of twenty-five national resei^ves protect- the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay. Commune 1 ing estuarine waters, marshes, shorelines, with nature as you hike through a wildlife area = and adjacent uplands for research and educa- and gaze at gators and shorebirds. For out- 3 tion. Birders will enjoy the fifty-site Alabama door fun, the Gulf Coast promises memories : Coastal Birding Trail, which Audubon magazine of a lifetime. f YOUR OWN _ PRIVATE ISLA Little St. Simons Island, on Georgia's fabled coast, is a place unlike any otlier. 10,000 acres and 7 milqp|^p3l||h; die private domainOTno more dian 30 guests. Nature tours, bildng, birdJnfi, ' horseback riding, l fishing. Great cuisine; grai acconunodations; and th_ Head to Alabama's beautiful Gulf Coast, where you'll not only find '. rate is all-inclusive. . sugar-white beaches but hundreds of species of indigenous birds and neo-tropical migrants among some of the world's most FromS499 LITTLE glorious preserves, forests, and saltwater marshes. Per Couple, Per Night* .ST. SIMONS It's a nature lover's paradise, calling to be explored. / •valid llimuRh V24/07. ISLAND Tux & sciTici' i-liiu-j;e ailiiilioiial JJ toll-free I-866-324-7776 GULF SHORES c \ i e T h \ the minute ORANGE BEACH .- * i A B * f-f * Call 866-450-9672 WAv>v. LiilleSSl.com WWW. alabamasnaturaJcoast. org < SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION > Outer Banks: Recreation and Reflection MIDWAY ALONG THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD-SOUTH OF Norfolk and northeast of Myrtle Beach—^you'll find a lOO-mile chain of barrier islands known as The Outer Banks of North Carolina. With the Pamlico, Roanoke and Albemarle Sounds to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, The Outer Banks has the third largest estuary system in the world, wildlife refuges, maritime forests, the Gape Hatteras National Seashore, and the highest sand dunes on the East Coast at Jockey's Ridge State Park. The first national seashore in the country. Cape Hatteras extends more than JO miles from South Nags Head to Ocracoke Inlet and includesw natural and historic attractions. A haven for recreation and reflection, the islands of The Outer Banks are prized for their sandy beaches, salt marshes, and maritime woods. The seashore is dotted with historic lighthouses, including the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Coined "America's Lighthouse", at 208 feet it's the tallest brick sentinel in the country. Built in 1871, this structure was relocated in 1999 *^o protect it from the encroaching Atlantic. The area claims the one time home of Blackbeard the Pirate at Ocracoke Island, which is also home to the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina. Don't leave The Outer Banks without a stop at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, the site of the brothers' first controlled powered flight in 1903- The visitors' center features full-scale reproductions of the Wright 1903 Powered Flyer and interpretive presentations. And no trip is complete without a tour of Fort Raleigh on Roanoke Island, the site of the first attempted English colony in America dating back to 1585- The Lost Colony's disappearance of I16 men, women, and children is our nation's most elusive mystery. From Queen Elizabeth to the Wright Brothers, history comes 'ito dramatic life on the OutenBanks. For a free travel guide s:^nd mpre information, call 877;OBX.4FUN., SHORES KITTY HAWK • KILL DEVIL HILLS NACS HEAD ROANOKE ISLAND < SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION > Do you seek adventure? Or does it seek you? AROUND EVERY CORNER, AROUND EVERY a park or along an abandoned railway line to bend in Newfoundland and Labrador, there's an multi-week-long treks through the wilderness. outdoor adventure waiting to happen. Whether it's Our extensive hikes include the East Coast Trail a planned excursion or one that's anything but, it's and Gros Morne National Park. hard to figure out what to experience first. Around here, you'll never have to go look- If you're a sailor at heart, you might want to ing for wildlife. Over 22 species of whales grace try sea kayaking. There's everything from a gentle our shores every year. And with over 35 million paddle around a sheltered bay to one alongside seabirds and 35^ different species, this place is humpback whales and ten-thousand-year-old ice- definitely for the birders. In the mood to cast a bergs. Visit sea caves and remote pebble beaches line? Try your luck at angling Atlantic salmon or for a boil-up, or ride the waves along the coast brook trout. while you try to catch up with one of our millions When the snow comes, this place is a snowshoe of seabirds. and snowmobile paradise, complete with thou- If you'd rather be below the surface, then scuba sands of kilometers of vsdnding, groomed paths of dive to one of the few accessible wreckage sites pure powder through the mountains and across the in North America, where German U-boats sank barrens. If you prefer to do your soul-searching at Allied ships. high speeds, there's Marble Mountain—a virtual If you consider yourself a hiker or a dedicated adrenaline rush that comes with over sixteen feet of walker, there are literally hundreds of trails across the white stuff, yours to cai^'e as you please. the province, ranging from a short stroll through And at the end of the day, there's good food. lively music, and warm hospitalits'— the perfect combination to rejuvenate the senses for your next journey. With 29. 000 kilometers of coastline, hundreds of hiking trails, and wildlife galore, Ne\\f^oundIand and Labrador— Canada's eastern- most pro\dnce — is a place that continues to live on inside of you long after you've travelled on. To order your free 2007 Traveller's Guide call 1-800-563-6353, orNisitusat www.NewfoundIandLabrador.com. BIOMECHANICS been weighed at just about a metric ton, and the ocean sunfish have skele- tons made almost entirely of cartilage. No Bones About 'Em The marhn takes the prize for being the largest bony fish that actually has Jlie biggestfishes in the ocean may a skeleton made entirely of bone, but its weight is less than 80 percent have optedfor cartilage over hone that of the sturgeon's. to hulk up without getting weighed down. Patricia Hernandez of George Washington University in By Adam Summers ~ Illustrations by Tom Moore Washington, D.C., James A. Strother at the University of California, Irvine, and I have Cartilage, the stuff most people ancestors of today's sharks and other constructed a model that attempts associate with bendable ears cartilaginous fishes abandon bone in to explain why cartilage became and noses—or with career- favor of a skeletal material that other the skeletal material of choice for ending injuries in professional ath- large animals use only sparingly? I the giant fishes of the ocean. Picture letes—seems a poor choice of material have recently come to think that car- a fish swimming at a constant speed. for the skeletons of the world's most tilage gives sharks at least one impor- The swimming muscles generate formidable fishes. Nevertheless, sharks, tant selective advantage: they can grow thrust that exactly offsets the drag of skates, and rays have entirely cartilagi- much bigger than bony fishes. the body as it moves through the wa- nous skeletons—even their jaws are Now anyone who knows a fish- ter. (If the offset were inexact, the fish made of the soft material. Such scaf- erman also knows how hard it can would speed up or slow down until folding must work well, because the be to pin down the size of fishes. a new constant speed was reached.) group boasts the largest and some of Most people would agree that the Similarly, as long as the fish moves the fastest species of fishes in the sea. gentle, planktivorous whale shark forward, the fins and body gener- Bone would have been a stronger ranks as the largest fish in the sea. ate Uft that exactly counteracts the and, one would think, more useful Some might even guess that second fish's tendency to sink [see illustration skeletal building block for sharks. In place goes to another plankton eater, on this page]. Thzt sinking tendency fact, bone predates them, and it played the basking shark. Next in line, the is known as negative buoyancy, and a role in the skeletons of some ancient, scourge ofAmityville, is the great all fishes (and overweighted scuba now-extinct sharks. So why did the white shark. After that, the ranking divers) have it—all fishes, that is, ex- gets more nebulous cept dead ones, which tend to float. and more prone to Yet most fish tissues, firom muscle to fishing lore. Still, the guts to nerves, are almost neutrally strongest contend- buoyant. Not so the skeleton, which ers for numbers four is largely responsible for that slight through eight are all sinking tendency. cartilaginous fishes: So consider what would happen the Greenland shark, to the fish's physical dimensions if, the manta ray, the magically, it doubled in size. Three sawfish, the six-gill aspects come to mind: length, area shark, and the tiger (the shadow cast by a light shining shark (not necessarily from above), and weight. Double the in that order!). fish's length, and, presumably, the ani- All of them, each mal also doubles in width. The new classified in a separate fish has not twice its former area, but family, are larger than four times as much. As for weight, it the two largest fishes is tied to volume, which is equal to classified as "bony": the length times the width times the Ocean sunfish swimming level at a constant speed is subject the beluga sturgeon "height." When length and, presum- to four forces—drag, forward thrust, lift, and sinking force (or and the ocean sunfish. ably, width and height are doubled, "negative buoyancy")—that are paired, each pair in perfect balance. If a fish were to grow too large, the sinking force would And yet the sturgeon, weight goes up eightfold. overtake lift. which has reliably So what would happen to the nega- 36 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 Whale shark Relative volumes and skeletal makeup Cartilage Both Bone The world's largest fishes, as seen from the perspective of a snorkeler looking cow—avoided the sinking trap. down, all have enormous profiles. Each profile and the lift generated by each Those animals are (or were) all larger of the creatures' forward swimming motion would grow fourfold if the crea- than the largest bony fish: in fact, the tures doubled in size, but their volumes (see inset above) and their weights blue whale is the largest animal on would grow eightfold. Because lift grows more slowly than weight, the big- the planet. But they have one thing gest fishes conserve weight with skeletons made of cartilage, not bone. in common: they all come fi-om lin- eages that have returned to the sea rive buoyancy of a fish as it increases tually runs out of lift: thereafter, it atter an evolurionan,' stint on land. its length? WeU, the weight of the would be doomed to a life of squirm- They no longer swim as fishes, glid- skeleton should directly correlate with ing along the bottom. Of course, ing through the middle depths in the weight of the fish, so the skeleton's carrilaginous and bonv fishes are in dynamic equilibrium. Instead, their negari\"e buoyancy should cube when the same bind, but the cartilaginous lungs act as flotation devices, and length is doubled. But the Uft force skeleton weighs considerably less per they remain tied to the surface by needed to counteract the negarive foot ot fish than the bony one. The positive buoyancy, which, to descend, buoyancy scales quite diti'erently. The propensits' to sink kicks in at a longer they must swim against. key to Uft is the "profile" of the lifting length and a greater w^eight. It seems The motto of the early sharks that surface—another way of ciescribing that one advantage of the cartilaginous wanted to get bigger was not "bone the shadow cast by the fish. Lift, there- skeleton is something ot a reprieve stinks' but rather "bone sinks." tore, should gro\\- with the square of fi"om a size limit \scc illusiraiion above]. the length rather than the cube. Ad.-lm Summers ([email protected]) is That sets up a fimdamental prob- skeptical reader is no doubt The an assistaiil projascr of biociigiiiceriii^ and lem. Because lift grows more slowly wondering how whales—not ofecolo(;Y and a'oliitionar)' biolog)' at the than the negari\-e buoyancs* acring to mention extinct animals such University ofCalitoriiia. Irt'inc. Tliis column against it, a growing fish species even- as the plesiosaurs and Steller's sea is his flfiicth for Natural History. March 2007 N.^TURAL HISTORY 37 COMMENTARY Bad News '«^ • tf'.*' '->r>^ '^^ '^ K - "«P^»..->... ¥oY thirty years the wild Alaskan hears that visit McNeil sanctuary have learned to trust the people who watch them. But this fall, despite a public outcry, those hears may he hunted. By Bill Sherwonit a bright August morning, with gulls as if in slow motion, and angles our way. Passing Onscreeching and bald eagles picking at within less than twenty feet of our party, the 600- spawned-out salmon, I'm standing with pound animal scarcely acknowledges our presence ten other people in the shadows of an alder-topped as she squishes through mud and wades into the bluff. Our backs are pressed tightly against a dank stream that flows before us. rock wall. Everyone's attention is drawn to the left, That in itself is enough to send adrenal glands where the bluff ends abruptly in a blind corner. into overdrive. Imagine the tension, then, when Douglas D. Hill, who's guiding our group, had two small cubs step gingerly into view and turn our peeked around that corner only moments earlier, way. Unlike their mom, the cubs eye us intently then ordered the rest of us to stand quietly against and pick up their pace, clearly anxious. But not the wall and remain absolutely still. Several more so anxious that they run or cry or give us a wide moments pass. Now, hardly daring to breathe, we berth. Barely larger than the teddy bears awarded as watch as an adult brown bear rounds the corner. carnival prizes, the dark-chocolate spring cubs scoot 38 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 : ^''*'«».' r •* y,*'t- ti *t!^u :jL McNeil River' State Game Dozens of brown bears come to McNeil Falls in southern Sanctuary Kaj^ai Alaska from June until August during the annual chum- National Park and Presen/e salmon run. A strict limit is imposed on the number of visitors allowed into the area: ten per four-day period. They watch from two gravel pads a hundred feet away. The bears treat their audience as part of the scenery, focusing instead on ^No hunting (state legislature) each other and on catching fish. No hunting (federal) No hunting (Board of Game may review this month) Hunting permitted (federal) Hunt scheduled fall 2007 (BOG) past our wall-pinned bodies, no more than ten feet Fish and Game, the sanctuary protects the world's away. Several yards beyond us the cubs wrestle with largest gathering ofbrown bears—the coastal cousins each other, perhaps a release of tension. Then they ofthe grizzlies. As many as a hundred bears come to lope toward their mother, intently hunting salmon McNeil River Falls every summer to feed on chum in the swirling, muddied water. salnron. It's not uncommon for visitors to see dozens Anyone passionate about brown bears will in- of brown bears at a time congregating by the falls. stantly guess where our encoimter took place. It The McNeil bears are now threatened. The can only be McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, a Alaska Board of Game, which has jurisdiction o\er 200-square-mile parcel of coastland situated on the McNeil and several surrounding areas, has voted to upper Alaska Peninsula, some 250 miles southwest of allow hunting in the Kamishak Special Use Area, Anchorage. McNeil is the standard against which all adjacent to McNeil to the east and south [sec map other bear-viewing sites are measured. Established ij/iiir('l. Both before and after the salmon return to in 1967 and nianaged by the Alaska Department of McNeil River, the bears fan out throughout the March 2007 NATURAL HISTORY 39 region, often far beyond the McNeil sanctuary. And no bears have had to be killed because they Tagging and radio-collar studies in this area have presented a danger. Those facts demonstrate that shown that some bears travel hundreds of miles in these bears are safe to be around ifpeople are willing a year and that many McNeil bears venture into to adjust their behavior. "What goes on here is still the Kamishak Special Use Area. So if open hunt- news to a lot ofpeople," Aumiller says. "They don't ing there remains legal, it is only a matter of time think it can happen. But it does. McNeil shows that before trophy seekers kill some of McNeil's most if you learn about something that's different from tolerant and approachable bears. you, and begin to appreciate it, then you'll figure out a way to keep it in your life. You'll learn to Protecting the McNeil bears is the stated mission of peacefully coexist." the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which is why it established a permit system to keep human When he first came to McNeil, AumiUer didn't visitors at the site to a minimum. A state-run lottery think he'd stay more than a season or two. attracts as many as 1 ,400 appUcants, but permits are But two years became three, then five, and he found granted to just ten people at a time for consecutive himselfin love with both the landscape and its ursine four-day periods from earlyJune through late August. residents. Here was a place he could stay forever. Visitors take their seats on folding chairs placed side By the mid-1980s, the "Bear Man of McNeil" by side on two gravel pads within a hundred feet of was something of a local legend. And by the early the falls. The bears eat, nap, nurse, or even mate not 1990s, he had become widely recognized as one far from the pads where the viewers sit transfixed by of the world's leading authorities on brown bears. the action for as long as eight hours a day. Aumiller himselfalways pooh-poohed such acclaim. Many people are surprised by the bears' neutral He humbly insisted (while adapting another cliche) attitude toward their fans. "Think about it," says that the more he learned about bears, the more he Larry Aumiller, McNeil's former manager. "You've realized just how little he knew. got this group of people standing in the middle of Yet as two decades at McNeil turned into three, dozens of bears. You're very close to where they Aumiller was beginning to contemplate what he want to be. And they tolerate you." once imagined impossible; resigning his position. Before the McNeil "experiment," many bear Married, with a young daughter, he found it harder experts thought that habituated bears, particularly to spend his summers in the wilderness. An even browns and grizzlies, were bigger issue, though, was wildlife politics. extremely dangerous because In 2002 Frank H. Murkowski, a Republican, was they had lost their natural shy- elected governor of Alaska, bringing new threats ness ofhumans. But Aumiller to McNeil's bears and heartache to Aumiller. No showed that habituated bears friend ofbears and wolves, the governor was strongly that have not learned to as- endorsed by the Alaska Outdoor Council, a self- sociate humans with food styled "sportsmen's group." AOC's leaders are strong treat people as "neutral ob- advocates of hunters' rights and predator control, jects, maybe as innocuous as and for years the group has pushed for increased rocks or trees." Still, habitu- opportunities for bear hunting on state lands near ated bears remain wild; they McNeil. By the time of the spring 2005 meeting should not be confused with of the Alaska Board of Game (BOG), Murkowski tamed animals. As Werner had appointed enough AOC allies to it to make that Herzog's widely released doc- wish come true. The BOG, which reports to the umentary film about Timothy governor, determines whether hunting is allowed Treadwell, Grizzly Man, made on federal, state, and private lands. clear to a worldwide audi- At the same time, McNeil's bears were receiving ence, carelessly approaching a huge outpouring of public support, expressed by any bear in the wild can have thousands of written comments, as well as in public fatal consequences. testimony of dozens of Alaska residents, including Larry Aumiller, pictured here in a photo- Because of the precautions many hunters. Yet despite the outcry, and despite a graph taken in 1988, never once had to that Aumiller and his staff have substantial drop in the population of McNeil's bears use his shotgun in his thirty-year tenure taken, no McNeil bears have since the late 1990s, the board voted to approve a as the manager of the McNeil sanctu- attacked or injured anyone in bear hunt in the Kamishak. (The details of the ary. If a curious adolescent bear got too new close to a visitor, Aumiller would clap more than three decades of hunt, scheduled for fall 2007 and spring 2008, have loudly until the bear moved away. close association with people. yet to be worked out.) The population decline was 40 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 most likely caused by dimiiiislicd salmon returns and experience or threaten the sanctuary's gathering. by increased brown bear lumtinti; in Katmai National Konald J. Somerville, a member of the BOG and Preserve, another tract borderini; McNeil, whkli one of the chief proponents for increased bear is managed by the federal government. In fact, the hunting near McNeil sanctuary, advanced that number of bears legally killed in the areas surround- .ugument at the 2005 meeting that approved the ing McNeil has jumped to forty-five in 2005, more Kamishak hunt set for 2007. "There is no mutu- than (.tiHible the number in the early 198()s. ally exclusive conflict between viewing bears and Disheartened by the liOCJ's actions, AumiUer hunting them," he said then. chose to leave his beloved job after the 2005 season, In fact, however, Somerville also suggested his thirtieth at McNeil. In an opinion piece for the making hunting legal in McNeil River State Game .H/h/h'nyc Daily \'cii'i, he explained his action: Refuge, a hS8-square-mile block oflandjust north of the sanctuary, where bears were afforded ad- More than any other single person, I am responsible ditional protections beginning in 1993. All bear for habituating McNeil bears to humans. That means hunting has been prohibited in the refuge since that through every single interaction for over 31) years, 1995. But the board agreed at the spring 2005 meet- we have done es'crytliing humanly possible to get bears ing that Somerville's proposal to allow hunting in to accept our benign presence. And guess what? It has McNeil refuge would be on the BOG agenda for worked incredibly well. . . . Because we have cultivated their confidence, we have more responsibil- ity to protect them. The very bears that trust us the most are the most vulnerable to hunt- ing, \\ Inch will be occurring literally a one- hour walk .iway from McNeil Falls. To purposely and knowingly kill these habituated animals for trophies is beyond any definition of reasonable ethics or fair chase and, I believe, is morally wrong. I've always envisioned that I'd be at McNeil River until I couldn't physically do it anymore. But 1 can't continue to remove the bears' only pro- tection—their natural wariness—knowing that even more of them will soon be ex- posed to hunting. Doug Hill, Aumiller's replacement, has worked around bears before, but he is completely new to McNeil. Further- more, many people who visited McNeil Visitors to McNeil sanctuary can watch for as long as eight hours a day, in 2006 already knew about the hunting from chairs set up on the two viewing pads. The bears nap, nurse, and even debate. visitors to Many wanted know mate as close as twenty feet from their human audience. what they could do to protest the BOG's actions and ensure the protection ot the bears. its meetings this month from the 2nd through the "It's gotten to the point where 1 don't want to 12th. In spite of the agenda vote, the board did not talk about it anymore. I've tried to stay clear of the file Somerville's proposal by the required deadline. politics," Hill admits. "At the same time, it's our But the board could still bring the McNeil refuge job to protect the bears. It doesn't make sense that into the discussion of the scheduled hunt in the we'd be neutral about bunting near McNeil." Kamishak Special Use Area, which is formally One statt member, Thomas M. Grittm, says his on the agenda. Somerville, appointed chairman approach is "to tell people, "It's up to you to de- of the BOG in 2006, did not respond to repeated cide what's right or wrong.' " Away from visitors. rec^Liests bv Wininjl History tor comment. Griffin is less hesitant to share his opinions. "Are we setting these animals up? Oh yeah. It's a no- Ted H. Spraker, another board member and a brainer. Where's the sport in hunting habituated formerfori state wildlife biologist, says that the com- bears? Where's the tair-chase ethic?" paribihrs- ofviewing with hunting was not uppermost In recent years, the BOG and other hunting ad- m the minds ofboard members when they approved vocates have consistently argued that hunting and the Kamishak hunt: "People need to understand killina; a few bears won't harm either the McNeil that we W'eren't targeting McNeil's bears when we March 2007 NATL'R-^L HISTORY 41 — reviewed the Kamishak area's bear-hunting closure. It to Open the Kamishak area to hunting who could was simply part of a long-overdue review of hunting be reached for comment. closures statewide." The reasons for approving the Kamishak hunt In November 2006, voters elected a new Repub- were largely political, Spraker adds, a tactical re- lican governor who is an avowed advocate of sponse to a long-standing dispute between the state hunting. Sarah Palin,like her predecessor, was strongly and the National Park Service (NPS) over lands endorsed by the AOC when she ran for governor, including the Kamishak Special Use Area—that the and is a member of the organization, which in recent two parties agreed to trade years ago. Spraker and years has largely gotten its way. other board members argue that the NPS reneged When asked about the bear-hunting controversy, on the deal once the Kamishak area was closed Palin's deputy press secretary, Charles Fedullo, to hunting, a charge the NPS responded this way via e-mail: denies. By reopening Kamishak "The governor said she is a to bear hunting, Spraker says, hunter and that . . . some of board members hoped they her best memories growing up would force the NPS back to are of hunting with her dad to the negotiating table. help fill the family freezer. She "The board had good inten- wants Alaskans to have access to tions, but it looks like [its tactic] wildlife [to hunt] . However," he may backfire on us," Spraker ad- added, "she does not support bear mits. "We puffed up our chests, hunting in the McNeil River played our cards. Now we may State Game Sanctuary." have to fall on our swords. Beyond that, including on the "We still could postpone any issue ofincreased hunting around hunt [at the board's meeting this the sanctuary, Palin was more month]. I can't speak for the evasive. "The governor wants entire board, but I'd push for a to wait till she, along with the delay in the hunt, and give the fisheries and game boards, names park service more time to deal a Fish and Game Commissioner with us." to delve further into the issue," Benjamin F. Grussendorf, a said her spokesman. former state legislator and one Palin knows she must tread of two board members to op- lightly. She is surely as aware as pose the new hunt, refuses to Hunters killed forty-five bears in 2005 in the the members of the BOG that sanctuary. The speculate on the motives of the areas surrounding McNeil any attempt to open McNeil ref- decision to open a new area to hunting five who approved it. But Grus- uge even to a limited hunt (as it adjacent to McNeil may lead to the killing sendorfhas no doubt that "it was was in fall 1995 and spring 1996) of some of McNeil's most approachable, an unnecessary thing to do, to human-tolerant bears. is likely to meet with intense and rile people up and create a huge widespread opposition—even public outcry, simply to allow for two or three more among many hunters and big-game guides. Those bears to be harvested. It just isn't worth it." 1995 and 1996 hunts inspired hundreds ofhunting But like Spraker, Grussendorf suspects the BOG opponents to swamp the real hunters by applying will "take a second look" at the Kamishak hunt for the eight available permits; largely because of during its March meeting. "I think you'll have some that protest effort, only one bear was killed. board members looking at things differently." But neither she nor the BOG can continue to Whether he's had a sudden change of heart or not dodge the looming question for long: Will the BOG is hard to say, but Spraker now essentially agrees again ignore overwhelming public sentiment and with Aumiller: "To be honest, I would hate to see follow a path that, as Aumiller puts it, introduces [the Kamishak area or McNeil refuge] opened; I'd new risks to the world's most famous and successful like to see a continuous area protected." To approve brown-bear sanctuary? Or, as Spraker has suggested, a hunt, he adds, "would cost both the board and will it adopt a more moderate course: admit that hunters a lot of credibility. I don't think the oppor- opening the lands adjoining McNeil to hunting tunity to take a few more bears is worth the black is a big mistake and make it clear that in McNeil, eye it would give to either hunters or the state." perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, the Spraker was the only board member who voted bears do indeed come first? D 42 HIS I DRY March 2007 Spocial Aclvertisinj^ Section Come explore namrf in the Old Line State, a havet — < Special Advertising SectionV Idyllic shores, majestic mountains, and big-city thrills lure travelers to Maryland "America in Miniature," as National Qeographic once called the state, Maryland boasts mountains, seashores, cities, countryside, and everything in between- all within a three-hour drive of Baltimore. In Western Maryland the Allegheny Central Maryland is home to the state's capital, Mountains serve as the stunning backdrop Annapolis, and to its most vibrant city, Baltimore. But the also offers of to rolling countryside, fast-moving rivers, / region the pleasures the Chesapeake Bay shore- and scenic Deep Creek Lake, the center- line, serene wilderness, and charming small towns. piece of Western Maryland's resort area. Baltimore, a natural deep-water port that has been attracting With 65 miles of shoreline and covering ships since the 1600s, is today a modern seaport. Maritime nearly 3,900 acres, the lake is perfect for history is everywhere but best seen around the city's boating, swimming, and fishing. At Wisp, -f Waterfront Peninsula. In addition to its celebrated Inner a year-round resort, learn to fly-fish, kayak, Harbor, Baltimore has fascinating neighborhoods, intriguing or golf. The mountains, as well as scores of museums, and a wealth of restaurants where you can try out forests and parks, offer well-marked hiking trails Maryland's famous blue crabs and fresh seafood. Annapolis through undeveloped, scenic settings. History America's sailing capital — is celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2007. buffs should seek out such sites as the C&O Canal Since it became the state's capital in 1695, much of Annapolis has remained intact, with more and Antietam National Battlefield. surviving colonial buildings than any other place in the country. In 1634, the first European settlers arrived in what is now known as Southern Maryland. Here you'll find unique communities of water- men and farmers living between the Chesapeake Bay and the Ariantic Ocean. The state's original capital. Historic St. Mary's City, is preserved as an out- door, living history museum on the banks of the St. Mary's River. In addition to quaint waterside towns, you'll find some of the best bass fish ing on the East Coast, and boating opportunities on the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent and Potomac rivers. Known as the Capital Region, The Eastern Shore is known as "the the three Maryland counties that border Land of Pleasant Living" because of its qui- Washington, D.C. offer convenient, eter pace. During the day, you may run into a hassle-free access to D.C.'s museums farmer or waterman bringing produce or fish and monuments. But there are plenty of to the restaurant where you'll be dining at reasons to stay on the Maryland side of night. You'll find immaculately preserved the border: a plethora of historical sites, waterfronts and a maritime tradition unique state and national parks, and an array of to the area. Explore the majestic lighthouses restaurants, theaters, and cultural attrac- that dot the seashore and have shown the tions. Perhaps unexpectedly, the area way to centuries of seafarers — postcard-pretty also attracts wildlife — species found reminders of the state's maritime heritage. here include deer, wild turkey, various The Eastern Shore also has superb national reptiles and amphibians, and birds. It wildlife refuges — Blackwater and Eastern boasts the largest concentration of Neck— featuring major nesting populations Canada geese on the Chesapeake Bay's of bald eagles, flocks of migrating waterfowl, western shore. and hundreds of other bird species. With such a wealth of diversity in geography, attractions, and wildlife, Maryland makes it easy to plan an unforgettable getaway. Read on to learn more about the state's travel opportunities. ^qUq iko ddj) oit JUMiaHMailak. Some roads take you from Point A to Point B. Others take your breath away. Vacation days are precious, put yours to good use. Wlien you come to Maryland, skip the highway and get off the beaten path. Take Maryland's Scenic Byways instead. You'll discover history, culture, nature, and spectacular scenery around every bend. Mile after breathtaking mile, you'll see why Maryland is the perfect place to seize the day off. m For your free Travel Guide MARYLAMJ with great getaway ideas call 800.984.9502 or go to VisitMaryland .org/mag. Martin O'Malley, Governor AD FUNDED IN PART BY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION. Anthony G. Brown, Lt. Governor < Special Advertising SectionV Discover the unspoiled beauty In summer 2007, a crew of explorers, of Calvert County, historians, naturalists, and educators will on the western shore of the reenact Captain John Smith's 1608 expedi- Chesapeake Bay tion. Traveling in a 28-foot reproduction of Smith's shallop, and living much as Smith and his men did 400 years ago, the crew will voyage to almost every tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Calvert County will host two stops. On June 9-10, the shallop will stop at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons to commemorate Smith's explo- ration of the Patuxent River and his encounter with the Patuxent Indians. On Sunday, August 5, the shallop will arrive at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum to participate in its annual American Indian Heritage Day. The day will feature a re- created Indian village, dancers and drum- mers, traditional arts, and skilled demon- strations of flint-knapping, basketry, and pottery and fire making. Come learn about this important episode in the history of the Chesapeake. CHOOSE CALVERT Carroll^'ifcounty COUNTY, MD It's all here. Cficirm of the CHesapJd^ Rich in history and tradition, Carroll County is a haven for Civil War buffs Ca-arroU County has so many things to do wyi 1 and see. Walk or drive along the scenic Captain John Smith roads where Civil War troops trekked and camped on their fateful march to the Battle of Gettysburg. Learn about life on a 19th- Reenactment Voyage Blue skies, clean crisp air, quiet time, and century farm at the Carroll County Farm 400*^^ Anniversary spectacular shades of green. Relax at a Bed and Breakfast, eat at a quaint restaurant, Museum, or explore the great outdoors at walk in a shaded forest, stroll our Main the Piney Run and Bear Branch Nature Calvert Marine Museum Streets for unique antique or specialty Centers. With an old-fashioned swim- shops. Home of the Maryland Wine Festival June 9 -10* Solomons, MD and the RAVENS Summer Training Camp. ming lake, as well as parks for fishing and Centrally located and just 45 minutes hiking, it's easy to get close to nature. The Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum northwest of Baltimore. Carroll County county also boasts an operating grist mill, August 5 * St. Leonard, MD offers an experience at every turn. quaint Main Streets lined with art gal- Calvert County antiques shops, a small family CarrollCountY leries and Department of Economic Development MARYLAND winery, and local theater. For a free infor- Courthouse mation packet to help you plan your trip 3« Prince Frederick. MD 20678 ij^ CalM -800-272-1 933 or Visit m 800-331-9771 tCTiflt#»l to the county, call 1-800-272-1933 or visit ""'"'"' www.CarrollCountyTourlsm.org vw/w.ecalver1.coiTi/JohnSmith carrollcountytourism.org. ^Special Advertising SectionV Charles County claims the wildest wildlife this side of the Potomac L/ocated twenty miles south of Wasiiington, D.C., Charles County is the gateway to his- toric Southern Maryland. It has first-class fishing (in both the Potomac and Patuxent rivers), an abundance of undeveloped forests, 150 miles of spectacular Potomac shoreline, sumptuous fresh seafood, and Come see eagles soar at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in top-flight golf. Purse State Park, a reserve of Dorchester County gently rolling hills, woods, and marshlands, is the perfect site for fossil hunting. The I Ian an Eastern Shore getaway with a trip hiking, biking and paddling trails. The county is a haven for birds, with 231 bird to Dorchester County in the Heart of refuge boasts more than 250 bird species, species and the second largest bald eagle Chesapeake Country. Boasting 1,700 including the largest nesting population of population in Maryland. It also has enough miles of shoreline, this unspoiled country- bald eagles north of the Florida history to fill several books. Tour the Dr. side offers many opportunities to enjoy Everglades, and huge flocks of ducks, Samuel A. Mudd House Museum, the nature. A major stop on the Atlantic geese, and swans in the peak migraron' home of the country doctor who set the bro- Flyway, Blackwater National Wildlife periods. The newlv updated visitor center ken leg of President Lincoln's assassin. Refuge has more than 27,000 acres of sig- offers exhibits, an obser\'ators', a butterfly Explore the numerous historic churches, nificant wetlands and woodlands with garden, and an enlarged gift shop. some .imono the oldest in the nation. Spot bald c.ngles Come to Charles County www. txploreCharIesCoMD.com 800-766-3386 Charles COUNTY MARYLAND vV^U^^M^ ^Special Advertising SectionV Scenic Frederick County is home to many Civil War sites, rolling farmland, and covered bridges L'ess than an hour away from Washington, caregivers, and medical innovations during D.C., Frederick County has a wealth of the war; soldiers were embalmed in the Civil War history and heritage. You'll find very same building that now houses the the Monocacy National Battlefield, site of museum. an 1864 battle that played a pivotal role in Frederick is also home to the National defending Washington, D.C., and the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, in South Mountain Batdefield State Park Emmitsburg, honoring the first American- (includes Gathland State Park and born canonized saint, and is the birthplace Washington Monument State Park, where of Francis Scott Key. But even if you're not you can hike on the Appalachian Trail). a history buff, this scenic county nesded in The Barbara Fritchie House and Museum the Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont is a replica of the house where 96-year-old Plateau is well worth a visit. Frederick has Barbara Fritchie confronted General more farms than any other county in Stonewall Jackson when Confederate Maryland, and is dotted with vineyards, forces marched into Frederick in early covered bridges, and old railroads. The September 1862. The National Museum of town of New Market is "The Antiques Civil War Medicine, located in the heart of Capital of Maryland," and you'll find the Frederick's fifty-block historic district, largest water garden in the U.S., the dating from 1745, is dedicated to patients. Lilypons, in Buckeystown. C©UNTY Maryland J^U^/ DERICK CO LfNTV^ MARYLAND Chesapeake Bay, sfeenic rivers, art Shop, dine, iiike, bike, fish, golf, learn, taste galleries, antique and specialty shops, and enjoy. ..from the "clustered spires" of museums & more. Historic Downtown Frederick to great For a Free Visitor Packet, j!Wl sites county-wide like the Monocacy please contact: Aqueduct on the C&O Canal. Free info www.kentcounty.com •iJ9\,e.o\*s 1 -800-800-9699 orfredericktourism.org 410-778-0416 Kent County Office of Tourism Development Base your visit to the Capital Region in nearby Montgomery County, with fascinating anractions of its own B„ordering Washington, D.C., Montgomery county near Gcrmantown, follow the trail to County is a quick shuttle ride from the airport Little Seneca Lake, a popular bird breed- or Union Station. Visit the Chesapeake & Ohio ing area, or meander through oak and Canal National Historical Park in Potomac hickory forests. Historical markers along and see an original lock house. Hike or the trails identify a former mill site and bike on the i8s-mile tow path, or take in the recount the area's gold-mining history. spectacular view of the Great Falls of the Spring blooms are showcased at the coun- Potomac River from the Olmstead Bridges. ty's public gardens including the Brighton Boyds Negro School House, open by Azalea Gardens, with more than 20.000 appointment only (301-972-0484), is a varieties of azaleas; the fiftv-acre Brookside restored one-room schoolhouse dating from Gardens and its conservatory; and the 1896 to 1936. Glen Echo Park offers year- McCrillis Gardens, featuring azaleas and round dance and theater performances; rhododendrons. Also in the northern area near Glen Echo, take a free tour of the of the county you can take a driving tour Clara Barton National Historic Site, home to see sites that showcase historical land- to the founder of the American Red Cross scapes, recreational opportunities, and and headquarters of the organization from the agricultural heritage of the Count\'. 1897 to 1904. At the 1,300-acre Black Hill Visit www.heritagemontgonnery.org for Regional Park, in the northern part of the information. The County of Kent, Maryland's Upper Eastern Shore Jituated on a scenic peninsula where the Chester and Sassafras rivers meander into the Chesapeake Bay. the County of Kent has retained its serene beauty. Maryland's smallest countv claims a coastline sprin- \ kled with historic waterfront towns and stretches of low. rolling farmlands broken only by the tidewater tributaries of the Chesapeake. This quintessentially rural area also is home to a profusion of aquatic STAY WITH US birds including ducks, geese, kingfishers, AND SEE THE BEST OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION herons, ospreys. and other creatures that Make the most of your trip by staying with us in Montgonnery County, Maryland. make their homes along the reeds and Here, you'll enjoy value and quality in our wide selection of lodgings and restaurants as rushes, as well as bald eagles. Eastern well as the opportunity to visit our many historic sites and national parks. Our Neck National Wildlife Refuge is a haven Washington, many attractions. 1 3 METRORail stations will transport you to DCs for waterfowl, wildlife, and fish and offers Call for our Visitor Guide at 800-925-0880 or by visiting www.visitmontgomerycom seven walking trails, many with obser\'a- tion decks. Rock Hall, a small fishing M0NTGO\eY COUNTY village, is celebrating its 300th birthday MARYLAND I this year, with special events throughout the year. Other historic towns of the CONFERENCE AND VISITORS 8UREAL OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY. MD. INC. Counts' are Chestertown. Galena. Betterton. DRIVE. SUITE • ROCKVILLE. MARYLAND 20852 1 380 1 820 PARKLAWN and Millington. t < Special Advertising SectionV St. Mary's County— Maryland's oldest— invites visitors to relax on the serene Chesapeake shore 14,."^^^^ fH '^'' .- 11 program for visitors who want to learn to tie a bowline, tong an oys- ter, or test the water. Nearby Piney Point features the first light- house on the Potomac, - _ ;1 which began operating in 1836. Exhibits at the «3haped by the Chesapeake Bay and its Piney Point Lighthouse Museum include tributaries, the Patuxent and Potomac several historic wooden vessels that once rivers, St. Mary's is Maryland's oldest sailed the Bay. This area of beach grass county, settled in 1634. The first battle of and tall pines has a campground and sev- the Revolutionary War occurred on low- eral marinas. Nearby attractions include lying St. George's Island. Now a quiet Historic St. Mary's City, on the site of the fishing community, the island is home to state's original colonial capital, and is one the Chesapeake Bay Field Lab, where you of the nation's premier archaeological may cruise the Bay aboard the authentic parks and living history museums, as well skipjack St. Mary's Dee. Once an oyster as Point Lookout State Park, which has packing plant, the Lab runs a shore-side fishing piers and campgrounds. Talbot County's uniqueness belongs to its quaint towns and their treasury of history, heritage, culture, lag?. --TallKij.''^- rSu and architecture L scape to Talbot County and explore historic Colonial towns and Chesapeake ' Bay watermen communities accented with Explore historic , traditions of the Eastern Shore. ';' the Easton, one of .^ Bustling with art galleries and antiques, America 's top > one hundred Easton is rated among the Top Ten Best small towns and Small Towns in America and one of the ; art communities. Top 100 Small Arts Communities in Discover 300 : « mm America. Oxford was featured in James years ofmaritime Michener's Chesapeake, and St. Michaels St. MARY'S COUNTY history, the ' ? is the picture-perfect historic waterfront MARYLAND Chesapeake Bay town. Unionville is a historic African- and the wa terfron .... ^^L^OIA^ American community settled by former villages of St. Michaels, slaves and free blacks, many in the Union Hundreds of things to do.,, Tllghman Island and Oxford. during the Civil War. And Wye Mills and hundreds of reasons not to. Army Call 1-888-BAY-STAY for your free is one of the oldest towns in Maryland, Call or click a events fir FREE visitors guide and calendar of events. filled with such historic gems as the Old calendar and travel crujde! ww/w.tourtalbot.org Wye Grist Mill and Museum, the Wye Talbot County Office of Tourism Church, and the Little Red Schoolhouse, 11 S.Harrison St., Easton, MD 21601 just fifteen miles from the Bay Bridge. <(Speclal Advertising Section)^ Your Chesapeake Bay Worcester County is Maryland's prime destination for birdwatching experience begins here L,'ocated on the Eastern Shore, barrier islands, coastal bays, tidal wetlands, »_7itu.itc-d on eighteen w.irerfront .icres in Worcester County is Maryland's only sea- cypress swamps, upland fields, and primeval the historic town of St. Michaels, the side county, known for Ocean City's sandy forests. Come spring, Worcester's birds are Chesapeake Bav Maritime Museum tells beaches, steamed crabs, and the famous busy nesting, and northern migrants flock the stop,' of the Bav and the people who have wild pony herd on Assateague Island State to the county's large unbroken tracts of shaped their lives around it. Explore ten Park and National Seashore. Worcester woodlands. The county has extraordinary exhibit buildings, the world's largest collec- also has more than a dozen championship fishing in the tidal banks of the Pocomoke tion of traditional Bay boats, and the 1879 golf courses — enjoyable practically year- River and the Atlantic Ocean. Ocean City Hooper Strait Lighthouse. round thanks to the mild temperatures is the White Marlin Capital of the World Rediscover the fun of playing on the near the shore — and a hundred miles of and offers both bottom fishing in the inlets Bav, learn about the heritage of ovstering marked bicycle trails on flat countrv roads. and deep-sea fishing offshore. and waterfowling, and get a new perspec- Explore historv, architecture, and an easier tive on the Chesapeake through a schedule pace of life in the Victorian-era town of of changing exhibits. You can get your Berlin, with its bed-and-breakfasts, or in hands dirt)' pulling up a crab pot or nipper- Snow Hill, with its more than one hundred ing for oysters on Waterman's 'Wharf or century-old homes and proximity to the trying your hand at building a wooden boat Pocomoke River. Birders know Worcester in their working Boat Shop, where you may as the counrv with the best birding in the talk with the shipwrights, apprentices, or a state: almost 300 species have been iden- visiting captain or boat builder. tified in the county's diverse habitats of Explore... ...our ten waterfront exhibit buildings, working boot yard, historic lighthouse, & morel Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum St. Michaels, Maryland 410-745-2916 cbmm.org mmMARCH 2007 Bar Coding for Botany A system modeled on commercial bar codes may soon enable anyone to identify any plantfrom a smallfragment of its DNA. By Kenneth M. Canneron What the heck are these? The documents v^^hich looks a lot like a fern. It's an endangered for this crate say the contents are Poly- species from Mozambique—says here they're just podium ferns. Those are perfectly legal about extinct in the wild. They're illegal to import, to import, but all the leaves have been hacked off but collectors are just crazy about them. Apparently these plants. I can't identify them from the stems some cycads seljpfor as much as $20,000 on the black alone. Jirn,— can you get a reading on them?" market. I've na/er intercepted Stangerias here at the "Sure -just a second. . . . Well, ac- cording to my Global Flora Scanner, they're actu- ally Stangeria eri- opiis, the Natal grass cycad. .•lllllll "^J- .illlllllll -"- , ..lllllllll [T^ .11 II mm * « iii'''.llliiillMi>J airport before. tiling yoii spottctl tiK-iiv .iml I .il Good diversity-—iji other .iiiHiUJL'J that they were in tlie (JFS database. WeVi iKttcr words, to build the investigate; tliis slioiiid mean a big tine m even an family tree of arrest for the importer." lite. The use of The dialogue might sound like science fiction, molecular tools Inii til, It kind ofsceunrio could transpire sooner than 111 pursuing those you think. CJne of the great biological projects of goals has already our time will be to collect DNA sequences from transformed the ^Bl| every !i\ iiig species on Eai'th. The objective is to w.iy biologists create a universal genetic database oflife. Once it is miderstand the mostly complete —perh.ips a decatle from now—the natur.d world. project will enable an\' plant, .immal, fungus, or In particLilar. III other org.mism to be identified simply by sampling the wide avail- its DNA and comparing that with the database of ability of DNA known DNA secjuences. bar coding in the That comprehensive approach to identifying future could en- species is called HNA bar ctiding. As the name able specialists to implies, the idea is to develop, as explicitly as pos- make rapid, reli- sible, the analogy with the universal product codes, able identifications or bar-code labels, that are attached to nearly every in the field, and make consumer product, from applesauce to zucchini it possible for armies bread. What makes the analogy such a good one? of amateur naturalists Just as varying the order of thin and thick black to contribute to the study lines in the bar code of the range and diversity ofa product can dis- of species. Within botanical tinguish one brand circles, the influence ofmolecular of cough syrup from data on systematics has been revo- another at the checkout lutionizing the study of plants in the counter, so the varying laboratory and in the field. "'ij'* order of the four kinds of nucleotides that make up Since plant systematists first began comparing gene any fragment of DNA can sequences in the 198()s, their studies, more often make it possible to distinguish than not, have simply confirmed classifications that a bluebird from a blackbird, or botanists have accepted tor centuries. For example, a de-leafed PolYpodhiiii fern from molecular evidence confirms that almonds, apples, a Staii{;cria cycad. Furthermore, a cherries, pears, and strawberries are all closely re- number of technological advances in lated: all of them are best classified with roses in a DNA sequencing are on the horizon, plant family called the Rosaceae. making it conceivable that handheld But nearly every study in molecular systematics bar-code readers—like my fictional Global has also led to its share of surprises. More than ten Flora Scanner—will become available in years ago, DNA data showed that, contrary to the our lifetimes. Such a device would extend to accepted thinking of the day. a number of carni\'o- customs officials, scientists, and even members rous plants that emplo\' radicallv different methods of the general public a skill that has long been of capturing animals share a common ancestor. A reserved for specialized taxonomists. molecular phylogenetic tree showed that Old World DNA bar coding is the newest of several techniques pitcher plants ot the genus Scpciiihcs [sec "Life and " that promise to make important contributions to the DciUi] ill a Piiclicr, hy loiuuluiii Moraii, Octobei2006] basic science ofsystematic biology. The discipline seeks are closely related to sundews (Droscuj) and to Venus to identity and classify organisms, reconstruct their flytraps (Dioihica iiiusiipiilti). e\'en though the three e\olutionary history, and map the extent of biologi- plants evolved three distinct ways ofcatching prey: fluid-filled pitfall traps, sticky flypaper traps, and Botanists are on the verge of pinpointing a segment of rapidly closing snap traps. DNA common to all plants, but distinctive for each species, More recently, my collaborators and I demon- that would make it possible to identify any plant by match- ing a small sample of its genetic material against a data- strated that Aldrovanda I'csiailosa, the carnivorous base of known DNA sequences. waterwheel plant, is also a member of that highly March 2007 N.^TUR.AL history 53 unusual group. Like the Venus flytrap, Aldnwanda plane tree, along with the trees and shrubs in the catches its dinner in snap traps. But unUke all other family Proteaceae, which includes macadamia nuts members ofthe group, it is aquatic. As ifthat finding and the showy-flowered members ofthe genus Protea were not strange enough, our studies also showed [see photographs on opposite page]. that the same carnivorous-plant group is related Superficially, the plants have nothing in common. to buckwheat, cactus, carnation, jojoba, rhubarb, But when the molecular evidence suggested taking and salt cedar. Today botanists classify all of them a closer look, botanists discovered that lotuses, pro- in distinct but closely related families of the plant teas, and sycamores share similar floral and vegeta- order Caryophyllales. tive features. Moreover, the group was widespread Perhaps the most dramatic example of a revised during the Cretaceous period and probably more classification brought about by molecular system- diverse in form than it is today, suggesting that atics is Nelumbo, the water lotus. Cultivated for its plants intermediary among the sycamore, lotus, beautiful flowers, distinctive seedpods, and edible and protea might once have existed. Examples of underwater rhizomes, the lotus has been immortal- surprising relationships revealed by recent molecular analyses go on and on, and include the close kinship of fungi to animals, cucumbers and begonias to oaks, orchids to asparagus, and violets to poinset- tias, among many other remarkable glimpses into botanical genealogy. sci-fi story of a customs bust is a good way Myto understand how all that botanical detec- tive work may one day pay off Trade in a number of plants has been banned or restricted under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Among them are species of cactus, cycad, ginseng, orchid, palm, and tree fern. Full-grown adult specimens of those plants are usually easy for customs inspectors to spot during a search. But to thwart the inspec- tors, smugglers have been known to chop off the plants' leaves, then illegally import the bare stems under false names. The plants remain alive, of course, and will produce new leaves the following season, but the practice makes it nearly impossible for officials to correctly identify the plants or to take legal action. Identifying a plant from its DNA has several im- portant advantages. First, the DNA ofeach species is distinct from any other; DNA is a unique identifier. Second, all nonreproductive cells of a given organ- ism have the same complement of DNA. Testing any fragment of the organism—whether leaf, root, stem, or petal—is enough to identify the organism. lllegal shipment of picture frames made from ramin, the Third, the DNA in each cell ofthe organism remains common name for several species of protected hardwood unchanged no matter what the current stage in the trees in Southeast Asia, was intercepted in the United organism's life cycle—whether it be a plant in seed- Kingdom in 2002 after arriving under a false species name. ling or adult stage, a frog in larval or adult form, or DNA bar coding could help customs officials verify the a fungus in hyphal or mushroom phase. identity of imported natural products. The advantages of the bar-code project are ized in Chmese paintings for centuries. Most people, even more pronounced. The bar code itself would including botanists, assumed it must be related to presumably be just a unique indexing teature, one water lilies or to some other aquatic flowering plant. diagnostic part, of each cell's entire complement In fact, according to DNA-sequence data, the lotus of DNA. A database of DNA bar codes for all spe- is most closely related to Plataiius, the sycamore or cies, if it were available, would simplify a customs 54 NATU."i,AL HISTORY March 2007 p*-.. .. II mc^ t Strange s/sters: studies of plant genetics show that the water lotus (left), which botanists once classified with the water lily (not shown), is in fact closely related to the protea (middle) and the sycamore tree (flowers shown at right). That reclassification, along with several oth- ers, is shown graphically in the illustration on the next two pages. inspector's job. He or she would sample a few cells of Earth's biota. Yet species are disappearing at an of virtually any plant or plant fragment that came alarming rate. That leaves a lot of work to be done through the inspection station. The inspector's in a very short time by taxonomists. Yet taxonomy handheld scanner would then sequence the bar-code is a shrinking profession because ot budget cuts at DNA, submit the bar code for comparison with the museums and academic institutions, and a trend away universal database online, assign the correct name from organismal biology toward the study ot life to the plant material, and link to useful informa- at the cellular and molecular levels. Moreover, the tion about the species. same taxonomists are asked all too often to devote substantial time and expertise to making routine But the practical applications of UNA bar cod- identitlcations of well-known species. ing for plants are hardly limited to catching With DNA bar coding, any organism could be smugglers. I have developed a genetic test to dis- identified by entry-level technicians. Experts could tinguish the vanilla beans of various species. The give up the time-consuming burden ot making beans look similar, but they are quite different in routine "dets." or determinations, and focus their quality. Inferior species are occasionally sold—either energies instead on more substantial scientific tasks. fraudulently or mistakenly—as premium-qual- No longer would just a few authorities have the ity species to manufacturers ot vanilla extracts, skill and knowledge to distinguish all 600 species a problem DNA bar coding will help eliminate. of.-l//;ii/)i'M mushrooms—some poisonous and some Consumers will be glad to hear that dried roots, edible—from one another; instead, almost anyone leaves, and stems from medicinal plants can be could do it! Knowledge could be spread widely and identified with DNA bar coding before being sold available to all. Amateur field guides do a good job as herbal supplements. Ecologists, too, will find the of guiding the nonspecialist, but portable bar-code technique valuable in field surveys, because they readers, remotely linked to searchable databases of will be able to include all plants in an area—whether DNA bar codes, photographs, and species descrip- big or small, easy or hard to icientity. tions, could do even better. Two other, more universal advantages ot DNA how tar along is the scientific community in bar coding are worth mentioning: it could extend So the reach of expertise and make sophisticated bio- developing DNA bar-code databases? In zoology logical knowledge more accessible to everyone. great progress has already been made. A single gene It has been estimated that biologists may have known as coxl, which occurs in the mitochondrial discovered and cataloged no more than 10 percent aenome, has been chosen as the universal genetic March 2007 natural history 55 » Asparagales (Asparagus) Magnoliids Nymphaeale& (Water lily) Llllales (Lily) Proteales (Protea.Sycamore) Gunnerales Nelumbonaceae (Giant rhubarb) ' (Water lotus) Brassicales (Cabbage) Caricaceae^ , (Papaya) Austrobaileyales Amborellales Caryophyllales * penthalap (Cactus) Cucurbitales . Flowering Plants Droseraceae .us flytrap, (Cucumber) 180-140 million years ago (Venus flytrap) ;her plants) Begoniaceae Nepenthaceae (Begonia) f (Old World, pitcher plant) Reclassification classified group Phylogenetic "tree" depicts the currently recognized orders of flowering plants. The diagram also shows how some of the plant groups have been reclassified, often drastically, as Eliminated order a result of genetic studies done in the past decade. bar code for animals: nearly every animal species thereby blurring their genetic boundaries. Finally, possesses a distinct version of coxl. Zoologists in the mitochondrial genome has evolved quite dif- laboratories around the world are sharing techniques ferently in plants than it has in animals. The coxl for sequencing the gene, and are quickly amassing gene is not practical as a universal bar-code marker enormous numbers of coxi gene sequences from for photosynthetic organisms. thousands of different species. To address those problems, the Consortium for One ofthe best-publicized projects is the All Birds the Barcode of Life, a body of scientists represent- Barcoding Initiative, whose goal is to establish an ing natural-history museums, universities, and archive of DNA bar codes for the approximately botanical gardens around the world, formed a plant 10,000 known species of birds on Earth by 2010. working group in 2005. That group, on which I Even more ambitious is FISH-BOL, aka the Fish serve as vice-chair, is actively engaged in a two- Barcode ofLife Initiative, which has already started phase project to find a plant gene, or small set of to collect DNA bar codes for the world's more than genes, comparable to coxl in animals, that can 29,000 known fish species. FISH-BOL hopes to act as a bar code for all plant life. The first phase, complete its collection within the next five years. completed in early 2006, aimed to identify five or Unfortunately, the botanical community has more candidate gene regions from a small set of not been as quick to jump into DNA bar coding plants. The second phase is devoted to testing those as zoologists have. In part, the reason is that plants candidates across the entire plant kingdom. There present unique challenges. Pressed and dried plant is consensus among the two dozen scientists in the specimens in herbaria often yield their DNA less group that the gene or genes should meet several readily than do preserved animal specimens in muse- criteria. The genes should be present in all plants, ums. Moreover, animal species are most commonly easy to sequence, as short as possible, and highly defined by their reproductive isolation from one variable from plant to plant. another, whereas many plant species can hybridize. After several months of testing during our first 56 NATLRAi, HISTORY March 2007 York Botanical Ciarden. The forest has never been cut tor agriculture and thus incluties a rich diversity ot plants: .ippro.\imately .^43 species in 246 genera from ninety-eight families. Each species is being newly collected, identified by at least two staff botanists, and pressed, to serve as a new voucher specimen for the herbarium. A sample of leaf tissue is preserved in silica gel and trozen to serve as a source of DNA. Those DNA samples are then added to the garilen's permanent DNA library. Many other such projects are taking place around the worki, and as a whole the plant working group is making excellent progress. Within the coming months we expect to annoimce our recommenda- tion tor the gene or genes tli.it will cn.ibic pl.int I )NA bar coding to proceed. In spite of the rapid gains DNA bar coding is mak- ing, support for it in the biological community is not unanimous. The strongest objection is that the technique is not foolproof. In practice, though, as technology develops, reliability should improve dra- matically, and the problem should largely go away. Modern biology is built around two primary paradigms. One centers on evolution and embraces the disciplines ot Mendehan genetics, natural history, and systematics. The merger of those disciplines during the first half of the 19()0s was called the modern synthesis. The second paradigm centers on gene expression and is the foundation of bio- chemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, and phase, we identified six candidate genes by compar- physiology. Those areas of research were brought ing gene sequences from 122 plants, representing together during the second half of the twentieth sixty-one closely related species pairs from across century under the unifying framework provided the entire plant tree of life. The candidates are all by the structure of DNA; that paradigm has been chloroplast genes—known as aaD, iiuitK. iidli], termed the molecular synthesis. rpoB, rpoCl, and YCF5—most of which iiappon to Biology IS on the verge of a great new scientific code for proteins that play a role in photosynthesis. revolution that will unite those two separate para- Now, in the second phase of the project, those six digms into a single program of research: the final candidate genes are benig sequenced in a broader synthesis. That new paradigm will enable molecu- selection ofplants, including various conit'ers, cycads, lar biologists in their laboratories and organismal terns, and mosses, as well as monocot and dicot biologists in the field to begin to communicate flowering plants. For example, in my laboratory across disciplines. we are sequencing the candidate genes for almost Within botany, the blending of disciplines is every species of the tropical tern genus Eliipho{;los- already well underway. The molecular revolu- siiw, the conifer genus Ctipivssiis, and the Hawaiian tion has forced botanists to look more carefully flowering plant genus Labordia. at plants as well-known as the Venus flytrap and My laboratory is also overseemg a complemen- the water lotus. DNA bar coding promises fur- tary project to sequence the six candidate genes in ther progress by providing new tools for scien- all the vascular plant species of a fixed geographic tists, amateur naturalists, and the public at large. region, rather than in scattered lineages throughout Our children, armed with handheld Global Flora the entire plant kingdom. And where better to start Scanners made possible by the molecular studies than in one's own backyard? Our goal is to bar- in full blossom today, will undoubtedly see and code every species of vascular plant—both native hopefully respect the diversity of life on this planet and exotic—within the fifty-acre forest at the New in ways that none of us can now imagine. D k March 2007 NATURAL HISTORY 57 On the Trail of the Ancestors Anasazi pueblos lie in ruins across the American Southwest. What became of their inhabitants? By Craig ChiIds The Colorado Plateau is a 130,000-square- subsidiary crops slowly made their way northward mile blister of land roughly centered on from southern Mexico. But even with the onset the Four Corners area, the dry confluence of agriculture, the Anasazi remained a wayfaring of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. people. Small family groups and clans readily Its surface is incised with countless canyons and skirted around climate changes, transferring their wrinkled into isolated mesas and mountain ranges settlements to high, wetter mesas, or down to the that rise suddenly from the desert floor. The climate sun-baked lowlands, as the need arose. Rarely and the land are barely suited for scratching out a would a person have been born, grown old, and partial subsistence from agriculture. Yet the region died in the same place. is dotted with impressive ruins ofpueblos, or towns, When farming became more widespread, a thou- built ofadobe and stone—often in the form ofgreat sand years ago, the Anasazi rose with it, reaching communal blocks of apartments ensconced in val- the civilized heights ofextensive housing complexes leys or tucked into cliffs. Some thousand years ago and public architecture. Then suddenly, about those dwellings, in such places as Chaco Canyon A.D. 1300 and well before Europeans invaded the and Aztec, New Mexico; Mesa Verde, Colorado; Americas, an especially prolonged drought appears and Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, housed a popula- tion numbering in the hundreds of thousands. The inhabitants, the so-called Anasazi, grew corn, traded pottery and textiles, and built great underground ceremonial chambers known as kivas. Viewing the abandoned structures, most people assume this land must once have been better country to live in. But the climate was no different 1,000 years ago than it is today. Rainfall has always been unpredictable in the desert. It was just as dry at some times as it is now, and as wet at others; it was prone to the same scales of flooding. Farming seasons expanded and contracted like an accordion, leaving only slim margins for planting and grow- ing. The secret of the Anasazi was that they had learned how and when to move. For more than 10,000 years the Anasazi and their ancestors walked the climatic tightropes of the Colorado Plateau, chasing the rain, leaving their camps and settlements behind. Sporadic farming began some 4,000 years ago, as corn and other Cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, right, were occupied by the Anasazi during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries a.d., but then abandoned. Top left: Anasazi potsherds and prehistoric corn cobs, Navajo National Monument, Arizona. 58 NA!URAL HISTORY March 2007 , to liavc contributed to tlic / ' > COIOMOO Mike Yeatts, an archae- social ciilKipsc ot most ot the ologist employed by the tribe, was driving piicblos in ilic I oiif C or Hopi ' / ' • ' i to one of those aban- iicrs. Hut whether the L;re,ii ' mc • • A«« popiil.ititJiis iniij;r,itei.i a\\ .i\ Canyon de Chelly doned pueblos. "You see Chaco Gan^t ' ' a lot of prehistoric pottery fell victim to iiiteriieciiK- COLORADO warfare, or suffered some tAU from this region traded throughout the Southwest," otlier fate remains a threat '. ^ Crdee Valley M, ?*f/,. ,.^^ ^. V ' »! »'' ' White Mountain! "1 mvsterv of" the Soutiiuest. he explained as he drove. * '. T »* NEW MEXICO believe these people uere tires gobbled involved in a major trade truck ^"^r I The V , ''«q"™«"(Q»'" Grindei) ' ' " exporting their at paprika-colored sand ( SONORA network, ^-' „ . X I c pottery down to the Phoe- as we i;imned our way across Ah^' p^^gy^ Iture areas in the Antelope Mesa, in a corner thirteenth century a.d, nix Basin and over into the CHIHJAMUA oftheHopi reservation. The Anasazi White Mountains." At the Hohokam , time, a distinctive irrigation inesaisoneottourpruicipal Mogollon over a thirty-mile cultiue known as the Ho- ones spread . J^>^-^./ miles stretch of'northern Arizona, hokam farmed the Phoenix standing like castles in a moat of fbrnudable desert. Basin, while part-time agriculturalists, the Mogollon The other three are home to several thousand Hopi people, lived in the White Mountains of east-central residents, but only a handful of isolated families live Arizona. Each group created its own version ot here, without phones, without postal addresses. It puebloan architecture. has not always been thus. In the fomteenth century, In the early fourteenth century, populations around well after the Anasazi are commonly said to have Antelope Mesa exploded as migrants arrived from disappeared, Antelope Mesa was a cultural center, disbaiuied settlements to the north. People were bustling with trade, manufacture, and incomuig coimng from Kayenta, a region of forested mesas arrived migrants. By far the largest pueblos m the Southwest, and desert basins to the northwest. Others each with as many as 4,00(1 rooms, were perched from Mesa Verde, to the northeast, which had come left empty, and from above its sharp edge. apart at the seams and was March 2007 NATURAL HISTORY 59 whatever was left of Chaco, where a remnant population was camped out in a deteriorating shell of public architecture. We drove through ground- swells of dunes tied down at their edges by rabbit- brush and ricegrass. In a tuck between two large billows of sand Yeatts stopped the truck. From here, we would continue on foot. As we walked, the dunes shrank and bedrock appeared from under the sand, whales of reddish stone barely breaching the surface. I began to notice potsherds—luminous yellow- orange pieces, like little suns rising out ofthe ground. I reached down and picked up a piece of a bowl. Its warm, egg-yolk hue was completely unlike the cherry-colored red ofthe pottery I knew from north ofhere, and a far cry from the sharp black-on-white pottery that dominated the entire Colorado Plateau from about A.D. 900 until 1350. This pottery marked the arrival of the fourteenth century. As I studied the sherd, I commented to Yeatts on its luster, its solidness. "You find prehistoric coal mines below most of the sites out here," Yeatts said. "They were using coal to fire their pottery. It was a technological shift that took them from red wares and black-on-whites to these yellow wares." "The coal affected oxidation during firing?" I asked. "Both oxidation and how long a high temperature was maintained," Yeatts replied. "Wood-burning reaches the peak just as the fuel is about to collapse and after you've lost your main flame. Coal holds its shape so you can get that heat and keep air going into it for a much longer time. That is what gives you this wonderful color. Potters were probably using the same clay as that used for white wares, but it's the technique that is different." Yeatts picked up two pieces and clinked them together, producing a melodious chime. "Nearly porcelain," he said. It is no surprise that a new style of pottery appeared here. Antelope Mesa was the ultimate unification of the Colorado Plateau, two Anasazi Elaborate complex of cliff dwellings in Navajo National Monument, Arizona, was built in the second half of the thirteenth century by the people of the Kayenta region, which lay across present-day southeastern Utah and north- eastern Arizona. The complex encompasses 135 rooms and was occupied for only a few generations. 60 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 Jeddito black-on-yellow bowl, dated "I understand," I told him, aware that the word to the late 1300s, was discovered implies people arc dead and gone, the land aban- in Verde Valley, in central Arizona. lioned, available for anyone who wants it. The bowl came from Antelope Mesa, "But Aiiaidzi is also a very rich term, full of some 125 miles to the northeast, presumably through trade. The nearly history," I said. ceramic-like hardness and yellow "The Southwest has many conflicting histories base color result from firing the clay to contend with," Yeatts admitted. with coal, which maintains a high temperature longer than wood. The bar was small and smelled ofcigarette smoke. lialves—east and west—com- .'\ tew men played a slow game of pool in the ing together. Heading south, back. On the trail of Anasazi who might have mi- the people of Mesa Verde and grated south of the border, we had driven out of the Kayenta no doubt mixed in their desert and up the pine-bristled slope of the Sierra exodus. Where travelers mingle and cultures touch Madre ofnorthern Mexico. A southern group of the eacii other, imagination and invention flourish. As Mogollon people once lived in this region. There much as drought was a push, urging people out of were tour of us, including my wife, Regan, and two Kayenta and the Four Corners, the lure ofgrowing college students, Darin and Eugene, both studying civilization here in the south must have exerted a Southwest archaeology. strong pull. Even today the place is legendary among Sixty or so years old, the bartender standing across the Hopi for once having had high-quality textiles, trom us was gregarious. We had been talking with beautiful ceranncs, and busy ceremonies. Yeatts and his colleagues had been working for years putting together a map ofjust one of the pueblos at Antelope Mesa, recording evidence tor thousands ot rooms withm a series of perimeter walls. I walked to the top of the ruins, enthralled by how a village could have grown into such a massive pueblo, one that continued to prosper until as late as the eighteenth century before it was finally aban- doned. Unlike most Anasazi settlements that have lain empty for many centuries, pueblos on Antelope Mesa and the Hopi mesas have been occupied well into historic times. The Hopi themselves are the direct descendants of ancient pueblo dwellers. As Yeatts and I walked through the ruins, I asked him about ancestry—the relationship between Hopi and Anasazi. But when I used the word Aiuisazi, Yeatts put his hands in his pockets and looked uncomfortably at the ground. "I'm sorry," I said. "I wasn't thinking." Here, I knew, Anasiizi was an insult. The word was crafted by the Navajo, who in the 1800s were paid by white men to dig skeletons and pots out of the desert. The Navajo probably did not arrive in the Southwest until the mid- sixteenth century, nomads trom present-day south- east Alaska and British Columbia. Their reservation now dwarfs and surrounds the Hopi reservation. For a long time Anasazi was romantically and in- correctly thought to mean "old ones." It actually means "enemy ancestors," a term tull ot political innuendo and slippery history. Remnants of a thirteenth-century wood balcony at "You understand why it is an unpopular term." Mesa Verde have been exceptionally well preserved Yeatts saici. "It is not a name the Hopi chose." by the arid climate. March 2007 NATURAL HISTORY 61 — and she and I were their instructors for a semester ot field studies. But more so, we were friends, traveling companions. "We are careful people," Regan said. Her voice was calm, its tone asking him please not to judge us for our boldness, or for our broken Spanish. "We understand these places are very delicate, very personal," she said. "How do you say, sensitive." Gilberto nodded slowly. "Fragil," he said. "Si, fragil," Regan said. The bar was quiet for a moment. Gilberto smiled and said, "People around here call them the Anasazi." I sat forward over my beer. "Anasazi?" I asked. Gilberto laughed. "It is the incorrect term, of course. People here are ignorant when it comes to archaeology." Ceremonial double mug unearthed at Mesa Verde is an unusual I was impressed that he knew enough about shape, but its black-on-white style dominated the Colorado archaeology to know that Anasazi is a displaced Plateau from about A. D. 900 until 1350. word down here. He considered us for a rnoment, and then said he wanted to show us something. him for half an hour, drinking beer and exchanging He excused himself and slipped out from behind news. We told him where we had been, a couple of the bar. weeks in the mountains, camping out beyond the "Maybe we shouldn't have told him all that," roads, and spending some time at Paquime, also Eugene said down into his beer. "Now we're going known as Casas Grandes, the great pueblo ruin of to have federales in here asking for papers." northwestern Chihuahua. "I think he has something to show us," Regan With both hands spread on the bar, Gilberto the said, taking the bartender at his word. bartender asked what we were looking for out there in the barrancas, the canyons. Ten minutes later Gilberto returned, carrying a I told him we were travelers interested in wilder- worn manila envelope. He lit a cigarette, then ness "la tierra sahaje," the wild land. pulled a stack of photographs out and laid them in Gilberto nodded and asked if we were looking front of us. The photo on top, the size of an index for treasure, for Sierra Madre gold. We all laughed, card, showed Gilberto with a dead white-tailed a little uneasy. deer. It was a buck, three points to each antler, and Darin, sitting on the stool to my left, turned a in the photo Gilberto held the head upright. We cigarette in his mouth and leaned forward to meet all nodded approvingly. A good kill. Gilberto's outstretched lighter. "We're looking for "Through the heart," he said, pointing his ciga- the dead," Darin said, in Spanish. rette at the deer. "The dead?" Gilberto asked, suddenly reserved. He had gone hunting in the barrancas. The deer "We're interested in ruins, in prehistory," Darin were deep in those canyons that run through the said. "We're students of archaeology." Sierra. He had traveled a long way on foot, follow- Gilberto studied us for a moment. He had a large ing deer tracks into difficult places. He turned to brass belt buckle emblazoned with a leaping buck. the next black-and-white photograph. He was a hunter. He would have known about the It pictured a cliff dwelling, a bank of walls and countryside, the farther places. dark roof beams tucked back into a cave. I had not "People are nervous about archaeologists here," seen any cliff dwellings of such stature south of he said. "They fear the government might confis- those constructed in the fourteenth century just cate their land." below the Mogollon Rim. Migrants from the Four Eugene, brooding to my right, laughed darkly Corners into east-central Arizona had lived in cliffs as he swiveled his beer bottle between his fmgers. along that rugged escarpment, which forms the "We are not archaeologists," he said. He looked southern limit of the Colorado Plateau. I now be- down the line of us and asked, "How do you say in lieved I was seeing evidence of these same migrants Spanish that we're just glorified vagabonds?" even farther south. We leaned in trom our bar stools Regan explained that these two were students. as if Gilberto had just opened a treasure chest. 62 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 The sito he had pliotot^raplK-!.! h id tliirty rooms, Me explained th.it a maze of dirt roads leads into mayhe luorc. It was three stories tall at the hack eikl, the Sierra, until tinally there is oidy one road, in where adobe walls siui_i;i;lei.l against a soot-hlaek- pl.ic es li.irdly a road. There is a rancher named Jose ened cave eeiliiig. It looked like the clitt dwellings who lives there, a lonely, strange man, but very of the Anasazi, similar in scale and design to the hospitable. In the canyons beyond where Jose runs largest structures at Hour C'orners. T-shaped doors, cattle are the cliff dwellings. a feature ot inany ancient Si)uthwest pueblos, were Gilberto placed his fist against his heart. "This strung acrt)ss the buildings like st.uKlards. is a very important place in my The next photograph plainly showed a different lite," he said. site. "How many cliff dwellings are there?" I asked. I told hini we would be ciretul. Gilberto said they were everywhere. 1 \c poured another rounti. Cilberto arranged five shot glasses along the bar. He pulled out a bottle of sotol he said was bootleg, We traveled across mountain- and poured each ot us a drink. Gratis. ous terrain with a couple ol I looked at Gilberto, who was smiling. I lifted weeks" worth of supplies on our the shot glass to him and then touched it to my lips. backs. The way was broken up The sotol, the traditional highlands drink distilled by fathomless canyons, with no from the heart of a saw-bladed, yuccalike plant, trails but the ones left by animals. tasted smoky and as hard as gasoline. Brushy forests of Mexican pines, If we wanted to know, he said, he would tell us walnut trees, and big-toothed where the ruins are. maples grew along the drainages Yes, we wanted to know. where we set camps. Unfamiliar bird calls spilled from the canopy like silver coins. Just as Gilberto had said, clitt dwellings were everywhere in T-shaped doorway in the Sierra °^ ^^''''^°- 'constructed in these canyons, packed into nearly '^^'^'^ , 1 about A.D. 1400, resembles many every cave we spotted,'^ biscuit- ^, ,, , • .u c »i. •' others that occur m the U.S.nc South- with colored adobe walls notched ^^^^ j^^^ purpose and significance black windows and conspicuous of the design are unknown. T-shaped doorways. The number of T shapes was startling, crowds of them ot main' sizes, some as small as dollhouse doors. We climbed to these towering clitt dwellings and walked awestruck through their rooms and hallways. Some buildings were three stories tall, cave ceilings black with wood smoke. With frayed parts of baskets on the floors and painted bits of murals peeling otTthe walls, they appeared not to have been touched for centuries. As we climbed through thickets ofpoison ivy, as we cooked meals at night, as we gathered water from springs, there was a constant sense that we were in someone else's house. Even when we got drunk one night on a bottle of Gilberto's bootleg sotol we had packed in, two of us took off in the dark and found a ruin. Walk- ing shoulder to shoulder through its rooms in the beam of a headlamp, we were suddenly sobered, hearing nothing but our own breath in the gaunt CliH dnellings with rounded storage chambers lie deep in quarters. CD a canyon of the Sierra Madre of northern Mexico. The au- thor believes they may have been built in part by Anasazi ruins in migrants from the U.S. Southwest, though pueblo Toll's iir(iV/f was adapted (rom Craig Cliilds's hool: House of Rain: the region are commonly attributed to the Mogollon cul- Tracking a Vanished Civilization across the American Southwest, ture, which was contemporary with that of the Anasazi. which is being published by Link, Broum and Company- March 2007 NATURAL HISTORY 63 BOOKSHELF By Laurence A. Marschall sketchpads quickly filled not only with that place her, among naturalists, two Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian caterpillars, butterflies, and moths, but centuries ahead of her time. and the Secrets of Metamorphosis also with all kinds of unfamiliar ani- Biographer Kim Todd, author ofthe by Kim Todd mals: scarlet ibis (which she regarded award-winning Tinkering with Eden, does Harcourt, Inc.; $27.00 as a species of flamingo), opossums, more than just present such facts and and even cockroaches. spin a lively tale. Her prose imaginatively Surinam, a steamy wedge of land evokes the bustle ofeighteenth-century on the northeast edge of South In 1705, four years after her return Holland and the languid torpor of the America, is no destination for the ca- from the tropics, Merian's magnum South American rainforests, placing sual traveler even today, hnagine, then, opus on the insects of Surinam was Merian in the intellectual, political, and what it was Uke in June 1699, when ready for the presses. It is remarkable social context ofher times. A few color fifty-two-year-old Maria Sibylla Me- not only for the beauty and skill of its reproductions of Merian's watercolors rian, her luggage packed give the reader a taste of her genius, with notebooks and art sup- though the small size of today's trade plies, left Holland, bound for books only hints at the magnificent the New World. At a time in folio pages of the originals. which most women her age with comfortable incomes and grown children looked for- Aldo Leopold's Odyssey: ward to catching up on their Rediscovering the Author of reading or needlework, she A Sand County Almanac abandoned the sedate town- hyjulianne Lutz Newton houses of Amsterdam for the Island Press; $32.95 mangrove swamps of a virtu- ally uncharted frontier colony. Aldo Leopold's career began at a Odder stiU, Merian went in critical time in the environmental search of—of all things—cat- history of the United States. In 1909, as erpillars, not exactly the fabled a young man fresh from Yale Universi- hidden treasures of El Dorado. ty and newly minted as a forester with Since chOdhood, this daugh- the USDA Forest Service in Arizona, ter of a prosperous Frankfurt he entered an America transformed by publisher had been fascinated a century of progress. The last vestig- by wiggly creatures. Later es of frontier were disappearing. The she became interested most prairies had been cleared to make way of all in the curious \vays they for cash crops. Family farming was changed form. She trapped giving way to agribusiness, and people them in boxes and brought Engraving of Maria Sibyila Merian's 1705 painting were leaving the rural homesteads of them indoors, then kept careful of the life cycle of the white witch moth their parents and grandparents for fac- records as they wove cocoons, tory jobs in the cities. worked mysteries inside silken shrouds, artwork and its descriptive text, but What to make of all this was a mat- and re-entered the world, miraculously also for the presentation of its subject ter of great public concern. Everyone transformed. By the time she was in her matter. Contemporary illustrations of knew that forests were thinning and thirties, she had published two books insects usually showed them as ob- wild animals were disappearing. The on caterpillars, as prized by nature jects abstracted from their natural sur- once-great herds of bison were no lovers and bibliophiles in her time as roundings, as indeed the artists' mod- more, and the vast flocks ofpassenger they are today. els often were: portraits of butterflies, pigeons, once seemingly inexhaust- But it is her voyage to the New for instance, reUed on dead specimens ible, had been hunted to extinction World that assured Merian's place in pinned to a board. in a matter of decades. If those losses history. Assisted by her twenty-one- In contrast, Merian's drawings show were now cause for national remorse, year-old daughter Dorothea, she spent insects as she saw them in vivo. A cat- what was to be done? two years in the Surinamese jungles erpillar appears alongside the butterfly Under the leadership ofoutdoorsmen and plantations, observing, collecting, or moth it turns into, perched on the such as Teddy Roosevelt, the environ- and recording her observations in her plants it eats, and among the branches ment became a public issue for perhaps drawings and watercolors. The lush on which it pupates. Most notably, her the first time. The task seemed straight- environment dazzled her, and her books express an ecological sensibility forward: conserve the forests to continue 64 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 the liarvcst oftimber, and m.iiKigc game to ciisuR" enough deer to lumt, birds to shoot, anil trout to catcii. I'eopie talked ofeoiiservation and vviitiiite as it the sins of tile past eoiiid be remedied simply by better budgeting. And in l')()'J, no one embraeed that cluster of iiieas about conservation nutre enthusiastically than yoinig Leopold. Ifthose views seem naively simplistic a century later, credit Leopokl himselt, who wrote and spoke about the critical problems of conservation tor close to tour decades. He authored a variety of professional articles and practical h.uid- books and, after 1')33, spi>ke trom a bully Spend $10,000.00 or pulpit as a professor at the University ot Wisconsin-Madison. Leopold's initial $149.85...Your Choice! boosterism was soon tempered by the Our scientifically impeccable DiainomlAura Canary Rin^ displays the realization that one man's land manage- hues a radiant sunrise only a fraction the cost. ment might be another's environmental many of for of destruction. A farmer who cleared weeds and brush for a profitable wheat crop Influenced by the Wear the Diamond. \(/r<; ultra-rare1 Canary Ring for ,^0 might, at the same time, be removing Canary diamond, we went days. If for any reason plants that anchored soil against ero- to the gemological ^c:o you are not satisfied sion and provided nesting places for laboratory to craft this with your Diamondli/n; game birds. How coulcl the farmer be extraordinary jewelry purchase, or you persuaded to adopt a balanced approach using lab-created Our Naliir.il MiiKd Con, in Kim; experience any defects to his land? And what did "balance" Yellow Round-Cut Diamond DiamoncL4((n) that Canary in these faultless, (.67 carats): mean in the first place? lab-created stones, are practically indistin- Natural yellow color guishable to the naked Clarity rating: VS simply return them Leopold's musings culminatecl in eye hom mined Vivo Coniihiniiin White Round-l^iit to us for a full refund Diamonds total carats): a book of essays, A Sand Coiinly diamonds. Our (.49 of the purchase price. Color rating: G-H Alinanai, published shortly after his DiamoncL4Hr((.'> are Clarity rating: Sil untimely death in 1948, at the age heated to over 5000 Setting: Platinum and 18K gokl of sixty-one. Sand Cotiiity treats the degrees in very expen- sive state-of-the-art lab equipment Not Available in Stores to create DiamoncL4«rfl. The ring Call now to lake advantage of this rare offer. features an oval-cut canary Natural Round Canary YcUow VS DiamondAuni set in the center with Diamond Ring (1.16 total carat weight) two oval-cut white DiamoncL4;/n(,s SI 0,000 . S6ill either side, for a total carat on DiamondAura Canar)- Ring (3.3 total weight of over 5.5 carats. The center carat weight) • only S149.'*' * S&ll or canary Diamond.4i/r(( will tantalize 3 payments of 1^4":'."' . S6^H the eyes with its radiating color as DiamondAura Canary Earrings (not white Diamond\/(n(s that the two shown, 7 total carat weight) surround it glint and sparkle upon -SI IS).""' +S&H your hand. The band is .925 sterling Please specify ring size when ordering. silver that won't tarnish over time. Truly affordable elegance! Call to order toll-free, 24 hour^ a dav. 7 davs a week. Bring the beaut}' of a radiant sunrise to your own collection. 800-333-2057 If your ship has already come in, we will gladly sell you the ring with Promotional Code CNR 186-02 the natural mined Canary Yellow Please mention this when vou call. A/do Leopold, August 3. 1942 diamond at a cost of $10,000. But 1 -UOI .Southcross Dmi; W,. labs at Diamond l//n; give you the StAUcr Dqit. c:NR186-02 a more affordable option at only Bums\-illc. Minnesota 55337 $149.85. The choice is yours! ww'w. s tauer. com critical questions of land stewardship too busy as a cleric and physician to pen on paper. It was a difficult task, but with such lyricism and clarity that more than a brief commentary about the typeset pages arrived in 1543, as it has become a classic of the mod- the sun-centered universe. His culture- Copernicus lay on his deathbed. ern environmental movement. It is a changing book came about only under For the rest of his life, Rheticus mature work; Leopold did not come the urging of a young disciple, George published seminal works on geom- by his ideas in one bhnding flash of Joachim Rheticus. Today Halley is etry, championed Copernicanism, and enlightenment. He hved through the almost as well-kno'wn as New^ton, but eventually pursued a second career as Great Depression, the years of the Rheticus has gotten little more than a medical doctor. But Rheticus never Dust Bowl, and two world wars. Most passing mention. stayed long in one place. His sojourn important, he played a crucial role in Until now. Dennis Danielson, a with Copernicus was only one of sev- developing the new science of ecol- professor of English at the University eral "research trips" he took to visit ogy, and his conservation philosophy of British Columbia, has written a interesting thinkers. After Wittenberg stressed the connections between the biography, both readable and scholarly, he accepted a chair in Leipzig, only to animate and the inanimate. He was that restores Rheticus to his rightful leave soon afterward for Italy, to discuss even alert to the social and political position as a central intellect of the mathematics with Girolamo Cardano. A aspects of the environment. sixteenth century. Rheticus was only natural restlessness, a taste for wine, the In our times, \vhen "ecology" is a twenty-five when, in 1539, he first habit of living beyond his means, and household word, it's easy to lose sight a fondness for young of what the word implies: not just men kept him on the crunchy-granola sentiments and good move as the years went intentions, but attention to the intricate on. Yet he managed network of cause and effect that ties to remain remarkably together every element of the natural productive until his world. Juhanne Lutz Newton's lucid and death in 1574. perceptive intellectual biography ofthe It's ironic that Rheti- great conservationist recounts the long cus's own astronomical process by which Leopold came to this work, unlike that of realization. Her book shows how to read Copernicus, lay un- Sand County as more than just a paean finished at Rheticus's to all that is wild and wonderful. death, and only twen- ty-two years later saw the light ofday. Maybe The First Copernican: it's doubly ironic that Georg Joachim Rheticus Diagram of Nicolas Copernicus's Sun-centered solar system, this work—calculating and the Rise as it appeared in the original manuscript ofDe revolutionibus tables of trigonomet- the Copernican Revolution of orbium coelestium (7543^ ric functions to at least by Dennis Danielson ten decimal places by Walker & Company; $25.95 traveled to Frauenburg (in what is now hand—could be done today with a dis- Poland) to study with Copernicus. Yet posable electronic calculator. But in the Without the prodding of others, he was already a scholar ofexceptional late 1500s, the tables were an impressive two of the greatest works of promise. A professorship ofmathemat- advance, and as useful to the scientific Western science—Newton's Principia ics had been created expressly for him enterprise, perhaps, as the invention of and Copernicus's De revolutionibus— three years earlier at the University of the slide rule. They remained essential might never have seen the Hght of day. Wittenberg. to astronomers for centuries thereafter. Newton, an otherworldly genius, be- Rheticus was enthusiastic about For his role in the birth ofmathematical gan to develop his laws of motion as Copernicus's novel idea of how the astronomy, Rheticus justly deserves to early as 1664, but squirreled away his universe was constructed, and within be remembered, along with Halley, as notes as if they were no more than old two years ofhis visit he had published a one ofthe fathers—and midwives—of tax forms. So what made him publish? short precis on the Copernican theory, modern science. Some twenty years later, his friend the Narratio prima ("First Account"), the Laurence A. Marschall, author of The Edmond Halley, of comet fame, was first public exposition ofCopernican- Supernova Story, is W.K. T. Sahm Professor curious about whether Sir Isaac had ism for general readers. He also took of Physics at Gettysburg^ College in. Pennsyl- any ideas on what kept the planets in over the task of getting Copernicus, vania, and director of Project CLEA, which orbit. Sir Isaac did. by then frail and infirm, to set down produces widely used simulation software for In similar fashion, Copernicus was the mathematical details of his theory education in astronomy. 66 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 Love your bath tub Put the smile back into bathing with a Premier Walk-In Tub. it you struggle taking )'Our bath, talk to us at Premier alxuit our extensi\t range of walk-in tubs. • Enjoy a relaxing bath again, without the tear ot slipping or falling. • The walk-in door feature allows easy access and exiting when taking a bath. • Hydrotherapy jets option to soothe aches and pains. ^^^'^L-^^^^''^^ BATHROOMS CALL NOW • TOLL FREE 1-800-578-2899 SOURCE CODE 60037 — OUT THERE Spin Control How does swirling interstellar gas slow down enough to drain into a cosmic sink? By Charles Liu our Sun turned into a black hole with time it bleeds angular Iftomorrow, would Earth and the momentum away from just other planets suddenly fall into it? about every spinning thing, Nope, no way. Black holes, weird as making the spin slow down they are, don't "suck" matter. They're and eventually stop. Scientists gravitational sinkholes, like any other who rely on spinning lab equip- object with mass, so from a distance ment—a gyroscope, a centrifuge—have they're no more destructive than any to think hard about how to reduce other lump ofmatter with an equivalent friction to keep things spinning. We along with mass. As long as Earth maintains its astronomers have the opposite prob- it, decades ofastrophysical angular momentum around the Sun lem. In outer space, friction is rare, so models have gone down the drain. (the product ofits mass, orbital velocity, angular momentum rarely goes away; and distance from the Sun) , our planet objects and systems spinning in space Of course, the aforementioned will stay serenely where it is. tend to keep spinning forever. So when canister—designed and operated Angular momentum is the key to things actually do stop spinning and by a team of astronomers and plasma all things spinning—from toy tops fall into their center ofgravity, we have physicists led by Hantao Ji at Princeton whirling on tables to giant planets to think hard to understand why. University—is hardly your ordinary revolving around distant suns to entire But what makes stopping such a big margarita-mixing machine. But forget galaxies wheeling around a central deal? For a star to form, most of a vast, that for a brief margarita moment, and black hole. You've doubtless seen figure spinning disk of interstellar gas many think about what happens in an ordinary skaters doing a scratch spin: starting billions of miles across must condense bar-top blender. The blender mixes the with arms outstretched, they end up into a spherical blob less than a thou- cocktail's ingredients because its rotating whirling dervishly as their arms are sandth its original diameter. But ifthere's blades move its contents faster near the crossed close to their chests. One of no way for the disk to shed much of center and slower at the edge. That speed the fundamental properties ofphysical its initial angular momentum, no star difference creates shear, which in turn systems is that (not counting friction) can form. In particular, if some of the creates turbulence—^mini-whirlpools and their angular momentum must stay angular momentum of the protostellar eddies that interfere with the otherwise the same. Thus, as their arms draw gas that formed our infant solar system smooth-swirling flow. The turbulence in (less distant mass), the skaters' spin more than 4 billion years ago hadn't sucks away the angular momentum of velocities must increase. dissipated, the gas would have kept spin- the protobeverage, which is mainly why The same relation holds for rotating ning and never have collected in a ball. the mixture stops spinning once the liquids and gases. Take spiral galaxies, The Sun would never have been born, blades are stopped. which look like cosmic pinwheels. The and we wouldn't be here today. On Earth, the onset of turbulence galaxy arms aren't solid. Rather, they're So what causes the matter swirling depends on a quantity first defined by ephemeral patterns ofgas flowing in the around a protostar to lose its angular the English mathematician-engineer galaxy's disk; as the gas bunches up, it momentum, fall in on itself and form a Osborne Reynolds. In 1883, while forms bright blue stars that outshine the star? According to one long-held idea, studying the flow of liquids in pipes, regions between the arms. Any unpro- gas moving at various speeds caused Reynolds determined that as flow speeds cessed gas stays in orbit, too, rather than turbulence in the swirling matter, up and pipe diameters increase, so does funneling into the center—as long as it which dissipated the angular momen- the likelihood of turbulence; further- retains its angular momentum around tum. Alas, that idea hasjust been dashed more, the higher the density of the the galaxy's center. by a swirling canister of fluid slightly fluid—molasses, say, rather than water On Earth, friction is ubiquitous, and taller than a kitchen blender—and the lower the likelihood of turbu- 68 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 / protostellar gas disk more realistically than ever before. And guess what they observed? No turbulence. No loss of angular momentum. No The as- fall-in. No model newborn star. tronomical Well, ob\iously, stars do exist. So flows have no such if fluid turbulence can't explain star boundaries, since they're held formation, what can? It turns out that together only by gravity. So there's another, even more violent kind of ro- lence. He condensed all those factors good reason to think that such a system tating system may provide an answer. into a single critical ratio, now known does not act the same way as gas in a When gas accumulates in a disk as the Reynolds number. pipe or a margarita in a blender. around a dense, compact object such When fluid—liquid or gas—flows in as a black hole, the gas becomes ion- a circular pipe at a Reynolds number But how to prove it? No terrestrial ized, hence electrically charged. The greater than about 2,300, the flow is laboratory can achieve the key charged, swirling gas generates mag- usually turbulent. In a see-through astrophysical conditions—gargantuan netic fields that interact with the gas pipe, for instance, eddies and irregu- Reynolds numbers in fluids spinning particles, creating an instability that lar flows would be clearly visible. So without physical boundaries. Ji and his can produce the turbulence needed to engineers design waterworks and gas colleagues, however, have come close. drain away the angular momentum. pipeline systems with Reynolds num- The experimenters placed water or The result is a vigorous flow of mat- bers no higher than about 2,000. water-glycerol mixtures in the space ter into the center of the system and a Beyond Earth, fluid flows can dwarf between two independently rotating corresponding outward flow^ ofenergy terrestrial ones, and their Reynolds cylinders (the larger one hollowed out in the form of X rays and high-speed numbers do, too. The flow speeds of to accommodate both the smaller one jets of particles. gas in a protostellar disk can be many and the space for the liquid). Two pairs So ifprotostellar disks have substan- thousands of miles an hour; the den- of rings, which formed the top and tial magnetic fields, stars can probably sity of the gas is much less than a bil- bottom of the inner space, could also still be born. Such fields are sure to lionth that of water, and the channels move independendy. The cylinders were be present in the final stages of star of fluid flow can be millions of miles spun rapidly, but at different speeds, to fbrmation. But observations ofknown wide. Those factors push the Reynolds make the inside liquid swirl. protostellar disks have shown that they number up into the millions, billions, The apparatus enabled Ji and his col- are made up mostly of dense, cold dust and even trillions. At first glance, then, leagues to cause the Reynolds number and gas—the exact opposite of the you'd expect such a gas disk to have of the fluid to reach 2 million—almost conditions needed to create magnetic tremendous fluid turbulence, enough a thousand times higher than the point fields. So unless someone can figure out to drain the angular momentum rapidly at which turbulence sets in on Earth, how nature gets around that problem, out of- the disk, causing the gas to pour and approaching the numbers charac- we astronomers are still left with our into a single core. teristic of astrophysical systems. More- disks (and our heads) spinning, not But astroscale gas flows differ from over, because of the fireedom of move- knowing how to get them to stop. terrestrial ones in another hugely impor- ment of the rings at each end.Ji's team tant way. Earthbound flows are physical- could simulate the unbounded condi- Charles Liv is ii professor qfasiropliysics at the ly bounded on all sides, by a container, rions, the lack of physical "pushback," City Vuivcrsity ofSew \ 'otk and an associate with by the ground, or even by air pressure. at the top and bottom surfaces of a the American .\fiisemn qfXaliiral History. f^arch2007 N.^TURAL HISTORY 69 EXfLORER*GUIDEI Athena Review Journal ofArchaeoiogy, Histoiy, and Exploration The Dragon Empress Tzu Hsi (1835-1908): Life in the Suinitier Palace & Forbidden Cily Featuiv: Looting in Archaeology Also: Roman Excavations under Lincoln and Cologne Cathedrals Subscriptions: 4 issues: $20 (US) $30 (Can) $40 (overseas) For a fiee trial issue on airaent Crete or AMAZON the Neandertlials. write us today Award winning lodge in Peru's Tamshiyacu- Athena Publications Tahuayo Reserve, shown to have the greatest 49 Richmondville Avenue, Suite 308, Westport, CT 06880 .iioraiL„. Fax:{203)21\-G32\Mtha2a}-e\'[email protected]!n;\\'\n\>at}}enapid?.com mammal diversity in the Amazon. Customized itinerary.from soft family to wilderness camping. Featuring the Amazon's longest zipline canopy access. In business since 1981. References avail- able. Customized economical tours to Cusco and liFOHfEmiPilR. 1 10,000 wilderness other sites in Peru as well. acres on Georgia's AMAZONIA EXPEDITIONS Coast with 7 miles 800-262-9669 wvvw.perujungie.com www.peruandes.com Xr ^ _ -W of private beach. Nature tours, biking, lontana' kayaking, fishing and jMissour^^er Coun' horseback riding. No LITTLE more than 30 guests. All-inclusive rates. 1-800-653-1319 ST. SIMONS www.missouririver.visitmt.com/dino.html 866-450-9672 www.LittleSSI .com ./^ ATTENTION NEW YORKERS Call 646-356-6586 for Small Groups Beautiful 3,500-square-foot €:\r >\\REK*GU!DE Cultural Tours to Exotic Destinations home or summer/weekend rat' information. 1-800-762-4216 www.tci-travel.com Travel Concepts Internationai SF*.. retreat on two acres, just 45 minutes from Broadway. W^ Extremely comfortable, Unique Nature and Cultural Programs very charming and unique Amazon & Galapagos Cruises, Brazil & Argentina To order a subscrif)tion, call: Marslies, Patagonia, IVIacliu Picclnu, and nriore converted barn. Wooded and 1-800-234-5^52. International Tours secluded. Children will love it. 800-765-5657 ^i^, [email protected] solintl.com Best schools in the state. Former home and studio of GALAPAGOS ...The Trip of a Lifetime specializing in comprehensive, professionally-led, Yorker cover artist. natural history and photo tours of the Galapagos Islands. New Monthly departures on 14-16 passenger yachts. Visit our website: Rockland County, New York. www.naturalhistorymag.com $850,000. Call (859) 358-2795. 783, Rio Del Mar Boulevard, Suite tf49, Aptos. CA 95003 •^^ I EXf LORr UID Unforgettable Adventures Exceptional Scholars Archaeology of Four Corners: Bandelier and the Past and Present Pajarito Plateau September 2-8, 2007 June 10-16,2007 Hiking Carrizo Clay Workshop with Mountain Country Michael Kanteena Seplember 9-15,2007 July 1-7, 2007 Ireland's Northwest Coast Western Seaboard Art & Cultures of Septembet 18-30, 2007 Vancouver Island August 1-11, 2007 Little Colorado River Rock Art Sept. 30-Oclober 6, 2007 (ROWCANYON AM HAEOUXKAL (ENTER Near Mesa Verde In SouUtwest CO ann, 422 8975 / www.crowcanvon.oro (^^j Adventur^m\lh *. ' o R T I o N Expedition Cruises with Offset Emissions Small Ships and Yachts with Expert Guides Alaska. Baja. Costa Rica. Caribbean Galapagos. Antarctica & More AdYentureSmlthExplorations.com S66-270-2875 Amazon. Galapagos, AOVENTrUK [IFT For brochures & custom made tours South & Central Ameri Tara Tours 1-800-327-0080 Travel Specialists Since 1980 www.taratours.ccm 800-344-6118 adventure-life.com ADVERTISEMENT READER SERVICE ADVENTURE TRAVEL/ I 9. CROW CANYON ARCHAEOLOGICAL 18. NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR, TOURS CENTER CANADA Small-group cultural adventures led by It's a short trip to the very end of the 1. ADVENTURE CANADA world-renowned scholars explore some Earth, where the dawn breaks first at Travel on the 104-passenger, zodiac- of the world's most interesting the most easterly edge of the continent. equipped M/S Explorer and discover the locations. Free Traveler's Guide at 1-800-563-6353 art, culture and \vildlife of Arctic Canada or NewfoundlandandLabrador.com. and Greenland with our team of artists, 10. GALAPAGOS TRAVEL scientists, and culturalists. Specializing in comprehensive, 19. QUEBEC CITY, CANADA educationally- oriented, professionally- Discover the magic of North America's 2. ADVENTURE LIFE JOURNEYS led natural history tours of the Galapagos most European City! Only 40 minutes Small group travel in the vVndes, Amazon, Islands. Spend 11 or 15 days touring all from the Old City, go birdwatching, Galapagos, Patagonia, Antarctica, and the significant outer islands. hiking and enjoy yourself. Our region will Central America. Expert local guides lead i waterfalls and our colorfiil our cultural and ecological explorations ! 11. LATIN TRAILS charm you! and naturalist cruises. Enjoy the natural wonders of South America on unique custom trips & 20. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, 3. ADVENTURESMITH EXPLORATIONS expedition cruise voyages in the CANADA | Small ship cruise and adventure travel Galapagos Islands. Amazon River Come experience our unique red cliffs experts. Explore nature up close and in tributaries and Patagonia ice fields. and parabolic sand dunes and hike or style aboard luxury yachts, small sliips and bike the Confederation Trail across wLderness lodges. Our experienced staff 12. SERIOUS TRAVELER our Island. knows the best ships and trips for every Cultural Tours, Small Groups, Exotic ability and budget. destinations. Craft Tours, Libya, Iran, INTERNATIONAL India, Faroes, Apulia, Tibet, Myanmar, TRAVEL 4. AMAZONIA EXPEDITIONS Silk Road, Kenya, and much more! Award-winning Jungle Lodge in the Travel Concepts International. Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve, shown to 21. BELIZE have the greatest diversity of mammals in 13. SOL INTERNATIONAL Catch the Adventure! From rainforest all of the Amazon. We specialize in South America, offering resort to Barrier Reef. Belize is only exceptional nature and cultural programs 2 hours from the USA. Belize. Mother 5. AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL to areas where wildlife abounds and Nature's best kept secret. HISTORY EXPEDITIONS indigenous communities are unspoiled. Join an AMNH Expedition and Small groups, customized itineraries, 22. GUATEMALA experience first hand the world's personalized service. From our archcological skyscrapers greatest wildlife areas, archcological to our quaint colonial cities; our sites and cultural treasures in the 14. TARA TOURS Mayan culture to our vast natural company of AMNH scientists and Tara Tours specialize in travel to Central resources. Come "Discover" our researchers. and South America smce 1980. Free Mayan Spirit. brochures and quotes. 6. AUSTRALIAN NATURAL 23. ICELAND ADVENTURES 15. TERRA INCOGNITA ECOTOURS Where else can you experience an Custom nature and soft adventure travel For trips that make a difference to you ancient heritage, pristine nature, and to Tasmania and Australia. Personal and and to the places we visit. Trek Mountain modern lifestyle that coexist in small group touring based on your own Gorillas, snorkel on Barrier Reefs, harmony? Enjoy yourself in a pure, interests and timetable. Accredited rainforest hikes, Whitewater rafting, natural, and unspoiled place—Iceland: Tasmanian specialists. and more. The Way Life Should Be. 7. CANODROS 16. ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS 24. PROMPERU Canodros offers upscale services in Offers small-group expeditions to remote Peru has it all. Fascinating history, as the Ecuador with the Galapagos Explorer II locations around the world. Expertly led land of the Incas, incredible nature with and Kapawi. We are committed to and staffed, our programs provide the more than 1,800 species of birds and providing a memorable and enriching finest adventure travel experience colorfiil traditional culture. Come to experience of the culture, and natural imaginable. Peru. history. CANADA 25. YUCATAN 8. CHEESEMANS ECOLOGY SAFARIS You will be mystified, captivated and Wildlife, birding and photography 17. NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA delighted by Yucatan. From prehistoric nature tours to the world's most pristine From the world's highest tides in the temples to indigenous theater, from habitats. With 30 years experience, Bay of Fundy to rivers that reverse their colonial cities to mangroves, from let us take you to the world's richest flow. . . there are no small wonders in convents to superb cuisine. . .come and ecosystems. Non-smokers only. New Brunswick, CA! visit Yucatan. . — ADVERTISEMENT For free information from the advertisers listed below, circle the corresponding numbers on the attached postage-paid card. Mail card, fax it to 856-380-4101, or visit us at uwu.naturalhistorymag.com. If the card is missing, mail your request to: P.O. Box 9000, Maple Shade, XJ 08052. INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT 35. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, 43. HELENA, MONTANA MARYLAND Experience the charm, culture and 26. CALVERT—INVESTMENTS THAT MAKE Experience transportation history limidess outdoor adventure in Montana's A DIFFERENCE' along the C&O Canal and the capital citv. Order vour Free Travel The nation's largest family of mumal fiinds National Capital Trolley Museum. Planner today Call' 1-800-743-5362 or that integrate rigorous financial analysis So many things to do with easy access go to www.gohelena.com. with a thorough assessment of corporate to the nation's capital. integrirv including cmironmental impact. 44. MONTANA TOURISM 36. ST MARY'S COUNTY, MD Montana— Play, relax, and explore in MARYLAND Potomac River lighthouses, our untouched, picturesque, serene Chesapeake Bay seafood, and yet wild landscapes. Find what you're 27. CARROLL COUNTY, MD maritime history. Quaint towns, looking for in Montana. Free Quaint \illages to explore, fcsti\als to scenic bv-wavs, and tidewater trails. Vacation Planner: l-800-\TSIT-MT celebrate, scenic biking and hiking, .\ntique Cozy inns, waterside dining and cxt.771 or \\\\-w.\ isitmt.com. shops, countr\' inns, fine restaurants, and fantastic festi\als! Free destination our Ci\il ^Var Driving Tour. Just 45 minutes guide. 45. MONTANA'S MISSOURI RIVER northwest of Baltimore. COUNTRY 37. TALBOT COUNTY, MD An unspoiled land ofrering wildlite. Old West 28. CHARLES COUNTY, MD Fi\e beautiful ri\ers, 602 miles of hLstorvv Lewis & Claric attractions, dinosaur It's for the birds! Take a hike! Hunt for shoreline, unique charming hamlets museums and more. Free Travel Planner: fossils, golf, fish, shop. Experience die St. Michaels, Oxford, Tilghman 1-800-653-1319 wild side of the Potomac where eagles soar. Island and Historic Easton offer a w\\'xv.missouririver. visitmt.com. timeless treasury of natural beaun' 29. CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME and history. 46. MONTANA'S RUSSELL COUNTRY MUSEUM, MD Legendary in the paintings of Located in historic St. Michaels, the 38. WORCESTER COUNTY, MD yesterday and the digital pixels of Chesapeake Ba\' Maritime Museum boasts Maryland's only seaside counn'. Visit today. ten waterft'ont exhibits, working boat yard, Assateague Island National Seashore. and the largest collection of Bay boats. Kayak, canoe, bird watch or golf Stay U.S. TRAVEL in one of our many bed & breakfast 30. CHOOSE CALVERT COUNTY, MD inns. 47. ALABAAAA GULF COAST Less than an hour from Washington D.C. Spectacular beaches. Outstanding \'ou con disco\'er Chesapeake Bay histors'. MISCELLANEOUS accommodations. .And warmed by Hunt along sandy beaches for o\er 600 sunshine, history, culture and tbssil species at the 15-million-year-old 39. ATHENA PUBLICATIONS, INC. unspoiled natural beaut\'. Calvert Clifts. Hike 15 miles of trails and Athena Rcviov, journal of archeolog\-, history and exploration, in\ites \'ou to 48. ARIZONA—THE GRAND CANYON send for more information on a free STATE 31 DORCHESTER COUNTY, MD issue. Grab life and seize the day. Immerse Home to world-renowned Blackwater yourself in a day full of adventure and National Wildlife Refiage, excellent 40. BBC AMERICA SHOP a night full of fijn. paddling, cycling, fishing and hunting; Bringing you the \ery best in British explore the heart of Chesapeake Country entertainment: award-winning DVDs 49. LITTLE ST SIMONS ISLAND on ALiryland's Eastern Shore. and \ideos from your fi\orite Exclusixe 10,000-acre Georgia island tele\-ision shows as well as movies, paradise, private seven-mile pristine 32. FREDERICK COUNTY, MD books, audio books and other British beach, natural history tours, birding Marvland's Crossroads of History. gifts. and recreational activities galore, .\ntiques, battlefields, covered bridges, gourmet regional cuisine and gracious parks, wineries and more close to 41.L.L. BEAN accommodations await just 30 guests. Gettysburg and DC. L.L. Bean, Freeport, Maine. Choose from a wide selection of new 50. NORTH CAROLINA OUTER BANKS Carolina 33. KENT COUNTY, MD and classic products — tested and The Outer Banks of North A scenic peninsula on the Chesapeake guaranteed to provide lasting qualitx' Immerse yourself in culture and Bay, offering fishing, boating, kayaking, and value. For your FREE catalog, history. Here anytime is qualit}' dme. small beaches, awesome sunsets, circle our number. museums, the ",\rts," farmers' markets, 51. TUCSON, REAL. NATURAL. and great shopping. MONTANA ARIZONA. Discover a whole new side of nature desert landscape. 34. MARYLAND VACATIONS 42. CUSTER COUNTRY, MONTANA in our fascinating weather's perfect for Beaches, mountains, big cities, small Custer, Sitting Bull, and Le\\-is and And the scenery any towns. Maryland has so many things to Clark have been here. Why haven't exploring our spectacular do, so close together. vou: time of vear. nature.net earthgraphics.com/virtual_tube/virtube. the tubes relate to the main plumbing New Tubes html). Scroll down to the diagram by of "perhaps the world's most active Carlene AUred and click on any one of volcano." On the main menu, click By Robert Anderson thirty-six features of this alien world. on "Ocean Entry" (under "Volcanic Sometimes unusual life-forms popu- Hazards") and scroll down to select For anyone interested in geology, late the area around the tubes. Kent "Collapse of new land into the sea." what could be more exciting than Bridges, a botanist at the University The section shows how lava builds new hiking inside a volcano, along tun- of Hawai'i at JVlanoa, has prepared a but remarkably unstable land. nels that, until fairly recendy, flowed virtual tour of the rainforest plants For a look at how the tubes oper- with torrents of molten rock glow- that grow along the walkway into ate, as seen from above, check out ing yellow at about 2,000 degrees the Thurston Lava Tube, one of the the time -lapse volcano movies under Fahrenheit? Around the world, there most accessible caves on the Big Is- "Kilauea," on the main menu. All the are dozens of volcanic regions where land (www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/ movies are informative, but don't miss you can do just that. Mind you, the bridges/big island/thurston/thurston. htm). the one near the bottom ofthe list, titled tunnels you hike in, called lava tubes, At Showcaves.com (www.showcaves.com/ "East Lae'apuki Lava Delta Collapse": are not the main vents that conduct english/usa/caves/Kazumura.html) you can it records how, in just five hours, some magma up from the bowels of the read about another ofHawai'i's popular thirty-four acres ofnewly created land earth. Rather, they are channels that attractions, Kazumura Cave, the lon- vanished into the ocean. form beneath or on the slopes of some gest tube system in the world, with a volcanoes when huge volumes of lava surveyed length of 36.8 miles. In the continental United States, lava drain from the craters reservoir. The Web site ofthe U.S. Geological tubes occur throughout the volca- The Big Island ofHawai'i is lava-tube Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observa- nic regions of the west. At "Volcano central, an ideal place to explore old, tory (hvo.wr.usgs.gov) has lots of good World" learn about Ape Cave National emptied-out ones and to see new ones information on tubes still funnelinglava Volcanic JMonument, on the slope of in action, making the Big Island bigger. to the sea. Click on "Kilauea" in the Oregon's Mount St. Helens (volcano, On the Internet, start at Dave Bunnell's menu at the left, scroll down, and click und.edu/vwdocs/msh/ov/ovb/ovbac.html). "Virtual Lava Tube" site (www. good on the link to a sketch that shows how At almost 2.5 miles in length, the cave is purportedly the longest intact stretch of lava tube in the continental U.S. You have seen such zoom binoculars advertised nationally for $150. Outside the U.S., the Undara lava 6xtol8x tubes in Queensland, Australia, are JomiraZooms among the longest and they provide a perfect habitat for hordes ofbats (www. from us only $99* (why pay more?) undara.com.au/geo). The Web site of a *Bat lead this ad for an even better deal travel company called EWP has photo- JomiraZooms are the absolutely ultimate in binoculars. graphs oflava tubes in the Azores (www. They fit in your hand and weigh less than 7 ozs. ewpnet.com/azores/caves.htm). But they pack an enormous wallop in their small body Lava tubes are not even limited to Porro roof-prism construction and ruby-coated lenses earthly destinations. The Oregon L^ so- guarantee pinpoint sharpness at any distance. The 18mm JomiraZoomsfocwi smoothlyfrom 6x lo Wx or anything in hetweeit, letting you see unexpected details. Porro prism ciety has links to information and images objective lenses provide great light-gathering capacity construction and ruby-coated lenses are the best in optical lunar Martian examples (www. making Jomira2^om$ utterly reliable even in the dim construction. The 1 8mm objective lenses ptvvide high light- of and gathering capacity. JomiraZooms come with a belt-looped light of dawn or dusk. The zoom lever lets you smoothly oregonl5.org/lavatube). Such caves may carry case and strap. change the magnification from 6x to 1 8x or anything in offer human colonies the best protec- between. There can be nothing more useflil for sports, How to order tion from the harsh conditions on those order toll-free mail, or nature watching, navigation, and so many other pursuits. You may by phone, by distant worlds. Writing in Astrobiology by fax and pay by check or AMEX Msa/ We are the exclusive importers ofJomiraZooms and MasterCard. Please give order code shown, Add M(3^(32r/ne(www,astrobio.net/news/modules. are therefore able to bring them to you at the unprecedented $6.95 for one, $12.95 for three ship./ins. and php?op=modload&name=News&file=art price ofjust $99. Similar zoom binoculars are nationally sales tax for CA delivery. You have 30-day icle&sid=1260), Penelope Boston, an advertised at $150. But liere is the "even mucli better refimd and one-year warranty. We do not refimd J. deal." Buy two for just $198 and we'll send you a postage. For customer service or wholesale astrobiologist at New Mexico Tech in third one, with our compliments - absolutely FREE! informarion, please call (415) 356-7801. Please Socorro, considers "Life in a Lava Tube." give order code Y799. That brings the cost to just $66 each! Incredible, isn't it? Suddenly, that tube in Hawai'i is looking Treat yourself to something extraordinary that will give like a really great place to live. you a lifetime of use and pleasure. Order your jomira JomiraZooms today! division of jomira/advance 470 Third Street, #211, San Francisco, CA 94107 Robert Anderson is a freelance science writer living in Los Angeles. Order by toll-free phone: 1-800/600-27Z7, or (fastest!) by fax: 1-415/356-7804. s';. Visit our website at www.jomira.com 74 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 THE SKY IN MARCH By Joe Rao Mercury becomes a morning object in white, zero-magnitude "star" that is Canada, the Moon comes up completely March. It rises about an hour before the already high in the eastern sky at dusk. immersed in the Earth's shadow. For the Sun and shines near the east-southeast Saturn makes two interesting encoun- central U.S. and west-central Canada, horizon, well below and to the left of ters with the Moon this month. Early the rising Moon is already exiting the dimmer Mars. The Wmged Messenger on the evening of the 1st, the nearly dark umbral shadow ofthe Earth. From appears highest during the week of full Moon approaches to within less the western third ofthe U. S. and western the 9th through the 15th, but is still than one degree, to Saturn's left. Then Canada, little or no eclipse is visible. no more than about eleven degrees on the evening of the 28th, Saturn Totality begins at 5:44 P.M. EST and above the horizon at sunrise. On the lies directly under a waxing gibbous lasts seventy-four minutes. 13th Mercury glows modestly at mag- Moon as darkness falls. As the night A partial eclipse ofthe Sun takes place nitude + 0.5, then brightens for the progresses, note how the Moon creeps on the 19th, visible to varying degrees rest of the month. Unfortunately for toward Saturn, making its closest ap- across much ofcentral and eastern Asia, observers in the northern United States, proach later that night. as well as throughout most of Alaska. after the 15th it loses altitude, makmg it increasingly hard to see. The Moon is full on the 3rd at 6:17 p.m. The vernal equinox takes place at 8:07 eastern standard time (EST). Our satel- P.M. on the 20th. Spring begins in the Venus is finally getting high enough in lite wanes to last quarter on the 11th Northern Hemisphere; autumn begins the west to command attention every at 11:54 p.m. and to new on the 18th in the Southern Hemisphere. clear evening after sunset. It is gaining at 10:43 p.m. The Moon waxes to first prominence because as it traces its inside quarter on the 25th at 2:16 p.m. Daylight saving tinne returns on the track around the Sun, it is gradually A total eclipse ofthe Moon takes place 11th for much of Canada and the U.S. catching up with the Earth. Still well on the 3rd and lasts six hours and nine Set clocks ahead one hour ("spring beyond the Sun as seen from our earthly minutes. Across the Americas, when forward"). vantage point, Venus appears too small the Moon rises, the eclipse is already and roundish to be a very interesting in progress. In fact, for much of the Unless otherwise noted, till times are eastern sight through a telescope. eastern third ofthe U.S. and east central daylight time. Mars is shifting eastward throughout the month across the dim stars of the NEUTON®...the constellation Capricornus, the sea goat; latitude forty BAGGBf^. Quieter, viewed from near degrees Wt.T:»_j time! Cleaner, north, it rises just a few minutes before dawn. The Red Planet remains barely Easier Way to Mowf the east-southeastern horizon above If you're tired of all the noise, fumes, and hard-to-start during morning twilight. Shining at hassles of gas mowers, you owe it to yourself to learn about the NEUTON' Cordless Electric Mower... close to magnitude +1.2, it's the bright- est object low in the southeast until • CLEANER than gas-powered mowers because the NEUTON' uses exhaust-free rechargeable battery power. Mercury appears. No more gas spills, or messing with checking and changing the oil! Jupiter, in the southern part ot the • QUIETER! The average gas mower operates at a an constellation Ophiuchus, the serpent ear-splitting 85 decibels! The NEUTON' produces holder, rises in the east-southeast around one-tenth the noise! 1:45 A.M. local standard time on the • EASIER TO USE! instead of the effort of pull-starting your gas mower, the NEUTON' starts with a 1st, and just before 1 A.M. local daylight gentle squeeze of its handlebar. And, at half the weight time by the 31st. All month Jupiter lies of most gas mowers, it's half the work to operate! about ten degrees from the bright star MOWS Am HOUR ON A SINGLE CHARGE! Antares, which rises above and to the right of the planet. The prime time to in observe this majestic duo the ' Please send me your FREE Catalog and DVD all [j [ i southern sky is just before dawn. I about the more pleasant and easJer-to-use NEUTON" Mower, details how I now receive a FREE grass bagger! i ! including on can I Name ' Saturn is in the constellation Leo, the NHi ! lion, to the west, or right, ofthe "sickle," -ZIP. the backward-question-mark pattern. Saturn looks like a bright, yellowish- NEUTON* Power Equipment. Dept.57016X 2^ 1 Meigs Road Vergennes, \T 05491 March 2007 N.'KTURAL HISTORY 75 J — EXPLORING SCIENCE AND NATURE and from scientists' ongo- 2001 Colorado Boulevard ing research, this exhibition 800-925-2250 Around the Country explains how scientists study www.dmns.org extreme environments on ARIZONA Earth to form theories about CONNECTICUT Phoenix how life might exist elsewhere New Haven Arizona Science Center in the universe. Peabody Museum of Through May 28: "Body 875 Howard Street Natural History Ongoing: Worlds 3 : The Anatomical 415-321-8000 "Hall of Minerals, Earth, Exhibition of Real Human www.calacademy.org (J) and Space." This new geology Bodies." Visitors can learn exhibition explores the birth about anatomy, physiology, COLORADO of the universe and the forces and health by examining real Denver that shaped Earth's early geol- human bodies that have been Denver Museum of ogy: earthquakes, volcanic preserved through a process Nature and Science eruptions, and meteor colli- called plastination. The exhibi- Opening March 2: "Benjamin sions. Visitors can also dis- tion includes more than 200 Franklin: In Search of a Bet- cover how the planet's rocky authentic human specimens ter World." More than 250 surface—on land and under entire bodies illustrating neu- artifacts from the scientist- the oceans—interacts with rological, circulatory, and other statesman's life—including his the atmosphere and waters to Benitoite is a rare gem mineral systems, as well as individual found only in California's San original printing equipment create Earth's livable climate. organs and body sHces. Benito County south of San Jose. and personal copy of the U.S. Yale University 600 East Washington Street This large specimen of stacked Constitution—help celebrate 170 Whitney Avenue benitoite crystals is on display in 602-716-2000 the 300th anniversary of 203-432-5050 the"Hallof Gemsand l\/linerals"at www.azscience.ofg ® his birth. Visitors can climb www.peabody.yale.edu (D the Natural History Museum of aboard a 25-foot ship model to Los Angeles County. CALIFORNIA recreate his method of chart- FLORIDA Los Angeles get to control the passage of ing the Gulf Stream and inves- Gainesville Natural History Museum time, slowing down or speed- tigate several of the other sci- Florida Museum of OF Los Angeles County ing up as you explore change entific questions that intrigued Natural History Through Ongoing: "Hall of Gems and in living things, the Earth, him in a time when science as May 28: "Tibet: Mountains Minerals." Dig into this and the universe. Watch time- we know it today was called and Valleys, Castles and expansive suite of galleries and lapse photography of plants "natural phOosophy." Tents." Dozens ofbeauti- discover the science behind that seem to dance while they the beauty of Earth s treasures. grow; see how scientists study Presenting mineralogy basics ice cores to discover evidence and mining practices, as well as of climate change; use com- specimens you can touch, the puter animations to visualize exhibition is a dazzling dehght. the expansion of the universe; Don't miss the Hixon Gem and much more. Vault and its stunning collec- Balboa Park tion of diamonds, emeralds, 1788 El Prado rubies, sapphires, and other 619-232-3821 raregemstones. www.sdnhm.org ® Exposition Parl< 900 Exposition Boulevard San Francisco 213-763-DINO Californlv Academy of www.nhnn.org (f) Sciences Ongoing: "Xtreme Life: On Earth and Beyond?" San Diego Discover how animals and mi- San Diego Natural crobes that live in hot springs, History Museum Through deep-sea vents, and polar ice Tube worms, crabs, and other animals form complex communities April 29: "Playing with might yield clues extra- about near hydrothermal vents in the ocean; specimens such as the ones Time." Nothing gets too old terrestrial life. With highlights pictured here are displayed in the"Xtreme Life"exhibitionatthe in this exhibition, because you from the academy's specimens California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. 76 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 — 2 ful objects from pre- 1950 Tibet help illustrate the lifestyles of two ver)' different populations: aristocrats and commoners—traders, farm- ers, and nomadic herders. The exhibition's artifacts tell the story of how Tibet's high ^IH^^^^ ^^^^^ 1 elevation and barren terrain ^^^^^^^ 1 influenced eco- ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Eastern green mamba snake, a treetop-dweller whose green color makes good camouflage, now on display in the'lizards Snakes" exhibition nomics, religion, B^^B ^^ live plants, and & at Atlanta's Fernbank Museum of Natural History through August 1 and the arts. ^ ponds. They range from a University of Florida four-inch tropical lizard to Cultural Plaza a 15-foot Burmese py^thon. ILLINOIS inherit physical traits, and how SW 34th Street and Hull Road Interactive stations let visitors Aurora his theories influenced the 352-846-2000 listen to recorded squamate SciTech Hands On modern field of genetics. In www.flmnh.ufl.edu ^) sounds, explore the inner Museum Ongoing: "Virtual addition, interactive exhibits workings of a rattlesnake, and Reality." An innovative gal- let \isitors recreate some of Tampa more. The exhibition also lery lets you explore things his experiments, use DNA to Museum of Science .\nd features a wide range of squa- that might otherwise be too determine where flamingos Industry (MOSI) Ongoing: mate fossils and casts, as well small, too far away, or too belong on a "family tree" of "Disasterville." Hold on as information on current re- dangerous to see. Put on birds, and more. tight in this ne\s' permanent search and breakthroughs in some special goggles, sit in 1400 South Lake Shore Drive installation that vividly re- scientific applications, such as front of the large computer- 312-922-9410 creates floods, hurricanes. advances in diabetes research graphics screen, and watch www.fieldmuseum.org (J) tornadoes, wildfires, and made possible by studying a beating heart, fly around other natural disasters in the Gila monster venom. Jupiter and its moons, look INDIANA unfortunate town of Disas- 767 Clifton Road NE inside an ant, or circle around Fort Wayne terville. The interactive ex- 404-929-6300 the Wright brothers' first Science Central Ongoing: hibition explains the science www.fernbank.edu/museum airplane. "Observation Gallery." behind each threat, as well 18 West Benton Street Practice observing like a sci- as constructive steps you can HAWAI'I 630-859-3434 entist to gather information take to prepare at your own Honolulu scitech.mus.il.us ® about the world around \'ou. home for nature's fury. The Bishop Museum Through Examine starfish and hermit WeatherQuest area provides April 15: "Lost Maritime Chicago crabs at the Ocean Tidal Pool, an innovative role-playing Civilizations ofAncient The Field Museum Through discover the d)-namics of experience, in which teams China." Archaeological arti- April 1: "Gregor Mendel: sound at the WTiisper Dishes, form TV news crews that facts discovered in southeast Planting the Seeds of launch a wind missile from investigate and report on the China during the past 50 Genetics." Featuring most the Air Cannon, and much crises as they unfold. years—many never before of the surviving artifacts ft'om more. 4801 East Fowler Avenue seen outside of the country Mendel's life, this exhibition 1950 North Clinton Street 813-987-6100 document several prehistoric tells the stor)- of his im-estiga- 260-424-2400 www.mosi.org ^J) seafaring societies that flour- tion into the way pea plants www.sciencecentral.org (D ished between 7,000 and 3,000 GEORGIA years ago. The e.xhibition por- /^.^^ ^ Atlanta trays populations that are now /^^ >^ MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS REWARDS Fernban'k Museum of thought to have migrated to Institutions marked witli * participate in [ ^^ Natural History islands throughout the Pacific V ^r J the Passport program run b)- the Association ^ . Through August 12: "Lizards Ocean, eventually formmg of Science-Technologi.- Centers { ASTC) If & Snakes: Alive!" More than Polynesian, Melanesian, and you're a member of a participating museum or science 60 living squamates (reptiles other civilizations. center, you may receive fi-ee admission at nearly 300 other with scales) are on display- in 1525 Bernice Street institutions around the world. re-created habitats, complete 808-847-3511 I See www.astc.org/passport tor more intbrmarion. with rock ledges, tree limbs, www.bishopmuseum.org ® March 2007 N.^TURAL HISTORY 77 — : MISSISSIPPI tifacts, interactive exhibits, Jackson and videos in this new per- Mississippi Museum of manent exhibition explain Natural Science how microcomputers devel- Through May 13: "Jewels of oped—and how they trans- the Sea: Walter Anderson's formed society. From early Aquatica." Drawings, block electronic computer toys such prints, and watercolors por- as Hasbro's Think-A-Tron, tray crabs, fish, sea turtles, through an early personal and other aquatic animals computer (the Altair 8800), of the Mississippi Sound the to today's advanced hardware way Anderson saw them and software, the show traces interacting with the natural the PC industry's Albuquer- world but often hidden from que roots and subsequent human view. Many of the growth. Additional galleries artworks are recently restored celebrate the innovative spirit after sustaining damage in ofyoung 1970s programmers Hurricane Katrina, and some and invite visitors to speculate are being shown to the public about the future of personal People have used dried animal dung for thousands of years, for fuel for first computers. the time. and shelter, as explained in the "Scoop on Poop"exhibition, nowat 2148 Riverside Drive 1801 Mountain Road NW The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia through May 1 3. 601-354-7303 505-841-2800 www.mdw/fp.com/museum (S) www.nmnaturalliistory.org ® irondack Park region, the ex- NORTH CAROLINA hibition traces a river's course Raleigh MISSOURI NEW YORK from the mountains down North Carolina Museum Saint Louis New York to the marshlands. Visitors of Natural Sciences Saint Louis Science Center American Museum of can discover bog, forest, and Ongoing: "Terror of the Through March 25: Natural History Through stream ecosystems, as well South." Walk through a "SportsWorks." Test your August 19: "Gold." Some of as live animals that inhabit beautiful setting of Creta- mind and your body in one the world's largest and most them, such as river otters and ceous plants, but be prepared of the largest sports and sci- spectacular gold nuggets are rare brook-trout species. to come face-to-face with ence exhibitions in the world, on display in this exhibition, 45 Museum Drive the UO-million-year-old and discover what athletes along with cultural artifacts 518-359-7800 bones oiAcrocanthosaurus as know about biology, health, such as gold records, Oscar www.wildcenter.org it lunges toward its hapless and training. Step into a and Emmy statuettes, and a sauropod lunch. This is the regulation batting cage and Kentucky Derby trophy. The world's only displayed speci- toss a pitch to a virtual major show also illustrates the pro- men oiAcrocanthosaurus, leaguer, try your hand (and cesses of prospecting, mining, which roamed 45 million feet) at climbing a rock wall, and refining, and brilliant years earlier than the famous experience gravitational force gold objects document the T rex, and farther south in on a bicycle-powered vertical various ways people have North America. loop high above the ground, valued and used gold across 11 West Jones Street and much more. continents and through time. 877-4NATSCI 5050 Oakland Avenue Central Park West www.naturalsciences.org ® 800-456-SLSC at 79th Street www.slsc.org (?) 212-769-5100 OHIO www.amnh.org Cincinnati NEW MEXICO Unbroken perfume vials were Cincinnati Museum Albuquerque Tupper Lake among the many personal effects Center Through May 6 New Mexico Museum op The Wild Center, Natural recovered from the wreck of "Titanic: The Artifact the Titanic on the ocean floor. Natural History and History Museum of the Exhibition." A felt bowler The T/fon/c" exhibition, now at Science Ongoing: Adirondacks Ongoing: hat, cut crystal decanters, the Cincinnati Museum Center "STARTUP: Albuquerque "Living River Trail." At this and hundreds of other arti- through May 6, includes ship Titanic's and the Personal Computer spectacular new museum in fittings, dining ware, and other facts recovered from Revolution." Historical ar- the heart of New York's Ad- artifacts. final resting place help tell 78 NATURAL HISTORY March 2007 — — the story of the ship and cies found in Te.\as, including pnge58\. The images reveal exhibition presents a fascinat- its tragic end. The exhibition two that are not yet named, imprints left on the land by ing over\'iew of dinosaur life in also highlights the science and describes what scientists ancient and modern cultures. China during the Triassic, Ju- and technology used to are learning from the fossils. University of Utah rassic, and Cretaceous periods. recover and preserve the 1501 Montgomery Street 1390 East President's Circle 21 Starling Avenue objects, which were in vary- 817-255-9300 801-581-6927 276-634-4141 * ing states otdisintegnuion www.fwmuseum.org \) www.umnh.utah.edu www.vmnh.net 5/ and encrusted with salt and bacteria. Houston VIRGINIA WASHINGTON Union Terminal Houston Museum of Martinsville Seattle 1301 Western Avenue Natural Science Through Virginia Museum of Pacific Science Center 800-733-2077 May 6: "Frogs: A Chorus of Natural History Ongoing: Through May 6: "Gross- www.cincymuseum.org T Colors." Hop into a herpeto- "Chinasaurs: The Great Di- olog)'." The exhibition's logical world in this exhibi- nosaurs of China." Huge skel- subtitle is "The (Impolite) PENNSYLVANIA tion devoted to the evolution eton casts from China—many Science of the Human Body," Philadelphia and biology of frogs. More making their first trip to the and visitors quickly discover The Academy of Natural than 100 living frog speci- U.S.—highlight similarities why. Through interactive Sciences Through May 13: mens—representing species between dinosaurs from Asia stations, whimsical anima- "The Scoop on Poop: The from around the world and those from North Amer- tronic figures, and informa- Science of What Animals showcase the diversity of these ica, but they also illustrate tive graphic panels, visitors Leave Behind." Discover animals, from the golden several unique characteristics. can discover the scientific how animals use their solid mantella to the Chinese glid- From Monolophosaurus, vsith reasons why breath might waste to build homes, hide ing to the not-so-plain its unusual cur\'ed headcrest, smell bad or why mucous from enemies, send mes- American bullfrog. / to Lufengosaunis, with its is sometimes green, among sages, cool off, and e\'en An interactive sta- wideh' spaced teeth, the other things. attract mates in this play- tion enables visitors 200 Second Avenue North ful e.xhibition designed to to hear recorded frog 206-443-2001 increase your "#2 IQ." The calls, and a virtual dissec www.pacsci.org 5) show also explores the many tion exhibit enables you to ex- ways that scat can become an amine the insides WISCONSIN important clue to the health of a frog. Green tree frogs, Milwaukee and behavior of animals One Hermann typically living in tree Milwaukee canopies, often seek out for farmers, Masai tribes- Circle Drive Public Museum pools of still water such as the men, and veterinarians. 713-639-4629 Through August 31: ones found in a pitcher plant. 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway www.hmns.org The frog is one of many species "Nunnemacher Arms 215-299-1000 on display in the "Frogs" exhibition, Collection." Trace the at the Houston of www.ansp.org S) UTAH now Museum development of firearms Natural Science through May 6. Salt Lake City around the world in this TEXAS Utah Museum collection of historic Fort Worth of Natural ^ weapons dating from Fort Worth Museum History the 17thcentur)'to OF Science .wd History Through May the Second World Ongoing: "Lone Star Dino- 20.- "From Above." You War. U.S. objects in- saurs." This new permanent could imagine you're an eagle clude a Ferguson rifle exhibition puts \dsitors in soaring above the southwest- from the Revolutionar)' paleontologists' shoes by ern desert when you visit this War (one of the first providing opportunities to exhibition of 60 large-scale rapid-firing rifles). experience fieldwork and then photographs. Photographer Confederate firearms try out laborator)' and imag- Adriel Heise)' captured aerial from the Civil War, and ing processes. Visitors can N-iews ofAztec Ruins National .1 series of Colt semi- map a dig site, extract fossils Monument, Casas Grandes, automatic pistols from from rock, and create a digital Chaco Canyon, and many the early 1900s. picture that summarizes their other places from an ultralight 800 West Wells Street findings. The show also fea- airplane [see "On the Trail of 414-278-2702 tures five new dinosaur spe- the Ancestors," by Craig Childs, www.mpm.edu ® March 2007 .^•.^TURAL HISTOR'-. "5r- ENDPAPER Notes from first reports home from thrive. The students would go home The the Edae to tell their parents of a "dense, green early European explorers in the tropics told of hell." Worse, by virtue of its small size, impenetrable jungles ("we By Robert R. Dunn our forest was more edge than middle, acked through a dense, green more barrier than invitation. to the Domini- . ."). Had we come ell . But truth be told, the average tropical forest is fairly open. can Republic several hundred Large trees darken the forest floor, years earlier, the forest would have discouraging understory growth. been both taller, with old growth, What is impenetrable is the edge of as well as deeper, less carved up into the forest, where weedy species clam- small plots, and vwth an open under- ber for light, jostling into every empty story crisscrossed by animal paths. space. The edge was the thorny tangle Later in the summer I invited the the explorers first confronted. Those students on another trip into the who pushed on found a more invit- forest, this one optional, by night. I ing forest—albeit one that harbored my mouth, and I ran a few steps didn't expect many volunteers; even malaria, the odd poisonous snake, and farther down the trail, away from the my wife opted out. I arrived early at assorted other perils. angry wasps. the meeting place. No one was there. Those early encounters came to Unfortunately, with me out of the I turned off my light and waited in mind when I began teaching a sum- picture, the wasps changed targets. the dark, Hstening to the wild calls of mer field class in the Dominican Re- When I looked back, all I could see forest insects, and the wilder calls of public for college students from New were flailing arms and legs as my stu- tourists jumping into the hotel pool. York City. The course was held in a dents took off in the other direction. As I was about to give up, one small patch of forest next to a seaside A few of them were screaming. Then student arrived, then another. Soon, resort hotel (a location that posed I heard a louder scream as someone almost everyone was present, head- multiple challenges, including how to at the front of the pack discovered lamp on, ready to go in. We walked keep students' attention when a top- one more of nature's secrets: another slowly along the path, fanning our lights across the leaves, looking for less bather walks by) . One of my first wasp nest. Soon, all the students were goals was to get my charges used to running toward me again. It went on the shine of eyes (I also kept an eye the forest. They could appreciate like this for a while, the fleeing mob out for wasps). nature, I reasoned, only if they bouncing back and forth between That night we saw hundreds of learned to be comfortable in it. nests, untU three students were stung, animals that had been hiding dur- So with practiced nonchalance, I several were crying, and one was pro- ing the day: crabs, sleeping lizards, began walking backward down a trail testing loudly"! want to go home." sleeping birds, snakes, and even, as through the forest, twelve students in everyone crowded around me, a small tow, waving my arms, point- The class did get better mammal. It stumbled away through ing to snails, crabs, lizards, (though there was that the leaves and branches before we leaf forms, epiphytes. I was brief incident with a manta could identify it. We followed it, about to mention the amaz- ray . . ), but I feared that down off the trail, past the wasps and . tangled edge. ing abilities of fungus- , for most of the students weeds, beyond the No farming ants, when *. the forest would remain one said a word. one of my waving forbidding. The wasps, a Robert R. Dunn is an assistant professor arms hit something. I felt species most at home in dis- of zoology at North Carolina State Univer- the forest, two sharp stabs in my neck, turbed parts of were sity in Raleigh, and a frequent contributor then a third, then a fourth. a part of the forest's edge, the to Natural History. His most recent article A most unscholarly series tangle beside the well-worn ("Dig It!") appeared in the December 2006M of expletives poured out of trail where weedy species January 2007 issue. FIRSTlFRIDAYS Natural Museum of Los Angeles County Once a month the Museum stays open late. Stop by for Dinner, Discussion, Music, and more.. DIVERSITY OF LIFE SERIES A cross-section of contemporary perspectives on aspects of the bewildering biodiversity on our planet Discussions hosted by Margaret Wertheim and moderator Hope Schneider with monthly guests March 2 - Geerat J. Vermeij Author of Nature and Economic History and professor of Geology, UC Davis Opportunity Knocks - How do innovation, economic competition, and the power of "market" lead to the decline of one species and the rise of others? April 6 - Michelle Wyman Executive Director for the US Office of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability Fast Forward - Examine the long-term development of the earth's biodiversity into the future and the very essence of our collective, complex existence. May 4 - Jared Leadbetter Associate Professor of Environmental Microbiology, Caltech I - Microbes: a migration success Gallery tours w/ith NHM curators Should I Stay or Should Go? story that few of us have actually seen. Live music performances Bar and organic dinner menu June 1 - Nancy Knowlton Director of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Point Break - a look at life at the edge of one of the most compelling and daunting biodiversities on the planet: oceans. 900 Exposition Blvd. (across from USC) Los AngeLes, CA 90007 www. nhm. org/firstfridays Anita Studer created a system for easy preparation of fonio, an African staple food. TECHNOLOGY COULD YOU TAKE THE NEXT SMALL Lonnie Dupre undertook the first STEP FOR MANKIND? summer crossing of the Arctic. EXPLORATION ^ Kikuo Morimoto revived traditional silk fabrication in ^ rural Cambodia. ^ CULTURAL HERITAGE .^^^K..-i^.^^^ JW^ |tt^^" Teresa Manera i de Biarrco preserved prehistoric animal tracks at a unique South American site. iK SCIENCE Over the past 30 years, the Rolex Awards for Enterprise have helped scores of men and women make our world a better place. If, like them, you have a groundbreaking idea and the ability and determination to bring it to a successful conclusion, this is your chance to apply for a Rolex Award in 2008. An international panel of distinguished specialists will judge entries on originality of thought, exceptional spirit of enterprise, and potential impact on society and human knowledge. The five most outstanding candidates will each receive $100,000 toward the completion of their projects and a personally inscribed gold Rolex chronometer. Up to five other applicants will each receive a substantial cash prize and a steel-and-gold Rolex chronometer. If you have a project in the fields of science, technology, medicine, exploration, environmental protection or cultural conservation, this could be your first step toward making it happen. >'', CALL FOR ENTRIES: THE 2008 ROLEX AWARDS. For further details or an application form, visit our website t - The Rolex Awards ' at www.rolexawards.com or write to: The Secretariat, The Rolex Awards for Enterprise, P.O.Box 1311, 1211 ', jftrENTERPRISE ^ Geneva 26, Switzerland. DEADLINES: tor Asia, the Pacific and North, Central and South America, May 31, 2007; tor Europe, the Middle East and Africa, September 30, 2007. WWW.ROLEXAWARDS.COM