Annual Report Harvard University
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MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY ANNUAL REPORT HARVARD UNIVERSITY 2012–2013 ANNUAL REPORT 2012–2013 4 DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Determination, persistence, stamina, confidence, inquisitiveness and patience are among the cornerstones of a successful career in science. Humor, wit, stubbornness and charm don’t center for research and education in hurt either. These characteristics and more comparative biology are highlighted in made Farish A. Jenkins Jr. an esteemed this report. By participating in national mentor, teacher, colleague and friend to initiatives such as Advancing Integration many—in fact, to just about everyone. On of Museums into Undergraduate Programs, November 11, 2012, we said goodbye to this Network Integrated Biocollections Alliance beloved member of the MCZ. Farish touched and Advancing Digitization of Biological us deeply, and he is remembered fondly by all Collections, we are developing and who knew him. He really was one of a kind. implementing new tools that foster access to and utilization of museum In anticipation of Farish’s retirement, which collections. And the Encyclopedia of had been scheduled for this past summer, Life Learning + Education Group, based last year we launched a formal search here, continues to develop innovative to hire his successor as MCZ’s Curator ways to promote bioliteracy worldwide. of Vertebrate Paleontology and faculty member in Organismic and Evolutionary Beginning two years ago, the Faculty of Biology. This search concluded successfully, Arts and Sciences initiated a major effort Catherine Weisel and I am extremely pleased to introduce to strengthen, support and highlight the Dr. Stephanie Pierce, BSc, MSc, PhD, and public activities of its six research and welcome her to the MCZ. Stephanie will join teaching museums, including the MCZ. us beginning in fall 2014 after she completes The most tangible results are the launch, a very successful lectureship appointment earlier this year, of the Harvard Museums at the Royal Veterinary College and the of Science & Culture and the hiring of University of Cambridge, UK. More of its executive director, Ms. Jane Pickering. Stephanie’s professional background and Under Jane’s leadership, the HMSC will research accomplishments are described manage exhibits, outreach events and other elsewhere in this report. public programs while also encouraging more extensive integration of its Detailed plans, developed over many years, component museums, and especially their to insure the long-term care and utilization world-class collections, within the academic of many of our specimen collections are life of the university. The MCZ stands to finally being realized. The mammalogy benefit greatly from this affiliation, and I collection has already moved into MCZ’s look forward to sharing new developments new state-of-the-art research and teaching and accomplishments in future reports. facility in the Northwest Building, essentially ending Phase I of the project. As I write I close by thanking and applauding the Cover photo credits: this, the ornithology collection is making a faculty-curators, staff, postdoctoral fellows Top, left to right: Naomi Pierce; Christopher similar migration as the centerpiece of and students for their role in making Kenaley; JumpStart Youth Connection; Jonathan Losos; Catherine Weisel Phase II. Additional collections are 2012–2013 a successful and productive Bottom, left to right: Andrew Williston; preparing for their move beginning this year at the MCZ. Marianne Espeland; Shane Campbell- coming year, which will complete Phase III. Staton; Gonzalo Giribet; Jeremiah Trimble Opposite page: Tiktaalik roseae by Many of the projects and collaborations James Hanken Stephanie Mitchell, Harvard University that help sustain our reputation as a global Director News Office ANNUAL REPORT 2012–2013 1 INTRODUCING THE MCZ’S NEWEST MCZ FACULTY-CURATORS FACULTY-CURATOR Andrew A. Biewener The MCZ welcomes Dr. Stephanie Pierce as the Charles P. Lyman Professor of Biology new Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology and a faculty Director, Concord Field Station Prof. Biewener’s research focuses on member in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. understanding the biomechanics, She will be joining the MCZ in fall 2014 after compared it to modern animals that live neuromuscular control and energetics of animal movement completing her lectureship appointment at both on land and in water. on land and in the air. His goal is the Royal Veterinary College, UK. “Both MCZ The results were surprising. “Ever since its first to understand general principles and OEB are delighted that Stephanie has that govern the biomechanical and discovery almost a century ago, Ichthyostega agreed to join us,” says MCZ Director James physiological design of vertebrate was presumed to walk around on land on four Hanken. “She will bring unique talents and animals related to their movement in sturdy limbs—much like a salamander does expertise that nicely complement those of natural environments. today. Now the evidence suggests that this faculty across campus, and I anticipate many pivotal early tetrapod was moving more like a fruitful collaborations in both research and mudskipper than a modern tetrapod.” teaching. We’re also very much looking forward to having Stephanie oversee the Mudskippers are fish that travel on land by Dr. Stephanie Pierce Brian D. Farrell MCZ’s vertebrate paleontology collections and using their front fins like “crutches” to pull Professor of Biology associated laboratories in their new home in the rest of their body along, and Ichthyostega’s Curator of Entomology the Northwest Building.” front limbs operated in much the same way. Prof. Farrell’s work focuses on whether Ichthyostega’s hind limbs would have barely A fascination with vertebrate evolution led the diversity of species on Earth is a touched the ground, making them more useful Dr. Pierce to study the interaction of muscles cause or a consequence of the diversity in the water than on land. This research, and and bones during feeding and movement. of roles that species play in ecosystems. subsequent findings, were published inNature . Most recently, she has been examining the Rose Lincoln To understand the interplay of adaptation, locomotion of the earliest limbed vertebrates Next, Dr. Pierce intends to use dynamic speciation and evolution over geological to decipher how their muscular and skeletal 3-D modeling techniques, such as X-ray Scott V. Edwards time, the Farrell lab focuses on the systems evolved as they made the transition Reconstruction of Moving Morphology Professor of Biology relationships between insects and plants. 3-D reconstruction of Ichthyostega from water to land. (XROMM), to reconstruct the evolutionary Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology Beetles are of particular interest because Curator of Ornithology sequence of locomotor behaviors across of their unparalleled species diversity and In an innovative project, Dr. Pierce led a team their ecological impact as herbivores, the water−land transition. This study will Prof. Edwards’ research focuses on that created a 3-D computer model of the the evolutionary biology of birds predators, fungal feeders, decomposers, incorporate important fossil material housed in skeleton of Ichthyostega, one of the first four- and relatives, combining field, parasites and pollinators. The lab has the MCZ’s vertebrate paleontology collections. legged creatures to transition from water to museum and genomics approaches just completed the NSF-supported Beetle Tree of Life project, a collaborative land during the Devonian period around 400 “I am incredibly excited to join the MCZ to understand the basis of avian and comprehensive evolutionary study diversity, evolution and behavior. Stu Rosner million years ago. team and integrate their world class Current projects utilize technologies aimed at understanding these insects’ vertebrate paleontology collections into my many shifts among trophic levels. A new, complementary NSF-supported initiative to “Reconstructing the anatomy and biology to examine genome evolution research and teaching,” says Dr. Pierce. “The across the reptile−bird transition; document the MCZ insect fossils has just begun. of the earliest tetrapods is paramount to unprecedented combination of specimen phylogeography and speciation of unraveling the evolution of terrestrialization access, technology and know-how will no Australian and North American Because direct experience serves education, Farrell also leads long-term initiatives and how that ultimately set up biodiversity that provide educational and research opportunities and materials for undergraduates doubt lead to new insights into the water−land birds; and the genomics of host− for the rest of Earth’s history,” says Dr. Pierce. parasite co-evolution between house by documenting species diversity in the Boston Harbor Islands and in the Dominican transition and beyond.” The team used an X-ray micro-CT scanner to finches and a recently acquired Republic. In July 2012, Farrell completed a yearlong Fulbright Scholarship to the build a complete skeleton from 12 different In addition to her work on early tetrapods, bacterial pathogen, Mycoplasma. Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, where he and his Dominican colleagues established a U.S.-style museum specimen study Dr. Pierce being filmed for a fossil specimens. Dr. Pierce is also interested in the functional documentary laboratory with undergraduate researchers. morphology of modern animals and other