MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY ANNUAL REPORT HARVARD UNIVERSITY 2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 2011–2012 4 DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Those of us who work in natural history museums confront a significant paradox. On the one hand, there arguably has never The university underwrites the entire been a better time to be a comparative cost of these trips, largely from MCZ and evolutionary biologist. The rate of discretionary funds but with key discovery of new, unnamed species is additional support from OEB, the David higher than ever before. We have at our Rockefeller Center for Latin American disposal an array of cutting-edge tools and Studies and other sources within the technologies that may yield answers to Faculty of Arts and Sciences. These fundamental questions about evolutionary unforgettable experiences convince patterns and underlying mechanisms that many students to choose the OEB the scientific community has pondered concentration, some to go to graduate for decades, if not centuries. Yet, threats school in comparative biology and others to Earth’s biodiversity are increasing every to become committed environmentalists, day. These threats, if unchecked, will lead but everyone benefits in important ways. to a global loss of species in our lifetimes Recent activity in MCZ’s collections that may rival the global mass extinctions of has furthered our multiyear effort to prehistoric times. This paradox contributes improve environmental conditions to a heightened sense of urgency that for specimen conservation, increase Catherine Weisel underlies all we do. At the very least, these storage capacity and enhance access. As are exciting times. I write this message, most of the mammal The MCZ remains relevant by maintaining collection is being rehoused in our state-of- research programs of broad intellectual the-art facility in the Northwest Building. scope, which focus on contemporary Another example is our new Cryogenic scientific and societal problems. It continues Collection in MCZ Laboratories, which to train generations of comparative and will provide a common, shared facility for evolutionary biologists of all stripes and to maintaining frozen samples for genetic instill an understanding and appreciation analysis. Finally, ongoing initiatives in of the natural world in countless biodiversity informatics are generating undergraduates. It is thus with enormous additional means of sharing collections pleasure that I present this latest annual data worldwide. report, which highlights the research, MCZ’s strength as a research and education and related initiatives conducted teaching institution lies not only in its by MCZ faculty, staff, students and visitors strong intellectual foundation and its during the 2011–2012 academic year. excellent facilities, but also in the largely The opening pages of this report chronicle unheralded efforts of its many faculty- Cover photo credits: what often prove to be life-changing curators, staff and students, who together Top, left to right: Gonzalo Giribet; Gonzalo experiences for Harvard undergraduates push the frontiers of scientific learning Giribet; Adam Baldinger; Gonzalo Giribet; Rowan Barrett and graduate students. Several Organismic and discovery. Hence, I commend and Bottom, left to right: Breeanna Elliott; Scott and Evolutionary Biology (OEB) department thank everyone once again for the work Edwards; Thomas Dai; Jay Taft; Jessica courses led by MCZ faculty-curators offer they do to make the MCZ the essential and Hawthorn enrolled students all-expense-paid field trips relevant institution that it is today. Opposite page: Peter Wilton to the tropics during spring break. James Hanken Director ANNUAL REPORT 2011–2012 1 rich diversity of Neotropical birds, improved fellows, Ben Ewen-Campen STUDENTS EXPERIENCE TROPICAL their abilities to locate and identify birds and Gisele Kawauchi. in the field and exposed them to a new IODIVERSITY IRSTHAND Each day, the group traveled B F array of habitats and a different culture. by boat to a variety of habitats Professor Scott V. Edwards was assisted by Whether netting birds in Panama, searching out reptiles in Costa Rica or diving that included coral reefs, two teaching fellows—Dr. Frank Rheindt mangroves, muddy sediment, for sea stars, the 2012 spring break took students into the field to experience and Maude Baldwin—and Euclides Campos, sandy-bottom habitats and a Panamanian expert bird guide. Rheindt what they could never learn through textbooks and museum specimens alone. rock walls. Students, equipped and Campos showed the group an incredible with full-body wetsuits and Three classes from the Organismic and number of species—more than 200—over of Costa Rica. Professors James Hanken and snorkels, experienced a Evolutionary Biology department—taught the course of the trip. Jonathan B. Losos led the trip, assisted by dizzying array of animal life largely by MCZ faculty-curators—offered teaching fellow Alexis Harrison and Losos Days typically began with the pre-sunrise in marine habitats covered Gonzalo Giribet all-expense-paid trips for their undergraduate lab members Martha Muñoz, Ambika “dawn chorus” when bird activity is highest. in live sponges, corals, brittle and graduate students. For some, it was their Kamath and Katie Boronow. Students continued birding throughout the stars, sea urchins and other species too Amanda Lu first journey out of the country. For most, day, experiencing the Canal Zone rainforest, numerous to mention. it was their initial exposure to the diverse mid- and high-elevation cloudforest, environments of the Neotropical region— Students were initially introduced to the most savannah and coastal wetlands. During rainforest, cloudforest, savannah, coastal abundant and charismatic of the marine periods of lower bird activity, the class toured wetlands—or distinctive marine habitats like invertebrates—enormous sea stars, brightly research facilities; observed and assisted in mangrove forests and coral reefs. colored sea anemones and coral reef species— mist-netting, the primary method of catching and then tried to identify as many organisms Even though specimens from the MCZ birds in ornithological research; and visited as possible from different invertebrate phyla, collections are studied in classroom settings, nearby towns. Species sighted included the Gonzalo Giribet including the small and the difficult-to-classify. observing a live animal’s behavior in its Connie Lee spectacular Resplendent Queztal, a large bird During the week they spent hours collecting natural habitat is an entirely different with a metallic green back and extremely live animals to examine at the well-equipped experience. Seeing species alive and up close long tail streamers; antbirds; toucans; Before departing for Costa Rica, Professors laboratory facilities at the Smithsonian facilitates the learning process, bringing hummingbirds; and the Three-wattled Hanken and Losos charged their students Tropical Research Institute in Bocas del Toro. scientific terms and phylogenetic groups Bellbird. The students were treated to a rare with the task of becoming “resident experts” Students especially liked the incredible out- figuratively and literally to life. occurrence in field research when they were in specific reptile and amphibian species. of-this-world plankton creatures, consisting able to observe the Bellbirds courting and Experiences in the field also engender a On daily hikes, students shared information largely of larval forms of many animals that mating in the wild. deeper understanding of—and sense of awe about their organisms once they were look nothing like the final forms of the adults. encountered in the field. Sightings of for—these rapidly disappearing ecosystems. “Witnessing the diversity of the Neotropics crocodiles, caiman and sea turtles were “Observing invertebrate phyla in their natural The spring field trips will convince some is an eye-opening experience for many especially prized, but so were rare species of habitat revealed behavior, distribution and students to choose an OEB concentration, biologists,” says Maude Baldwin. “Viewing frogs, snakes and lizards such as Corytophanes, beauty in a way that a fact sheet never could,” attend graduate school in some area of the region’s diversity through the lens of its a hard-to-find arboreal lizard. says Inanna Carter, Class of 2014. “Being comparative biology, or become committed avifauna, under the guidance of some of the out in the field gave us passion and energy environmentalists. Regardless of their future most knowledgeable people in the world “The herpetological diversity of Costa Rica for dissecting career paths, these trips imbue students with is astonishing, and even in a week, we were on Panamanian birds, was an incredible Gonzalo Giribet specimens in the respect for the planet’s biodiversity and ignite experience for the students and teaching able to see an enormous variety of reptiles lab and learning their conservation ethic. staff alike.” and amphibians,” says Prof. Losos. “Students about them in had varying opinions about what constituted Observing Amphibians and Collecting Invertebrates in Panama the classroom. the highlight, but the nesting sea turtles seem Reptiles in Costa Rica The goal for OEB 51: Biology and Evolution Our enthusiasm to have made a deep impression on many, OEB 167: Herpetology took 21 students to of Invertebrate Animals was to show the 14 followed us back and most loved the arboreal herpetological Costa Rica’s La Selva Biological Station, students the