Ssteinews Published Monthly by Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Field sSteiNews Published Monthly by Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago Vol. 9 JANUARY, 1938 No. 1 NEW EXHIBIT SHOWS PREHISTORIC BIRDS RESTORED AS THEY APPEARED IN LIFE By Rudyerd Boulton the requirements of "missing links" per- feet long, resembling a gigantic loon, was Curator of Birds fectly. They are halfway between reptiles flightless but more perfectly adapted for Present-day birds show in great detail and birds, but by reason of possessing life in the water than any other known bird, the adaptations and specializations that feathers (the only definitive character that probably even more so than a penguin. have produced the 27,000-odd distinct kinds separates birds from all other living crea- Diatryma and Phororhacos were large, that are Ijnown now to inhabit the earth. tures) they are called birds. flightless, predatory, crane-like birds that The relationships of the various living groups Archaeornis had well developed teeth, lived, respectively, in Wyoming during the could not be well determined without the free moving undifferentiated fingers at the Eocene period (50,000,000 years ago) and evidence afforded by fossilized skeletons of bend of the wing, and a long jointed lizard- in Argentina during the Miocene (about birds long extinct. For this reason fossil like tail with a pair of stiff feathers arising 10,000,000 or 12,000,000 years ago). Dia- birds present a field that is most tantalizing from each caudal vertebra. It had well tryma was a formidable creature about to the ornithologist. seven feet tall and While perfectly pre- more powerfully built served and complete than an ostrich. Phoro- fossils of birds are rhacos had many rela- extraordinarily rare, tives. About sixteen compared with fossils genera and thirty-flve of other vertebrate species are known. At groups, the total of a single locality some the paleontological fourteen kinds have evidence is by no been discovered, and means inconsiderable. while it may be that Six orders, thirty-one these were not all con- families, about 250 temporaries, the plains genera, and 1,000 of Patagonia undoubt- species of extinct birds edly teemed with large are known, and a carnivorous flightless great many birds still birds. living have a record The moa of New which goes back to Zealand {Dinornts), the Pleistocene epoch, and the elephant-bird one or two million of Madagascar (Aepy- years ago. This is ornis) are interesting equal to considerably not only because they more than half the were the largest birds number of kinds of that ever existed, but birds that now inhabit because both of them North America. were probably exter- Two years ago plans minated when their were made to present island retreats were some of this evidence first populated by of the past history of man. birds, and recently an Gallinuloides, a very exhibit showing recon- perfectly preserved structions of eight of but small and obscure, the most important quail-like bird from types of fossil birds the Eocene of Wyom- was placed on view in ing, completes the ex- hibit. It was Hall 21. The restora- Fossil Birds probably tions were made the forerunner of the by Exhibit "brings to life" some of the earth's earliest feathered inhabitants. Mr. Rudyerd Boulton, Curator of the writer, and ably Birds, who is responsible for these restorations, is seen at left, making final check on installation with Dr. Wilfred guans and curassows modeled in plaster, H. Osgood, Chief Curator of Zoology. The birds are: (left to right, top row) Ichthyornis, ArchaeornU, Hesper- that now inhabit wax and omig, and (lower row) Phororhacos, Gallinuloideg^ Dinornig, Aepyornig, and Diatryma. The last three named Central and South composition are represented also by the separate life-size models of heads at right. Descriptions of all of these species will be by Messrs. Gus found in the accompanying article. America. Schmidt and Frank The exhibit is ac- Gino, Works Progress Administration sculp- developed wings but no sternum, and conse- companied by diagrams and drawings of tors assigned to the Museum. It is believed quently no "keeled breastbone" for the the skeletons from which the restorations that there is no other exhibit similar to this attachment of flight muscles. It could not were made. These were prepared by Mr. in existence. flap its wings effectively and so could not John Janecek. ArehaeopUryx lithographica is by all fly in the true sense of the word. It probably odds the most famous fossil bird. It is lived on cliffs and the among cycad-like Contribution from Mrs. known only from one specimen preserved vegetation that flourished in its time, using Raymond in the British Museum. Its very close, its fingers to aid it in climbing upwards and Mrs. James Nelson Raymond made a almost indistinguishable, relative—Archae- then setting its wings and gliding downwards gift of $2,000 to the Museum in December, ornis siemensi—also known from only one like a flying squirrel. bringing to $6,000 the total amount con- specimen, in the Berlin Museum, is more Next in importance are two other toothed tributed during 1937. Her gifts are for the perfectly preserved, and so, although less birds, Ichthyornis and Hesperornis, which support of activities of the James Nelson famous, it is the one that has been restored. lived in what is now Kansas during the and Anna Louise Raymond Foundation for These birds were found in the lithographic Cretaceous period (about 75,000,000 years Public School and Children's Lectures stone of Bavaria. They lived during the ago). Both were obviously fish eaters, and which she founded and endowed in 1925. Jurassic period (about 135,000,000 years Ichthyornis, about the size of a large tern, She has made many additional contributions ago), and are important because they fulfill was powerful in flight. Hesperornis, five during the years since that time. Page 2 FIELD MUSEUM NEWS January, 19S8 Field Museum of Natural History ACTING CURATOR APPOINTED end or at the side of the tunnel. In the lined with or the female Founded by Marehall Field, 1893 FOR HARRIS EXTENSION nest, grass reeds, from one to three which she alone RooscTcIt Road and Field Drive, Chicago At a held December the lays eggs, meeting 20, incubates. The young are not nursed for Board of Trustees approved the appoint- some days after hatching, but are held THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ment of Mr. John R. Millar as Acting Avery Samuel Jr. against the mother's abdomen by her tail. Sbwbix L. Insull, Curator in charge of the Department of the Leopold E. Block Charles A. McCulloch The platypus was first described from a Borden William H. Mitchell N. W. Harris Public School Extension. John single specimen in 1799, but it was not until William J. Chalmers George A. Richardson Mr. Millar has been a member of the more specimens were secured that the exis- Albert B Dick, Jr. Fred W. Sargent Stag of the Museum since 1918. Previous Joseph N. Field Jambs Simpson tence of such a curious mammal was fully Solomon A. Smith to this appointment, he has been engaged in Marshall Field accepted. —CCS. Stanley Field Albert A. Sprague the Department of Botany in work of a Silas H. Strawn Albert W. Harris which, with his natural John P. WiiaoN type qualifications, especially fits him for important branches of VOLUNTEER WORKERS ASSIST OFFICERS the work in his new position. Techniques MUSEUM STAFF President Stanley Field which he in of Albert A. Spragub Firet Vice-President developed preparation A great deal of important work currently botanical exhibits are to use James Simpson Second Vice-President applicable by is being done in the Museum by volunteer W. Harris Third Vice-President Albert his assistants in the creation of the traveling of C. Grbog Director ond Secretary workers in co-operation with members Clifford exhibits circulated by the Harris Extension Solomon A. Smith. Treasurer and Assistant Secretary the Museum Staff. Mr. Clarence Mitchell, 434 schools with an enroll- among Chicago expert photographer, is engaged on a project ment of more than half a million pupils. of making color pictures of outstanding FIELD MUSEUM NEWS Millar has lived most Mr. was born and material in the collections. Mr. P. G. Director the . .Editor Clifford C. Gregg, of Museum. of his life in He is a of Chicago. graduate Dallwig, "the Layman Lecturer," is con- CONTRIBUTING EDITORS the Crane Technical School, and High ducting large parties of visitors on Sunday furthered his education at the Armour Paul S. Martin ChieJ Curator of Anthropology lecture tours. Mrs. Edna Horn Mandel is B. E. Dahlgren Chief Curator of Botany Institute of and the University Chicago. with Curator Martin Wilbur in Henry W. Nichols Chief Curator of Geology working C He has been a member of three important Wilfred H. Osgood Chief Curator of Zoology studies of Chinese paintings, and she has botanical expeditions of the Museum: one H. B. Harte Maruigins Editor designed a special storage system to facili- to southern Florida in the 1918-19; Stanley tate the use of this collection by students. Field Expedition to British Guiana in 1922, Field Museum is open every day of the year (except Miss Elizabeth Hambleton, who has a and the Marshall Field to Brazil Ctiristmas and New Year's Day) during tlie liours Expedition degree in anthropology from the University indicated Ijeiow: in 1926. of is Dr. Paul S. Martin, 9 4 P.M. Chicago, assisting November, Deceml>er, January , February A.M. to The former Curator of the Harris Exten- Octoiier 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Chief Curator of Anthropology, in classi- March, April, Septemi>er, sion was the late Stephen C.