# Smithsonian Institution NO. 108 SPRING 2002 Research Reports
ZOOLOGY panda, our scientists are well aware that logic screening for infectious diseases, lac- there remains much to be learned about tation studies, predator recognition and this species, in part because pandas are avoidance, giant panda vocalizations, and Pandas' first year provides a weáth very difficult to study in the wild, Spel- foraging and cognitive abilities. man says. In future years, "we will support In addition, she says that, wherever pos- numerous research projects designed to sible. National Zoo scientists will collabo- of data on behavior and biology learn from captive giant pandas and rate with colleagues at Zoo Atlanta, the extrapolate to the wild. San Diego Zoo and facilities in China, ByVicki Moeser The Zoo s research, Spelman adds, will supplemented by workshops and training Smithsonian Office of Public Affairs include continued behavior watch studies courses to share information. and behavioral competence studies that I went to China twice in 2000, Spel- Paper is a traditional gift for mation is being used to help design the involve the development of husbandry, man adds. The purpose of those visits celebrating a one-year anniver- ne"w giant panda facilities that stimulate breeding management and sexual behavior "was to gain a better understanding of sary, but giant pandas Tian panda behaviors. surveys for giant pandas in Chinese facili- Chinas nature reserves for the giant panda Tian and Mei Xiang happily The giant pandas are on a 10-year loan ties. Research also will focus on health in Sichuan; to visit the four reserves that accepted a sugar cane treat on to the Zoo from China. In return, the Zoo assessments of the Zoo will be supporting in the coming their first anniversary at the is contributing $ 1 million a year to the giant pandas years; and to help select the first projects Smithsonian s National Zoological Park. China Wildlife Conservation Associa- and sero- to be funded by the annual loan money The two giant pandas arrived in the tion. The money, raised from pri [to the China Wildlife Conservation Asso- United States on Dec. 6, 2000. After a vate donations, goes to pro ciation] for these reserves. brief quarantine period, they went on vie"w jects that preserve in their renovated Panda House on Jan. endangered species in Meet Mei Xiang and Tian Tian 10, 2001. In all, 2.8 million visitors saw the mountain forests Upon arrival at the National Zoo, the the celebrated couple during their first of central China. giant pandas settled easily into their new year. Despite the surroundings. Mei Xiang, the female, is The first anniversary was marked by a popularity of nearly 4 years old, and Tian Tian is nearly ceremony on Jan. 10 renaming the panda the giant 5. Little more than a year ago, Mei Xiang exhibit the Fujifilm Giant Panda Conser- "weighed in at 139 pounds; on Jan. 10, vation Habitat. Fujifilm contributed $7.8 2002, she tipped the scales at 200 pounds million, the largest single sponsorship ever for the first time and no"w weighs about received by the National Zoo. The money 204. Tian Tian weighed 217 pounds when "was used for the acquisition of the pandas; he arrived. Today, he weighs about 265. for the planning and construction of a Between them, they eat more than 80 ne"w, expanded panda habitat, scheduled pounds of bamboo a day, in addition to to open in 2004; and for extensive educa- carrots, apples and biscuits formulated for tion, conservation and research programs. leaf-eating zoo animals. The pandas will Other corporate donors included Animal continue to gro"w, Stevens says, possibly Planet and Federal Express. gaining up to another 20 to 30 pounds Lisa Stevens, the National Zoos assistant each. curator for pandas and primates, has praise Each panda has its own distinct person- for these and other donors not only for ality, Stevens says. Tian Tian can be very bringing the pandas to the Zoo but also demanding and active. He s usually a"wake for enabling the Zoo to continue playing a and interested in what the keepers are key role in conservation efforts. That s doing. He needs attention and always the most spectacular aspect of our panda needs something to do. He is very food- program, she says. Our exhibition is motivated. His name means more and truly linked to a massive panda conserva- more. We joke that it really means more tion effort in the wild. and more food. Indeed, over the past year, the giant Mei Xiang, she says, takes life a little panda exhibit at the National Zoo has more in stride. She s more laid back about been transformed into an intensive food. She s a more careful explorer, more research site devoted to learning about contemplative and more low key. giant panda behavior, biology and preferences. Observing preferences For a year. National Zoo scientists have The new panda habitat will not only give been collecting behavioral and physiologi- Tian Tian and Mei Xiang more space, but cal data and recording the pandas prefer- it also "will reflect what scientists have ences for food, resting and sleeping loca- already learned about their preferences. tions, and even which trees, logs and rocks The preference study is part of a series of the pandas prefer to climb. National Zoo The Smithsonian's National Zoological Park has been home to giant pandasTianTian, Director Lucy Spelman says. The infor- shown here, and Mei Xiang for a little more than a year. (Photo by Jessie Cohen) Pandas, continued on Page 6
Profiles in Research, 2 • Poisonous birds, 2 • Patriotic magazine covers, 3 • A new telescope mirror, 4 • Rain-forest conservation, 5 Research Highlights, Series Publications, Books & Recordings, 7 • Off the Shelf, 8 Proflies in Research
African American history • Portia James loves to hear people tell stories. From ordinary, everyday men and women she has gained some of her richest knowledge about history and the people who made it happen. I am often fascinated by people who can appear so nondescript and unassuming, yet, when you talk to them, you realize that they have been involved in some incredible historical moments, says the historian and senior curator at the Smithsonian s Anacostia Museum and Center for African American
History and Culture. I get emotional when I think about the people I ve met as a result of this job. Its been the biggest payoff of this kind of work.
As a youngster growing up in Detroit, James was always curious and interested in many things. In fact, that curiosity almost gave my mother a heart attack, she says, This brightly colored red-and-black hooded pitohui, found on the island of New Guinea, is laughing. I attended so many colleges and was interested in so many areas. I just one of the most toxic bird species known. (Photo by John Dumbacher) couldnt settle down in one field. Looking back, I might have wasted a lot of time, but I ORNITHOLOGY gained invaluable insight as a result of all those exposures to different fields. It actually helped me, because, as a curator, you cross many disciplines.
She attributes her curiosity to the places she visited and the people she met through Mysteries continue to unfold as books. I was an only child until I was a senior in high school, when my sister came researcher studies poisonous birds along, she says, so my mother used books as my babysitter and to keep me out of trouble. Thus, James became a voracious reader. When she learned new things, it was By Michael LIpske Special to Research Reports like being in love, she says. I was excited and
giddy until I found a new love. A bird can be regal like an eagle But the batrachotoxin in Ne"w Guineas or scruffy like a pigeon. There pitohuis is less concentrated than it is in S'jr^^^^^V ^^^k When she joined the museum in 1985 as a are verbal birds like the parrot the frogs a good thing, considering all historian, James knew that she had found her and long-limbed beauties like the birds that Dumbacher has handled. the flamingo. What a bird cant be is poi- niche. Its wonderful, she says, that someone sonous at least it couldnt until John A closer look would pay me to read about and research things Dumbacher met the pitohui. Upon returning to the United States after A Smithsonian research associate and an that first trip to New Guinea, Dumbacher _ ^^ ^^^ that interest me. Her curiosity, scholarship and ecologist with the Smithsonian s National shared his pitohui feathers and tissue sam- h^^^b personal interests culminate in exhibitions on Museum of Natural History Molecular ples with the team of chemists in the Genetics Lab, Dumbacher first encoun- National Institutes of Healths Laboratory ^^^^^^^ African American history and culture. tered pitohuis, jay-sized birds common on of Bioorganic Chemistry in Bethesda, Md. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H James is the curator of the museums current New Guinea, an island of Papua New Guinea, more than a decade ago. He "was a Poisonous birds, continued on Page 6 exhibition Precious Memories: The Collectors graduate student at the time, assisting on a Passion, which is on view through Sept. 30. The show explores the work of Washing- study of birds of paradise in Papua New Guineas Varirata National Park. Capturing ton, D.C.-area collectors of African American art, memorabilia and archival material. # Smithsonian Institution birds of paradise in mist nets also meant While she doesn t take credit for conceptualizing the exhibition that credit goes to that he spent a lot of time untangling and releasing unwanted birds, like pitohuis. museum Director Steven Newsome, she says she did have the challenge of working Research Reports Pitohuis have sharp beaks and claws. with the collectors and crafting an exhibition theme. That theme, she explains, centers Dumbacher noticed that w^hen one of the No. 108 Spring 2002 birds nicked his finger or if, after handling around the importance of collecting and preserving your history. Published quarterly by the Smithsonian Office them, he happened to rub his eyes or of Public Afliirs, Smithsonian Institution Build- The real treasures that speak to African American history and culture, she says, are touch his mouth, he felt a burning sensa- ing, Room 354, MRC 033, PO. Box 37012, tion. He describes the feeling as not not in repositories, but in homes and private hands. And too much of it is being thrown Washington, D.C. 20013-7012, for Smithsonian unlike that caused by hot chili peppers. Contributing Members, scholars, educators, away, she adds. Its not as much about the dollar value of these things as it is about the When he mentioned the burning sensation museum personnel, libraries, journalists and oth- to one of the project s New Guiñean capacity the artifacts have to speak with authentic voices that are totally different from ers. To request this publication in an accessible guides, the man replied. Oh, yeah, those format, call (202) 357-2627 ext. 124 (voice) or the second-hand text of scholars. If you dont begin to develop some appreciation for the birds are poisonous. The guide and other (202) 357-1729 (TTY). hunters called pitohuis rubbish birds. origin and historical context of things, you will not be able to deal with and understand Ultimately, Dumbacher would learn that David Umansky, Communications Director racial and cultural changes that are taking place throughout this country. the skin and feathers of pitohuis contain a Kathryn Lindeman, Associate Director dangerous nerve poison called batracho- Jo Ann Webb, Editor James hopes to find the time to turn her research attention to African American toxin. The same compound is produced by Colleen Hershberger, Assistant Editor material culture. The museum has begun reorganizing its collections, and a new Web tiny South American frogs whose toxic Telephone: (202) 357-2627 skin secretions are used to poison darts site, which will highlight artifacts, give virtual tours and offer online workshops, is being E-mail: [email protected] shot from blowguns. Internet: www.si.edu/researchreports developed. In addition, James wants to slip in a research project on foodways and how Gram for gram, Dumbacher says, b atrachotoxin is one of the most toxic Contributing Members who seek information they tie and connect us to our social history, as well as to other cultures. natural substances, more toxic even than about the Smithsonian or about their member- And her research wish list goes on and on. While she admits that most scholars are curare or strychnine. Just hold a poison- ships may write to The Contributing Member- dart frog like Phyllobates terribilis in your ship, Smithsonian Institution, SI Building, focused, her inquiring mind will always want to know about more subjects than she palm, he says, and you re risking your Fourth Floor, PO. Box 37012, Washington, D.C. could ever get around to researching. There just arent enough hours in a day, she says. hfe. 20013-7012, or call 1 (800) 931-32CM.
2 • Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2002 CULTURAL HISTORY 'United We Stmid': A nation looks to the American flag during times of crisis
By Valeska Hilbig National Museum of American History, Behring Center
In the darkest moments of our nation s collection with others. In fact, he has writ- history, Americans have always rallied ten a book. United We Stand: Flying the together to endure the crisis at hand. American Flag, recently published by From the Revolutionary Wa.c to the Chronicle Books. The book, available in Sept. 11 terrorists attacks, the phrase Smithsonian museum stores, features United Wc Stand has symbolized the many of the colorful covers from the flag strength and courage of the American peo- campaign. ple. In fact, it has been this show of soli- The National Museum of American darity that has given comfort to the Amer- History, home of the original Star-Span- ican people. gled Banner, is just the place to explore the The United We Stand slogan became history of our national symbol and the part of a little-known home-front effort ideals for which it stands, says Marilyn during World War II, when the magazine Zoidis, cultural historian and curator of publishing industry initiated a flag cover the Star-Spangled Banner Preservation campaign called United Wfe Stand. Project. Thus, in July 1942, seven months after the The meaning of the American flag has attack on Pearl Harbor, American flags evolved over time, and it now embodies waved proudly from the faces of some 500 the entire history of the [United States], magazine covers across the country. she adds. We have been planning this exhibition for a while, but since Sept. 11, the flag has renewed meaning. This exhi- bition allows us to connect this country s present to its past.
A lost moment found Zoidis, along with Helena Wright, curator of graphic arts, and Kathleen Kendrick, assistant curator of the Star-Spangled Ban- ner Preservation Project, make up the curatorial team. They immediately recog- nized that the magazine covers, along with their stories, would illustrate one of the This cover from Vogue magazine is featured in the exhibition "July 1942: United We Stand" lost moments in American history. at the National Museum of American History. (Courtesy of Peter Gwillim Kreitler) The United We Stand magazine cam- paign w^as an unprecedented cooperative that such a campaign would demonstrate He presented his plan to the National effort that not only tied the country the publishers patriotism and reinforce the Publishers Association, now the Magazine I.K.\KN III 1 l\ i: ihti •»< Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2002 • 3 ASTRONOMY Its like keeping a car whose body and like spectrograph that w^iU be able to take styling you like but dropping in a two- the spectra of up to 300 objects at once. times-bigger engine, says Chris Impey, a Astronomer Daniel Fabricant leads a The new MMT: Seeing more clearly University of Arizona astronomer "who fre- team at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center quently uses the MMT. for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., On March 2, 1998, the 4.5-meter Muhi- developing this fiber-optic-fed instrument. into the heavens in the 21st century ple Mirror Telescope closed its chamber Light from individual galaxies, for exam- doors onto the night sky for the last time ple, will travel through 25 meters of opti- By Daniel Brocious before it "was converted. The disassembly cal fiber from the telescope to a large, Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory of the telescope began later that day. bench-mounted spectrograph located else- "where in the building. Hectospec uses a Months of preparation paid ofF robotic positioner at the telescope s focus in less than 60 seconds as to place the feed end of the optical fibers Smithsonian and University in the correct location. Two robots, of Arizona scientists success- dubbed Fred and Ginger, can reposition fully aluminized the mirror of the largest all 300 optical fibers in just 300 seconds. single-mirror telescope in North America. The original 4.5-meter MMT with a In November, technicians at the MMT conventional spectrograph, measuring one Observatory on Mount Hopkins in Arizona galaxy at a time, would average four dozen bolted a vacuum chamber directly over the or so observations per night. Hectospec 6.5-meter (21.5-foot) mirrors surface and, has the possibility of measuring up to 300 in a process lasting less than a minute, alaxies at the same time. vaporized aluminum to create an incredi- Astronomers and engineers are even bly thin reflective coating on the mirror. "working to take the twinkle out of The coating is much thinner than a starlight. Turbulence, temperature layers, human hair, MMT Director Craig Foltz "water vapor and dust in the Earth s atmos- says. In fact, the amount of aluminum phere conspire to distort starlight before it now on the face of this 20-square-meter reaches ground-based telescopes. Adaptive mirror "would fit into the volume of an eraser on an ordinary pencil. The nearly perfect, 91 percent reflective coating marks one of the last milestones in the process of converting the original six- telescope 4.5-meter MMT into a 6.5- meter, single-mirror instrument. The original mirrors The telescope at the MMT Observatory, a joint facility of the Smithsonian Institu- tion and the University of Arizona, has The MMT, a single-mirror telescope that sits on Mount Hopkins in Arizona, has 21/2 times more light-gathering capacity than the old multiple- been a pioneering instrument throughout mirror telescope and allows astronomers to peer even deeper into a vast and complicated cosmos. (Photo by Lori Stiles) its career. When first dedicated in May 1979, MMT stood for Muhiple Mirror from the first of the six telescopes achieved Installation of the new mirror optics combine computers, optics, Telescope, because six individual, identi- such perfection and the image it produced The 6.5-meter mirror cell that holds the mechanical systems and even lasers to cal, 1.8-meter telescopes in a common of Sirius, a nearby star, was so sharp that it mirror was put in place on Aug. 6, 1998. remove distortion from images. mount were used as one. The combined took his breath away. The primary mirror itself made the long The system being developed for the light-collecting power was equal to that of The six telescopes were supported on the journey up the single-lane mountain road MMT will use a relatively bright star or a a single 4.5-meter mirror, making the first computer-controlled telescope mount. and was successfully installed on March laser beam to characterize the atmosphere MMT, at the time, the third-largest opti- Computer control was needed because the 25, 1999. above the telescope. The sodium laser cal telescope in the w^orld. simpler, compact, naval-gun-type altitude- The mirror "was hard to get into the light "will leave the telescope, travel upward To solve the problems of cost, weight azimuth mount required constant adjust- telescope, Foltz says. The only "way we until it is reflected by a layer of sodium and limits in mirror size that had stalled ment in t"wo directions to follow the arcing could do it was to point the telescope atoms high in the atmosphere and return gro"wth in telescope aperture, the original motion of a star across the sky. straight up, lift the 10-ton mirror with to the telescope. The returning image will MMT featured three ground-breaking The compact mount allowed the MMT suction cups on its front surface and hoist be analyzed to determine atmospheric departures from conventional telescope to fit into a building 4%o stories tall, which it about 60 feet into the air. Once you conditions and then will generate correc- construction. Those departures were: six "was much smaller than those housing con- lower it into the telescope, there are so tion signals for a deformable mirror, that telescopes with lightweight primary mir- ventional telescopes of similar size. The many connections to be made that, basi- is, one in which the flexible mirror can be rors instead of one large, nearly solid, mir- entire 900-ton building still turns with the cally, you never "want to take it out again. pushed and pulled by actuators to correct ror; a computer-controlled altitude- enclosed telescope mount. Thus, as the The ne"w telescope achieved first light on the image misshapen by the atmosphere. azimuth telescope mount; and a telescope tracks the sky, the building stays May 17, 2000. The image quality In a bold step, the MMT team will co-rotating building instead of a dome. out of the way. exceeded staff expectations by clearly make corrections with a 70-centimeter- To avoid the weight, handling and cost resolving a double star separated by only .7 diameter (27.5-inch-diameter) secondary of a large single mirror, the MMT used six Time for change arc second. (One arc second is roughly the mirror rather than with a small auxiliary smaller telescopes arranged six-gun fash- By the mid-1990s, ho"wever, as very large apparent diameter of a dime viewed from a mirror as done in other systems. More ion in a common mount. Adjustable sec- telescopes began to be planned and built, mile away.) The 6.5-meter telescope of the than 300 actuators will push and pull ondary mirrors allowed each telescope s the 4.5-meter MMT was becoming a MMT Observatory was dedicated on May from behind the surface of the secondary image to be controlled at the common medium-sized telescope. The limits placed 20, 2000. mirror and thus adjust for atmospheric focus. Initially, a laser alignment system on mirror sizes during the 1970s had The MMT conversion team has been turbulence on the fly. "was used to co-align the telescopes. Later, changed with the advent of spin-casting working with a $20 million budget. Foltz predicts the system, which can as computing power increased, a telescope large mirrors in the innovative rotating While this is a substantial sum, it is very make adjustments down to about a mil- co-alignment system analyzed the position oven at the University of Arizona a tech- modest when compared with other big lionth of an inch, several hundred times of the telescopes images and sent any nec- nique led by Professor Roger Angel and his telescopes w^hose cost approaches $80 mil- per second, "will produce exquisite images essary correction signals to the secondary team at the university s Ste"ward Observa- lion to $100 million. in the near-infrared spectrum. mirrors. tory Mirror Lab. I dont know of anybody anywhere who J.T Williams, chief engineer at the MMT The Smithsonian and the University of What's to come? is currently so close to commissioning an Observatory, says perhaps his greatest Arizona decided to convert the telescope The new telescope is being outfitted "with adaptive secondary, he says. The MMT reward came in 1978, with first light for by installing a 6.5-meter-diameter single a ne"w suite of detector packages. One that Observatory is a great place to do it. the old MMT. One might say it was a mirror that would double the light collect- will take advantage of the MMT s larger life-changing event, he says. The light ing power of the telescope. field of view is the Hectospec a Medusa- 4 • Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2002 Collaboration begins Testing samples BIODIVERSITY Panamas National Authority for the Envi- ICBG collaborators in the United States ronment, the University of Panama and and Panama analyze the samples that Gorgas Memorial Laboratories subse- STRI collects. At the University of Potential profit fi^om drug discoveries quently signed agreements to ensure Panama, plant extracts are tested for activ- appropriate sharing of the profits from any ity against the human immunodeficiency useful products discovered by the program virus, or HIV, cancer and diseases of the promotes rain-forest conservation among the collaborating institutions. central nervous system. Panamas Ministry Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. also of Health uses samples from STRI in its By Elizabeth Tait signed an agreement with STRI last year search for new medicines to treat Smithsonian Office of Public Affairs to test plant materials identified by ICBG malaria, leishmaniasis and trypanosomes. scientists for activity against cancer. If the plant specimens contain chemi- Along the Gaillard Highway, and saving trees? The answers to these Novartis will play a key role in the com- cals that may have medicinal properties, which parallels the Panama questions come from sources far from the mercial development of any promising the next step is to isolate the active ingre- Canal, there is an unexpected tropics. drug candidates discovered in Panama. dients. The molecules that clearing in the lush foliage a The company also has agreed to provide gently sloping hillside dotted with white A curious biochemist training and laboratory equip- crosses. The French Cemetery is the final Early in the 1990s, Todd Capson, today a ment for Panamanian resting place for some of the estimated research associate and the coordinator of the scientists. 20,000 men who perished in the first International Cooperative Biodiversity The involvement of failed attempt to cleave the isthmus and Groups for Panama at the Smithsonian local scientists, acade- open a waterway linking the Atlantic and Tropical Research Institute in Panama, spent mic institutions and government Pacific oceans. Their deaths were the result his workdays as a biochemist at the National agencies in Panama is vital to the of insect-borne diseases of the tropics. Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. At ICBG program in that country, night and on weekends, he was at the Capson says. Traditionally, he A wealth of information Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. adds, the host countries have pro- The tropics have taught us much about the He was interested in environmental issues vided the raw materials to univer- prevention and treatment of life-threaten- and in broadening his focus beyond a sin- sities and pharmaceutical compa- ing illnesses. In modern health-care gle enzyme in an Eppendorf tube, he says. nies, but they have not been active in systems, the majority of the most widely Capson enrolled in a postdoctoral pro- the drug discovery process. prescribed drugs are derived, directly or gram at the University of Utah to study By moving much of this process to indirectly, from biological sources such as anti-cancer agents derived from marine Panama, he continues, the ICBG creates plants. natural products. There, he met the hus- opportunities to train students, transfer A great advance in the treatment of band-and-wife team of biologists Phyllis and develop technology, and improve the breast and ovarian cancer in recent years, Coley and Tom Kursar, now STRI research scientific infrastructure for a permanent for example, was the discovery of taxol associates. They have spent 20 years study- drug-discovery program based in the host This red, white and black beetle {Charidotis from the Pacific yew tree. The taxol mole- ing how plants defend themselves against country. If host-country scientists take part aurofasciata) shows "aposematic" coloring, cule is extremely difficult and expensive to insect predators in the tropics of Southeast in these steps, they will be in a position to which means that it employs bright colors replicate in the laboratory that degree of Asia, Africa and South America, but mostly receive a far greater share of the revenues in order to display toxicity and to dissuade complexity and efficacy can only be found on Barro Colorado Island in Panama. associated with the discovery of a new potential predators. (Donald Windsor photo) in natural products. medicine. In that manner, drug discovery Tropical forests are the most diverse ter- An idea turns into discovery can provide substantial economic incen- show promise undergo still more tests, and restrial ecosystems on the planet. The The whole thing started with a conversa- tives for forest conservation. a select few proceed to clinical trials. Of diversity of species in these forests also is tion, Capson says, referring to the plan he To put this in perspective, taxol gener- those, only a small fraction become new reflected in the diversity of chemical com- hatched with Coley and Kursar in 1994 to ates more than $3 million per day in sales, medicines. pounds they contain, most of which still bring the drug discovery process to Pan- Capson says. For Capson and his colleagues, the are unknown to science. The potential ama. Funding was difficult, but seed process is at least as important as the benefit to human health from those chem- money came in two grants of $70,000 Young leaves provide best clues potential outcome. Some 40 scientists in icals is incalculable. each one from the University of Utah s In all the splendid diversity of species in Panama now have careers tied explicitly to Unfortunately, the vast majority of the Huntsman Cancer Center and the other tropical forests, how do scientists choose the conservation of biodiversity in the world s rain forests grow in nations beset from the Environmental Trust Fund w^hich is most likely to lead to novel medi- tropics. Their training is complemented by by poverty and political instability, where administered by Fundaci n Natura, a con- cines? That is where STRI s more than 90 investments nearly $ 1 million over the the economic incentive to harvest timber servation group in Panama. years of experience in Panama comes in. last three years in Panamanian scientific for export or clear the land for livestock In 1996, the three-member team began On Barro Colorado Island, Coley and infrastructure, equipment and training. grazing is greater than the drive to con- recruiting scientists and seeking support Kursar found that young leaves tender The involvement of Panamanian scien- serve biodiversity. Can the prospect of from the Panamanian government. Two and rich in nitrogen are the most sus- tists in the work that leads to identifica- finding promising new medicines be used years later, they won a five-year, $2.5 mil- ceptible to insect attack. Lacking physical tion of the active ingredient provides the as an incentive to conserve tropical forests? lion grant from the International Coopera- defenses, young leaves deter predators with potential to create intellectual property Is there a connection between saving lives tive Biodiversity Groups, a program toxins. Infusing the leaves with chemicals that can be licensed and patented. This is funded jointly by three U.S. organiza- slows their growth, so scientists focus on a new model. tions the National Institutes of Health, slow-growing, young leaves as most likely It is a long road from a plant to a U.S. the National Science to yield compounds of medical interest. Food and Drug Administration-approved Foundation and The insects themselves give clues, too. medicine, Capson says. If we are fortu- the Department The bright colors of caterpillars and but- nate and find a novel medicine that gener- of Agriculture. terflies serve to warn predators that the ates revenue from royalties, half of those insects are highly toxic. The toxins they revenues will contribute to the support of harbor typically come from the plants they the Panamanian national park system and eat. Beetles also obtain toxins from plants projects that promote conservation. and advertise this with warning coloration. Ecological research like that done at Orchid bees protect their larvae by build- STRI has demonstrated how this buzzing ing nests from plant resins that have potent landscape helps maintain the health of the antibacterial properties. planet. Capson and his colleagues and col- laborators begin the 21 st century hopeful that they can reveal what the forest has to Maria Ramos, a scientist at the University offer to help maintain the health of the of Panama's Department of IVIicrobiology, people and that the people, in turn, will examines the effect of plant extracts on protect the forest as though their lives replication of the virus that causes HIV. depended on it. And perhaps they do. (Photo by Todd Capson) Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2002 • 5 Pandas, continued from Page 1 motion-sensing capabilities. Live video feeds are captured using cameras placed behavioral studies designed to learn more throughout the indoor and outdoor enclo- about giant panda preferences, including if sures. A computerized behavioral data col- or how they change as they age. lection program allows scientists to rapidly These studies will generate information tabulate, summarize and present data. that will help scientists provide zoo pandas The giant panda, like the Asian ele- with the best possible environments and phant or the Sumatran tiger, is often called also will help them to better understand an umbrella species, Spelman says, the needs of wild giant pandas. because many other plants and animals The preference study began as soon as share its habitat. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian arrived at the The new giant panda yard will be the Zoo. In the first year, volunteers collected anchor of a major renovation at the Zoo data on bamboo preferences; environmen- called Asia Trail. If we can protect giant tal (including temperature and humidity) pandas, she continues, then we can pro- preferences; competency in orientation, tect all the other species that live in navigation and locomotion; and social and Chinas bamboo forests. This concept is reproductive behavior. Ten hours of obser- the guiding principle behind the Asia vations are conducted on each animal each Trail, which will provide modern homes week. for many of the Zoo s other umbrella Observers use a remote camera surveil- species. The first phase of the Asia Trail lance system with input from microphones will include new homes for sloth bears, and cameras equipped with low light and fishing cats, red pandas and giant pandas National Zoological Park Keeper Laurie Perry conducts a one-on-one training session with giant infrared-vision capabilities, as well as and is expected to open in 2004. panda Tian Tian. (Photo by Jessie Cohen) Poisonous birds, continued from Page 2 poison that causes numbness, burning and thing they eat. We go back and forth all Flag covers, continued from Page 3 sneezing in people w^ho handle hooded the time trying to figure it out, Dumb- Back in the 1970s, the lab had identified pitohuis a species with some of the acher says. Is it from plants, insects? We the form of taxes to fund the war. Treasury the lethal neurotoxins produced by poi- highest levels of batrachotoxin most dont know. Secretary Henry Morgenthau Jr. was con- son-dart frogs. In the October 1992 issue likely causes equally unpleasant reactions vinced that higher taxes would only fur- of Science, Dumbacher and his colleagues in snakes and other animals that encounter Searching for more clues ther depress morale. Thus, he persuaded published the startling news about batra- pitohuis. In March, Dumbacher returned to Papua the president to give war bonds one more chotoxin in birds. Despite the deadliness of poison-dart New Guinea to look for answers to that chance and promised sales of $ 1 billion a Tests at NIH showed varying levels of frogs, a natural chemical defense like a and other pitohui mysteries. For several month by July. batrachotoxin among the five species of neurotoxin doesnt have to be lethal. It months, he will follow pitohuis in Varirata When Morgenthau heard of the maga- pitohuis. Recently, Dumbacher and the doesn t have to be poisonous enough to National Park, where he hopes to radio- zine cover campaign, Zoidis explains, he NIH scientists were able to add another kill you, Dumbacher says. It just has to track six to eight birds. thought it was the perfect opportunity to New Guiñean bird, the blue-capped ifrita, be toxic enough that you don t want to eat Foods known to be eaten by pitohuis also promote war bonds, hoping that his to the world s roster of batrachotoxic birds. them. everything from berries to insects to idea would inspire Americans to support Why would a bird Pitohuis tend to be strikingly pat- lizards will be analyzed as possible the war with their dollars, as well as their be toxic? The terned the hooded pitohui has brick-red sources of batrachotoxin. Dumbacher also hearts. So in July 1942, many magazines feathers on its belly and back and will hunt for pitohui nests and try to learn carried not only the flag but also a message a jet-black head and wings. Pito- at what age young birds turn toxic. to buy war bonds. huis also emit a strong sour Dumbacher says there s another reason The United We Stand campaign was smell. Both the coloration and to study pitohui natural history: The more endorsed by the U.S. Flag Association, the odor might warn other ani- he learns about its ecology, the more likely w^hich awarded its Patriotic Service Cross mals that a dinner of pitohui is not that keepers can meet the birds require- to eight of the magazine covers. The Cross recommended. ments in captivity. of Honor, the grand prize for best cover, People in New Guinea tend not to eat He hopes to come home with about 20 was presented to House and Garden maga- pitohuis or ifrita. When they do of the birds, some for long-term study at zine. It featured Allen Saalburg s elegant roast one, they first remove the the Smithsonian National Zoological watercolor, titled The American Flag feathers and skin. Parks Conservation and Research Center Over Mount Vernon. Dumbacher speculates that in Front Royal, Va., and others for display toxin in the pitohui s skin at the National Zoo. A fading effort dander or in feather bits Everything that has been discovered Despite its success, the magazine flag probably sloughs off on the about pitohuis serves to underline nature s cover campaign of 1942 was not repeated. bird s eggs or nestlings, per- continuing ability to astonish. After all. The Treasury Department requested haps protecting offspring New Guineas pitohuis were known to sci- another campaign for 1943, but only a from predators or even act- ence for a century before they sprang their few magazines featured a flag. Such a ing as an insect repellent. neurotoxic news on a graduate student campaign was just too difficult to coordi- Pitohuis arent born poi- with cuts on his hands. I think a lot of nate, and slowly, this major effort was sonous. In that way also people were surprised by the finding, forgotten. they resemble poison-dart Dumbacher says. This time around, there was not much frogs. If fully toxic dart media coverage about the flag covers. We frogs are taken from the The list gets longer found only small features in Newsweek, wild and then reproduce On the other hand, it seems that pitohuis the Evening Star and the Washington in captivity, their off- and ifritas are not the world s only poiso- Post, Wright says. And since not all of spring are born batra- nous birds; there are at least a couple of the magazines were sold at newsstands, the chotoxin free. others. The spur-winged goose of sub- public did not see the full breadth of this Both the frogs and the Saharan Africa may acquire a toxic tang campaign. In the end, people had other, birds probably acquire from eating blister beetles. Some Euro- more important things on their minds and batrachotoxin from some- pean quail also make for dangerous nothing like it happened again. But that dining, although only during their makes it a one-of-a-kind story. The hooded pitohui's migration. July 1942: United We Stand was made conspicuous coloring may So are pitohuis just the tip of the ice- possible with generous funding from serve as a warning for berg? Maybe, Dumbacher answers, Linda and Pete Claussen and Nina and potential predators. (Photo very few people have gone around tasting Ivan Selin, with additional support from by John Dumbacher) or surveying random birds for toxins. the Magazine Publishers of America. 6 • Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2002 been designed for U.S. Navy ships since tour of the "world s greatest and most-vis- Research Highlights the late 1880s, are in themselves beautiful. ited aviation and space museum. They also tell an amazing story about U.S. history, U.S. Navy history and American Tales of a Helicopter Pilot, by Richard C. Asian art museums director. Julian Raby, decorative arts history, according to Ken- Kirkland (Smithsonian Institution Press, distinguished member of the Faculty of neth Trapp, curator-in-charge at the 2002, $21.95). Sixteen harrowing, true Oriental Studies at the University of Smithsonian American Art Museums Ren- narratives of helicopter rescue missions, Oxford, England, has been named director "wick Gallery. His research. Silver on the spanning the time from pre-World War II of the Smithsonian s Freer Gallery of Art High Seas, has revealed that there is a to todays civilian rescues. and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. He will strong parallel befween the development of begin work in mid-May. Raby s broad and the United States as a naval power and the Sharks, by Michael Bright (Smithsonian varied background includes a career rich tradition of designing special silver ser- Institution Press and the Natural History in the research, study and teaching of vices for namesake ships. Museum, London, 2002, $16.95). An illu- Asian art and culture. A "well-kno"wn minating and engaging look at sharks and teacher and scholar of Islamic art, Raby, their diverse characteristics. 52, has a wide range of scholarly interests, from Byzantium to China, late antiquity Captive Passage: The Transatlantic Slave to the Renaissance. He received his bache- Series Publications Trade and the Making of the Americas lor s degree with honors from Magdalen Julian Raby (Smithsonian Institution Press and the College at the University of Oxford in Mariners Museum, 2002, $39.95 cloth; 1971 and his doctorate in Oriental studies Joseph Cornell centennial. In honor of The following publications on research $21.95 paper). Eight essays and 160 color from the University of Oxford in 1981. the December 2003 centennial of the in various fields were issued during the illustrations examine the complex causes. birth of Joseph Cornell (1903-1972), the period Dec. 1, 2001, through Feb. 28, New Postal IVIuseum director. Allen Kane, Smithsonian American Art Museum is col- 2002, by Smithsonian Institution Press in a former senior manager at the U.S. Postal laborating "with the Voyager Foundation in the regular Smithsonian series. Diane Tyler Service, has been appointed director of the Washington, D.C., on a DVD and book is managing editor. Requests for series Smithsonian s National Postal Museum. project about the artists life and works. publications should be addressed to He worked at the Postal Service for 30 Cornell is internationally known for his Smithsonian Institution Press, Series Divi- years before retiring in September. A poetic box constructions, collages and sion, Victor Building, Suite 4300, MRC Brooklyn, N.Y., native, 56-year-old Kane films. The DVD, produced by Cognitive 953, PO. Box 37012, Washington, D.C. holds a bachelor s degree from Brooklyn Applications in England and scheduled to 20013-7012. College and a master s degree in business be released this summer, will provide an interactive exploration of the artist s subjects, Smithsonian Contributions to themes and sources. The lavishly illustrated Paleobiology book, to be published by Thames and Hud- 88 Phylogenetic Relationships of the Earli- son in 2003, will feature essays and com- est Anisostrophically Coiled Gastropods, by mentary by Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, chief Peter J. Wagner. 152 pages, 37 figures, 3 curator at the Smithsonian American Art tables, 3 appendices. Museum; Walter Hopps, curator of the 94 Middle Proterozoic (1.5 Go) Horodyskia Menil Collection in Houston; Robert moniliformis Yochelson and Fedonkin, the Lehrman, chairman of the Viyager Foun- Oldest Known Tissue-Grade Colonial Eucary- dation; and Richard Vine, managing edi- ote, by Mikhail A. Fedonkin and Ellis L. tor of Art in America. Yichelson. 29 pages, frontispiece, 19 Captive Passage examines the largest figures. forced migration in history, the slave trade. Coral reef history. A major, three-year grant from the National Science Founda- Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology outcomes and legacies of the 400-year tion will enable John Pandolfi, curator in 614 Biology and Systematics of the North slave trade. the Department of Paleobiology at the American Phyllonorycter Leafminers on Sal- Smithsonian s National Museum of Nat- icaceae, with a Synoptic Catalog of the Bats, by Phil Richardson (Smithsonian ural History, to track the history of coral Palearctic Species (Lepidoptera: Gracillari- Institution Press and the Natural History Allen Kane reef community development from the idae), by Donald R. Davis and Gerfried Museum, London, 2002, $16.95). Many raised reef terraces of Papua New Guinea. Deschka. 89 pages, 451 figures, 6 maps, 4 misconceptions are laid to rest in this administration from Baruch Business The exposed fossil reef from the 3,000- tables, 1 graph. informative and lively overview. School in New Yjrk. He succeeds James year-old Holocene interval preserves fossil 6\5 A Generic Revision and Phylogenetic Bruns, the Postal Museums founding assemblages before and after a clearly iden- Analysis of the Dendrophylliidae (Cnidaria: Whales and Dolphins in Question:The director, who stepped down in November tifiable, narrowly dated and widespread Scleractinia), by Stephen D. Cairns. 75 Smithsonian Answer Book, by James G. 2000 to become director of operations for earthquake. The coral reef community pages, 3 figures, 14 plates, 3 tables. Mead and Joy P. Gold (Smithsonian Insti- American museums and national programs structure will be compared with local and 616 Ostracoda (Myodocopa) from tution Press, 2002, $55 cloth; $24.95 in the Smithsonian s central administration. global changes in the environment. Bahamian Blue Holes, by Louis S. Kor- paper). A collective response to thousands nicker, Thomas M. Uiffe and Elizabeth of letters and phone calls received annually Science Commission meets. The Smith- Northwest Coast artifacts. A l4-month Harrison-Nelson. 99 pages, 69 figures, 2 by the Smithsonian s National Museum of sonian Science Commission met for the research project is under way at the maps, 8 tables. Natural History about all species of whales fourth time Feb. 28 and March 1. The Smithsonian s National Museum of the and dolphins. provost and dean of science at the Ameri- American Indian to develop an exhibition can Museum of Natural History in New on the museums Northwest Coast collec- Cool Comfort: America's Romance With Yjrk joined the discussion on the best tions. The museum is currently identifying Air-Conditioning, by Marsha E. Acker- practices and organization of science at Northwest Coast Native individuals and Books & Recordings mann (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002, other institutions. Subcommittees of the communities to be involved in collabora- $2795). On the 100th anniversary of the commission reported on site visits and tive research that will greatly enhance the first installation of air-conditioning, a look town hall meetings held in January and documentation and interpretation of Official Guide to the Smithsonian at how air-conditioning gre"w from a February at the Smithsonian s research Northwest Coast objects. The planned (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002, Utopian dream to an American expectation. centers in Panama; Edgewater, Md.; Cam- exhibition will incorporate the research $12.95). A colorful guide to the Smithso- bridge, Mass.; Front Royal, Va.; and Suit- and present the voices and perspectives of nian s 16 museums and National Zoologi- The Storage Box of Tradition: KwakiutI land, Md. Additional meetings were held Northwest Coast peoples. cal Park. Art, Anthropologists and Museums, 1881- at the Smithsonian s National Zoological 1981, by Ira Jacknis (Smithsonian Institu- Park and National Museum of Natural Silver tells a story. Silver services such as Official Guide to the Smithsonian: tion Press, 2002, $55). An investigation of History. The next meeting of the Smithso- a punch bowl with ladle and cups, veg- National Air and Space Museum the effects of the long-term interaction nian Science Commission will take place etable and other serving dishes, tureens (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002, April 16 and 17 and coffee urns, and servers, which have $14.95). A comprehensive, full-color Books, continued on Page 8 Smithsonian Institution Research Reports • Spring 2002 • 7 to China and began thinking about giant terns in w^hich large mammals, as different been thinking about these issues for more Off the Shelf pandas and their conservation, as well as as elephants, giant pandas and tigers, can than two decades, they say, and in writ- more broadly about carnivores and about persist. ing the book, we had an opportunity to zoos, Lumpkin says. More intensively, As biologists, he adds, we are inter- bring our thoughts together, and giant Smithsonian Book of this project began in late 1999, when we ested in determining the factors that pandas are as good a focal species as there toured panda country in Sichuan and explain the life history adaptations of giant is. Through this book, we want to create Giant Pandas wrote articles about the changes in pandas and exploring the population-level an awareness of the larger context of panda prospects for the future of giant pandas in consequences of these adaptations. We conservation and what it will take for there é>y Susan Lumpkin and John Seidensticker the wild. At about the same time, the need to know what is necessary for giant to be wild giant pandas in our future. (Published by Smithsonian Institution Press, National Zoo began its concerted effort to panda survival in the wild if we are to Jo Ann Webb 2002, $39.95) bring another pair of giant pandas here develop strategies to secure their future. [after the death of Ling-Ling in 1992, fol- One of the goals of both Lumpkin and In May, some Contributing Members will The arrival of giant pandas Tian lowed by Hsing-Hsing in 1999.] Seidensticker is to raise awareness about receive Smithsonian Book of Giant Pandas Tian and Mei Xiang at the Participating in this process, as well as these animals from their evolution to as a benefit of membership. Smithsonian s National Zoologi- observing how profound the giant pandas efforts to save them in the wild. We have cal Park a little more than a year appeal is, Lumpkin continues, shaped ago has created an enormous outpouring our thinking about the panda as a cultural of public support for the conservation of icon. So, it was only the putting words on Books, continued from Page 7 located on Nova Scotia, are alive in these this endangered species. The first step in paper that took four months. And this was recordings from live concerts and dances. attempting to ensure a future for giant a truly exhilarating experience for us the between anthropologists and the Kwakiutl pandas, the authors note in the Smithsonian ability to focus so completely and intensely peoples of coastal British Columbia and Heroes and Horses: Corridos From the Book of Giant Pandas, is understanding on giant pandas. This total immersion the cross-cultural exchanges that resulted. Arizona-Sonora Borderlands (Smithso- both their history and their current rela- sharpened our thinking and enhanced nian Folkways Recordings, 2002, $15 tionship with people. creativity. Creating Colonial Williamsburg, by Anders CD). A slice of life along the Arizona- In the book, the authors, Susan Lump- Seidensticker says that while he and Greenspan (Smithsonian Institution Press, Sonora border as it has been lived and kin, communications director for Friends Lumpkin are interested in the biology of 2002, $45 cloth; $17.95 paper). How memorialized in corridos, or ballads. of the National Zoo, and John Seiden- the large mammals, we have increasingly Colonial Williamsburg s evolving presenta- sticker, senior curator at the National Zoo, shifted the scale of our attention from tion of history offers an excellent means of Fast Folk: A Community of Singers and examine the intertwined relationship seeking to understand the ecological and understanding many social and political Songwriters (Smithsonian Folkways between giant pandas and people. They behavioral needs of giant pandas to under- changes in 20th-century America. Recordings, 2002, $21 CD). This double explore how these striking animals became standing and encouraging landscape pat- compact-disc set features the music of such icons of goodwill between nations. The Kremlin's Nuclear Sword:The Rise greats as Shawn Colvin, Steve Forbert, Lumpkin and Seidensticker also share and Fall of Russia's Strategic Nuclear John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, Christine with readers their personal experiences of Forces, 1945-2000, by Steven J. Zaloga Lavin and others. working with these animals in the United (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002, States and China. In addition, they $45). Drawing on Russian documents and address the Smithsonian s monumental interviews with designers and engineers of Books published by Smithsonian Institu- commitment to conserving these creatures Russian nuclear missiles, a definitive tion Press can be ordered from P.O. Box and the challenges that go along with account of this country s strategic forces, 960, Herndon, Va. 20172-0960. To order those efforts. who built them and why. by phone or for more information, call Giant pandas are among the most 1 (800) 782-4612. There is a $3.50 endangered of animals; they also are Making Museums Matter, Stephen E. Weil postage and handling fee for the first book among the best known, the authors write. (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002, $40 ordered and $ 1 for each additional book. Today, wild giant pandas live isolated in cloth; $18.95 paper). Twenty-nine recent Smithsonian Folkways Recordings can just a few mountain ranges in China. essays by the author addresses his beliefs be ordered from Smithsonian Folkways Lumpkin first saw giant pandas in Chi- that museums should be able to make Mail Order, Victor Building, Suite 4100, nese zoos in late 1980, and Seidensticker themselves matter in an environment of MRC 953, PO. Box 37012, Washington, initially explored giant panda reserves in potentially shrinking resources. D.C. 20013-7012. To order by phone or China in early 1981. for more information, call (202) 275-1143 Knowledge gained from those trips was The Heart of Cape Breton: Fiddle Music or 1 (800) 410-9815. There is a $5.50 fee vital to the book. Writing the Smithsonian Recorded Live Along the Ceilidh Trail for shipping and handling of the first 15 Book of Giant Pandas took about four The new book from Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2002, recordings ordered; call for other shipping months, but we ve really been writing Press explores the natural history and $15 CD). The sounds of Cape Breton, prices. this book for 20 years, since we first went conservation of giant pandas. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Presorted Standard Washington DC 20560-0033 U.S. Postage Paid Official Business Smithsonian Institution Penalty for Private Use $300 G-94 # Smithsonian Institution NO. 108 SPRING 2002 Research Reports