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WWW.AIG.COM ''"^IBe LDS^'1-\)\ID^& ICOMES BA % BIGGER THAN YOUR IM AGIIM ATIOISI Dpioueri Pjvf •.' v<4i&{-i « Sunday March 11, 8pm e/p discovery.com MARCH 2001 VOLUME 110 NUMBER 2 F_E^ U R^ S MUSHI For youngsters in Japan, the study of insects has been both a tad and a tradition. BY ERIK L. LAURENT THE SCAVENGING OF "PEKING MAN" What was tiic hunter and who the vicdni? BY NOEL T. BOAZ AND RUSSELL L. CIOCHON A WORLD APART The ocean's invertebrate animals may THE AFTERSHOCKS THAT assume myriad WEREN'T fantastic forms A 1992 quake in the Mojave Desert before reaching upset some settled seismological notions. adulthood. BY SUSAN ELIZABETH HOUGH BY GREGORY A. WRAY WITH ELIZABETH J. BALSER AND WILLIAM B. JAECKLE, STEVEN COVER The seven- MORGAN AND SKYLI spotted ladybird mm. McAFEE, LARRY R. beetle is found in McEDWARD, CRAIG M. Japan, a country YOUNG, AND RICHARD with an insect- STRATHMANN friendly culture. STORY BEGINS ON PAGE 70 PHOTOGRAPH BY HIROSHI OGAWA: NATURE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENTS 6 UP FRONT In Defense of Larvae 10 LETTERS J 12 CONTRIBUTORS 14 IN SUM 16 THIS LAND Urban Country ROBERT H. MOHLENBROCK 30 IN THE FIELD Warm Welcome PETER J. MARCHAND i 32 THE EVOLUTIONARY FRONT "After You, Eve" CARL ZIMMER 36 CELESTIAL EVENTS Lost in Space RICHARD PANEK 43 THE SKY IN MARCH JOE RAO 44 BIOMECHANICS The Fine Art of Waddling CARL ZIMMER 76 AT THE MUSEUM The Helicoprion Mystery RICHARD ELLIS 80 MUSEUM EVENTS 81 REVIEW Cosmic Chemists MARTIN 3. REES 83 nature.net Gems of the Universe ROBERT ANDERSON 83 BOOKSHELF 84 UNIVERSE Coming to Our Senses NEIL DE GRASSE TYSON 88 THE NATURAL MOMENT Pier Revue PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES WARWICI 90 ENDPAPER Informed Consent SAMUEL M. WILSON Visit our Web site at immi'. naturalhistory.com T^^ Tke most easterly point in Nortk America, Cape Spear National Historic Site. At the edge or tne western world, tnere's a place wnere tne day dawns rirst. Or all llie sunrises in Nortn America, tnis is tne rirst. Tne yawn and stretcn or a new day. Here, you can see tne oldest ligntnouse in Newioundland and Lanraaor live lire on tne edge, as it nas tor 160 years. In tne tar east ot tne western world. NEWFOUNDIAND &1ABRADOR CANADA ww\v,5ov.nf.ca/tourism/ For your free travel guide or to make reservations, call Colleen at 1-800 "563 "NrLU — NATURAL HISTORY 3/01 UP FRONT In Defense of Larvae The magazine of the American Museum of Natural History Livva. To a lot ol people, the word signifies something half-formed, ugly, Ellen Goldensohn Erf/ior in Chief RebeccT B. Finnell Maire Crowe and likely to devour food stores, winter clothing, or green leaves. As a rule, Executive Editor Managing Editor we glorify the butterfly and dismiss the caterpillar. Exceptions may be made Thomas Page Designer for tadpoles, which at least, hke us, are vertebrates. Perhaps humans are incUned to this form of prejudice because we are direct developers, going Board of Editors Jenny Lawrence, Vittorio Maestro, Richard Mibier, from babyhood to Judy Rice, Kay Zakariasen (Pictures) reproductive Michel DeMatteis, Avis Lang Associate Managing Editors maturity without Thomas Rosinski Assistant Designer changing much Flora Rodriguez Picture Coordinator more than our Barbie Bischof Research Editor bodUy proportions. Carol Barnette Editorial Coordinator Yes, as embryos we Merle Okada Assistant to the Editor have giUs, and along the way to Mark A. Furlong Publisher adulthood we pick Gale Page Consumer Marketing Director up a few secondary Judy Lee-Buller General Manager sex characteristics, Denise Clappi Director of Mannfacttmng but we do not truly Edgar L. Harrison National Advertising Manager metamorphose. And Sonia W. Waites Senior Account Manager when fictional Jessica Mackin Advertising Production Manager humans undergo transformations in books and films, it's almost always bad Ramon E. Alvarez Circulation Manager news (think Gregor Samsa in Kafka's "Metamorphosis" or Vincent Price in Michael Shectman FulfUment Manager The Fly). Jermifer Stagnari Promotion Director Fortunately for Natural History's readers, some people appreciate Gladys Rivera Assistant to the Publisher metamorphosis and have made the study of larvae an important part of their Monique Berkley Advertising Coordinator life's work. One is evolutionary biologist Gregory A. Wray, who in this Suzanne Kato Circulation Assistant issue's special section, "A World Apart" (page 52), provides a corrective to Advertising Sales Representarives Nav yor(.--Mctrocorp Marketing (212) 972-1157 direct-developers' chauvinism by pointing out that the larval Ufestyle is the Chicago—Jerry Greco & Assoc. (847) 925-9300 De(roi7—John Kennedy & Assoc. (313) 886-4399 most common developmental pathway in the animal kingdom. Sea stars, West CoflSf—Robert Flahive Co. (415) 781-4583 Toronto—American Publishers Representatives Ltd. (416) 363-1388 sea lihes, corals, clams, barnacles are the multitude nudibranchs, and among Atlanta and Miami—Ridda and Co (770) 664-4567 748-1750 of marine invertebrate organisms that spend days or months in larval form, Northeast Direct Ra;)onsi^Nick Distasio (561) swimming or drifting near the surface of the world's oceans. For Wray and For subscription information, call (800) 234-5252. For advertising information, call (212) 769-5555. the other seven scientists who write about larvae this month, these intermediate forms offer beauty, mystery, and a wealth of insight into developmental biology. Ellen Goldensohn American Museum OF Natural History An INSTITUTiON DEDICATED TO UNDERSTANDING AND PRESERVING BIOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY Lewis W Bernard Chairman, Board of Trustees Ellen V Futter President Niiirini/ Hii/of)' (ISSN 0028-0712) is published montlily, except for combined issues in July/August and Dccembct/Jinuary, by the American Mu.icuni of Natiinl History, Central Park West at 79di Street. New York. NY 10024. E-niail; [email protected]. Subscriptions; S30,00 a year. In Canada and ,ill other countries; S40.00 a year. Pcriodicak postage paid at New Yorii, N.Y, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright ® 2001 by American Mu- seum of Natural History. All riglits reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced witliout written consent ofNiiliiral Hinary. Send subscription orders and undclivcrablc copies to tlie addttss below. For subscription information, call (800) 234-5252. Postmaster; Send address cluiign to Natural Hisiory. Po« Office Box 50O0, Harhn, lA 51537-5000, Canadian GST Registration #128426574, Caaidian Publicaoons Agreement #1423274, Printed in the U.S.A. I Hkl > > ROSE CENTER FOR EARTH AND SPACE < < CALL FOR TICKETS TO THE SPACE SHOW. American Museums Natural History SPACE SHOW AT THE NEW HAYDEN PLANETARIUM » 212-769-5200 OR WWW.AMNH.ORG Major individual gifts to the Rose Center hove been provided by Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Gilder, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman, and David S. ond Ruth L Gottesmon. Support for the Hoyden Plonetorium bos been provided by o generous gront from the Charles ftoyden Foundotion. Public support of the Rose Center has been provided by the State of New York, the Oty of New York, Office of the Mayor, the Speaker and the Council of the City of New York, and the Office of the Manhattan Borough President. Significant educational ond progromrning support has been provided by The Notional Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 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