Museum of Comparative Zoology
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Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard University Annual Report 2014. 2015 Director’s Message An immense undertaking and accomplishment, the grand migration of MCZ’s “dry” collections to the Northwest Building has just now come to an end. All or part of eight taxonomic biogeography and is displayed in collections—Entomology, Invertebrate Victorian glass cabinets that encircle Paleontology, Vertebrate Paleontology, the balcony of the historic Great Hall. Invertebrate Zoology, Malacology, Numerous collections contributed Mammalogy, Marine Invertebrates to Islands: Evolving in Isolation, which and Ornithology—plus the Blaschka illustrates the remarkable diversity of glass animals and the historic Harvard island flora and fauna and research by Embryological Collection are now MCZ faculty and students. comfortably installed in one of Harvard’s This year also marked the arrival of newest science buildings, next door to MCZ’s newest faculty-curator, the original MCZ. Dr. Mansi Srivastava, AB, PhD. In addition to climate-controlled Following postdoctoral research at collection rooms outfitted with acres MIT’s Whitehead Institute, Mansi Melissa Aja Melissa of compact shelving, the new space joined us in July 2015. More about her includes a classroom/teaching lab, professional background and exciting specimen preparation labs, and ample research plans are detailed on the work areas for staff, students and visitors. second page of this report. While perhaps lacking the character The year ended on a high note in May, of the MCZ building (and definitely its when 34 descendants of Alexander musty odor), the absence of hardwood and Anne Agassiz joined more than a floors and large, lofty windows is more dozen faculty-curators and staff for a than compensated by a secure, state-of- memorable luncheon at the Harvard the-art facility for research and teaching Faculty Club. Our guests shared in comparative zoology. wonderful accounts of Agassiz family Associated curatorial staff are only now history during lunch and then enjoyed settling into their new spaces, and it guided tours of “the Agassiz museum.” will be at least another year before the It was both an honor and a pleasure to facility is fully operational, but regular reconnect with a family whose history is classes began meeting there in fall 2015. so closely entwined with that of the MCZ. The move has left behind abundant Year after year, the MCZ owes its opportunities to renovate and repurpose accomplishments and accolades to former collection rooms in the MCZ its dedicated and innovative faculty- building, which retains many important curators, researchers, staff and collections. students. I hope you enjoy learning The Harvard Museum of Natural more about their awards, headline- About the Cover: A species of serpulid worm History opened two new exhibits this making research, new projects and in the genus Spirobranchus year; each draws heavily from and initiatives, publications and more. from Bocas del Toro, Panama, photographed during the 2015 highlights MCZ’s collections. All corners field trip for OEB 51. Photo by of Ornithology were probed to furnish James Hanken Gonzalo Giribet. Birds of the World, which reflects current Director Opposite page: Collections space in the Northwest Building. Photo understanding of avian evolution and by Melissa Aja. Annual Report 2014 . 2015 1 Introducing Our Newest Faculty-Curator MCZ Faculty-Curators The MCZ is delighted to welcome Dr. Mansi Srivastava as Curator of Andrew A. Biewener Invertebrate Zoology and assistant professor in the Department of Charles P. Lyman Professor of Biology Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. Director, Concord Field Station Prof. Biewener’s research focuses on understanding Dr. Srivastava joined the MCZ in proper habitat and feed the worms so they the biomechanics, neuromuscular control and July 2015 after her postdoctoral thrive and reproduce. With that problem energetics of animal movement on land and in research on the evolution of solved, she found that they regenerate really the air. regenerative mechanisms in well—you can cut off their heads and they the lab of Dr. Peter Reddien will grow back. Then she was able to develop His goal is to understand general principles that at the Whitehead Institute of molecular techniques to study how the worm govern the biomechanical and physiological design the Massachusetts Institute of is able to regenerate. of vertebrate animals related to their movement in Technology. “Mansi is a wonderful natural environments. TheSrivastava lab will use the power of this addition to the MCZ; her new model system to reveal important steps expertise in molecular biology in regeneration. One focus will be on the very Scott V. Edwards and genomics and her broad early steps that happen once an injury occurs, Professor of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology knowledge of invertebrate animals Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology are perfect complements to our Curator of Ornithology existing strengths,” says Director Isaac Orderberg James Hanken. Prof. Edwards’ research focuses on the evolutionary biology of birds and related species, combining field, museum and genomics approaches to understand Dr. Mansi Srivastava Most animals can heal wounds and some can the basis of avian diversity, evolution and behavior. Current projects utilize regenerate extensively, regrowing organs or genomics technologies to study comparative genomics and the evolution of even entire body plans from small fragments. flightlessness in birds; phylogeography and speciation of Australian and North As an undergraduate, Dr. Srivastava became American birds; and the genomics of host–parasite co-evolution between house fascinated by the regenerative properties of a finches and a recently acquired bacterial pathogen,Mycoplasma . particular marine tube-dwelling worm. This Rinaldo Tony early fascination has guided her scientific career to the point of setting up her own lab at the Mazza-Curll & Kathleen Srivastava Mansi Brian D. Farrell Gonzalo Giribet MCZ to study the regenerative process and Molecular markers reveal specialized Professor of Biology Alexander Agassiz its evolution. cell types in the anterior (blue), muscle (yellow), and somatic stem cells (magenta) Curator of Entomology Professor of Zoology “I want to understand this amazing process in Hofstenia. Director, David Professor of Organismic & where an animal can regenerate a whole new Rockefeller Center for Evolutionary Biology brain or all new muscles or all new eyes,” says thereby building a map of all of the molecular Latin American Studies Curator of Invertebrate and genetic signals that launch the process of Zoology Dr. Srivastava. “The knowledge we obtain by Prof. Farrell’s research studying the basic biology of how animals regeneration. Another major aspect that they is broadly concerned Prof. Giribet’s primary regenerate may be will study is stem cell biology. The worms have a with the evolution of research focuses on the type of pluripotent cell that can make all other evolution, systematics and applied to human ecological interactions regenerative medicine types of cells, so they can be used to study how between host plants biogeography of invertebrate much further down stem cells work. and animals and their animals, including the use © Casey Dunn the line.” The lab will be interested in identifying the parasites, such as of morphology and next- insects and other tiny generation sequencing techniques. Current projects in the Dr. Srivastava has processes of regeneration that are broadly Stephanie Mitchell Mansi Srivastava & Mazza-Curll Kathleen consumers. His current Giribet lab include multidisciplinary studies for Assembling developed a new applicable to all animals. “I’m interested in the projects include applying next-generation sequencing to the Bivalve Tree of Life; the evolution of orb-weaving Three-banded panther worms model organism for studying regeneration, evolution of regeneration,” says Dr. Srivastava, show variations of their speciation and phylogenetic studies of associated species, spiders; and systematics and biogeography of arthropods, the three-banded panther worm, Hofstenia “so even though my lab is starting out with this pigmentation patterns. documenting biodiversity in the Dominican Republic, mollusks and onychophorans, among other groups. He is miamia, a little-studied species she collected new model organism, we’re hoping to expand and repatriating digital information from scientific also interested in philosophical aspects of DNA sequence in a saltwater pond in Bermuda a few years our work to other species. There’s no better specimens of insects and fossils in museums to their data analysis, emphasizing homology-related issues and ago. Back in the lab, she faced considerable place to learn about diverse regenerative species countries of origin. the use of genomic-level data for inferring phylogenies. challenges just to learn how to create the than the Museum of Comparative Zoology.” 2 Museum of Comparative Zoology Annual Report 2014 . 2015 3 FACULTY-CURATORS FACULTY-CURATORS James Hanken Professor of Biology Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology Curator of Herpetology MCZ Director Prof. Hanken utilizes laboratory-based analyses and field surveys to examine morphological evolution, developmental biology and systematics. ErtlGretchen Current areas of Kris SnibbeKris Hopi E. Hoekstra Jon Chase Catherine Weisel research include the evolution of craniofacial patterning; the developmental Professor of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology