Enjoy the Museum from Home via our Blog

Can't make it to the museum in person? We've done our best to help cultivate resources for you to enjoy from home. Activities for the whole family, different ways to experience our exhibitions and more are included in these blogs.

May 26, 2020 by wpengine

South American Hippo Habitat

In the wake the groundbreaking exhibition, We Are Nature, museum educators increasingly recognize opportunities for existing exhibits to foster discussions of profound human impacts. Because of a recent research study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, even these sturdy plastic components of the African Wildlife Play Table (above) can spark wide ranging discussions about the impacts of large animal relocations.

The research paper Introduced herbivores restore Late Pleistocene ecological functions, by ecologist Erick Lundgren (University of Technology, Sydney, Australia) and ten co-authors, documents the establishment and growth of a hippo population along a section of Columbia’s Magdalena River over the past three decades. The founding members of a population now estimated to include as many as 80 individuals were four hippos, three females and one male, acquired during the 1980s by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar for a private zoo on his estate.

According to researchers, the population of Magdalena River hippos could grow to between 800 and 5,000 animals by the year 2050.

For a summary of the research and its implications by The New York Times science writer Asher Elbein, please visit “Pablo Escobar’s Hippos Fill a Hole Left Since Ice Age Extinctions.”

Patrick McShea works in the Education and Visitor Experience department of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

May 22, 2020 by wpengine

The World of Bee Vomit

If you’re squeamish, this blog post might not be for you. We are deep diving in the world of vomit. Did you know insects like bumblebees vomit just like we do? Humans tend to vomit (upchuck, throw up, whatever you want to call it) as a reaction to something we don’t like or a sickness. However, bees are more methodical with their vomit.

The Thought Process

A bee collecting nectar from a redbud. Photo by Melissa Cagan.

Bumblebees put a lot of thought into choosing which flower to gather nectar from. Some common factors are how far the flower is from the hive, the shape of the petals, and how sugary the nectar is.

A recent study published in the Journal of Royal Society Interface shows bees also consider how long it will take for them to vomit the nectar back up.

Bees will go out on foraging duty to drink and collect the nectar. Then, they return to the nest and regurgitate the nectar into wax honeypots so the other bees can have nectar.

Observing the Bee Vomit

Beekeepers looking for the queen bee. Photo by Melissa Cagan.

Bumblebee vomit is something that is normally overlooked when observing the insect. Scientist Dr. Johnathan Pattrick from The University of Oxford was so intrigued he set up a nest to observe this important step.

In his lab, Dr. Pattrick’s team set up a nest and filled it with Bombus terrestris, which is Europe’s common bumblebee. The experiment started off by giving the bees access to three different sugar solutions of different thicknesses, one as thick as maple syrup and the thinnest being a soupy liquid. The object was to see which solution the bee preferred and the timing difference between how much they’re slurping and the thickness.

Scientists found that the thicker nectar could take almost 2 minutes for the bee to throw back up. When vomiting up the less thick solution, the vomiting was faster and less energy intensive. Overall the bees chose a less concentrated nectar so they could get the job done in a timelier manner.

How Can We Help

Dr. Pattrick’s study helped us realize that vomit and regurgitation is actually very important to consider during the process of pollination. One thing we can do to make this process easier for bumblebees is be cautious of what flowers we are planting. This video from Cambridge University does a great job at demonstrating what research is being done in pollination.

Fun Fact

Bombus dahlbombii is one of the largest species of bees in South America. The queen bees can grow up to 40 mm long and have been described to look like flying mice.

May 21, 2020 by wpengine

The Bromacker Fossil Project Part III: Fossil Preparation

New to this series? Read The Bromacker Fossil Project Part I and Part II.

Most of the important fossil discoveries from the Bromacker quarry, located in the Thuringian Forest, central Germany, were shipped to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH) for scientific preparation. Between 1993 and 2005 I was the principal preparator of Bromacker fossils.

At CMNH the arrival of a field season’s worth of fossil crates was highly anticipated by Curator Dr. Dave Berman and myself. I’d be often notified of the crate’s early morning delivery by either a grinning security guard or shipping and receiving personnel upon my arrival at the museum. Later that day it would take a team of able-bodied staff from various departments to move the crate from the loading dock to the basement preparation lab, and to lift the plaster and burlap encased block from the crate onto a table.

photo of fossil preparation lab — My work area in the basement preparation lab. The table in the center is my main work table and is a made from a dentist chair. The blue cabinet with a hose extending from it is a dust collector, and the microscope (seen at the end of the hose) is mounted on an articulated arm to make it easier to maneuver over a block. Photo by the author, 2007.

The first step of the preparation process involved opening the block; that is, removing the top of the jacket. I’d use a cast cutter, the same tool doctors use to remove a cast protecting a person’s broken bone, to cut through the top perimeter of the plaster jacket. If all went well, the top would easily lift off the block. But if the top of the jacket stuck to the block or wedged in an undercut, I’d have to cut it into smaller pieces to remove it.

photo of fossil preparation: a block of rock with a cast cutter on top — The block collected in the 2006 field season with its top removed. Exposed bone can be seen left of center. The blue tool resting on the surface of the block is a cast cutter.

Blocks from the Bromacker quarry typically have numerous cracks coursing through them, which must be stabilized before preparation begins. The product Carbowax works well for filling cracks, because, unlike plaster, it doesn’t shrink when it solidifies. Carbowax comes as a powder, which I’d melt it in a double boiler. Before pouring the hot wax into a crack, I’d heat the surrounding rock with a heat gun so that the wax could penetrate additional cracks not visible from the surface. I’d typically repeat this process numerous times during the preparation process.

image of using a heat gun on a slab of rock in the process of fossil preparation — Using a heat gun to heat the rock before pouring wax into a crack. I’d have to carefully watch the direction I aimed the heat gun so that strands of burlap sticking out of the plaster jacket wouldn’t catch fire. Photo by Norman Wuerthele, 2007.

Spooning hot Carbowax into a crack. The spoon was heated beforehand so that the wax wouldn’t solidify on it. It was a delicate balance between getting the spoon hot enough so the wax stayed melted but not so hot that the spoon handle burned my hand. Photo by Norman Wuerthele, 2007.

Once the block was stabilized, I began removing rock to expose the fossil. Where thick rock covered the fossil – and it sometimes was more than six inches – I’d use a small hammer and chisel to chip away chunks of rock. As I’d get closer to the fossil, I’d switch to an airscribe, which can be likened to a miniature pneumatic jack hammer. Although fossilized bone from the Bromacker was softer than the surrounding rock, the airscribe would flake the rock from the fossilized bone, leaving behind a thin veneer of rock that I’d remove using a pin vise. I’d also use the pin vise to scrape rock from bone in tight and/or delicate areas, such as teeth. All this work was performed while looking through a microscope.

photo of seven tools used for fossil preparation — Pictured are the tools that I’d use the most when preparing Bromacker fossils. From bottom left to upper right: small hammer and chisel, three pin vises that hold a rod of tungsten carbide of varying thickness and ground to different shaped tips, and two airscribes. Photo by the author, 2007.

In the block pictured in this post, I could see some tips of some vertebral spines (these are the bumps that you feel down the midline of your back) poking from the rock surface, so I began exposing them first. Because I was working on an articulated specimen (one bone connected to the next bone), I exposed it from front to the rear by simply following one bone to the next bone.

The skeleton emerging from the rock—vertebrae, ribs, and the right upper arm bone (humerus) are visible. Notice also the tips of vertebral spines leading away from the exposed portion of the skeleton. The lines in the rock were made by the airscribe. The white substance along cracks is Carbowax. Photo by the author, 2007.

Closeup view of the right foreleg and ribs. Horizontal cracks underneath the fossil made preparation difficult, because they formed gaps underlying the bone. I had to build a dam (upper left) to contain the hot wax so that the wax would penetrate the horizontal crack underlying the bone, instead of running all over the block. Photo by the author, 2007.

More of the fossil skeleton is exposed, including the torso, the right foreleg, part of the left foreleg, and most of the left hind leg. Photo by the author, 2007.

Parts of the hind legs and tail were collected separate from the block, because rock pieces containing them inadvertently had been tossed on the dump pile. This occurred before the specimen had been discovered, and the bone in these pieces was covered by mud and dirt. Instead of gluing them back in the block before preparation, I prepared them individually at a table under the microscope, as it made for easier viewing. Once all the fossil had been exposed and prepared, I removed excess rock to make the block smaller and lighter weight.

My work on the block has been completed, except for adding some plaster bandages to the end where I had removed excess rock to make the block smaller and lighter. Photo by the author, 2007.

Dave Berman and I later transported the block to a colleague’s lab at the University of Toronto, Mississauga, Canada, where the lab staff and students completed detailed preparation and scientific illustrations of the specimen. This specimen along with several others were recently described as a new genus and species, Martensius bromackerensis, in a paper published in the Annals of Carnegie Museum. This ancient creature will be the topic of a future post. To whet your appetite, here is a link to the news release announcing the publication.

Amy Henrici is Collection Manager in the Section of Vertebrate Paleontology at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

Keep Reading

The Bromacker Fossil Project Part IV: Diadectes absitus, A Project-Saving Fossil

May 20, 2020 by wpengine

Many ways to be a forest wildflower

photo of flowers with white petals and yellow centers

What exactly is a wildflower? Well, that depends who you ask!

Wildflowers in the broadest sense are any flowering plants growing naturally outside of gardens. These could include trees, shrubs, and non-woody (herbaceous) plants. However, most people tend to think of herbaceous plants with showy blooms. Wildflowers are present all year long, but they are exceptionally noticeable during the spring. For most plants, spring is a time of new growth. Our landscape blossoms with new life, both figuratively and literally.

I can state without reservation that scientists in the Section of Botany love wildflowers of all types, sizes, shapes, colors, and smells. I have fallen in love with forest wildflowers. My research is largely focused on wildflower diversity in the understory in our woods, which is collectively known as the herbaceous layer. Though comprised of plants of diminutive size, the collective role of the herbaceous layer in forest ecosystems is immense. In fact, this layer comprises the most plant diversity in forests, ranging from two to ten times more species than in the overstory!

Forest wildflowers in our deciduous forests have diverse strategies, all of which depend upon the timing of when leaves and flowers are produced. Most fit into one of three categories based upon their growth strategy. “Spring ephemerals” include plants that produce leaves and flower early in the spring, completing their aboveground activity before being shaded out by trees. “Summer-greens” include plants that produce leaves and flower just before or around when overstory tree canopies begin to produce leaves. These plants keep their leaves late into summer. Finally, other species have leaves year-round and can legitimately be termed “evergreen.”

Mason Heberling is Assistant Curator of Botany at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

May 18, 2020 by wpengine

Garden for the Birds (or bees, or butterflies, or creepy crawlies, or you get the picture)…

“What do I plant?” you may be wondering as spring starts to set in. Maybe you are a master gardener, or maybe you are a novice trying to fill the time during quarantine. Nevertheless, putting plants in the ground is on your mind. What if I told you that choosing native plants over non-native ornamentals does more than create a beautiful landscape – it creates habitat for native wildlife, connects our backyards to bigger natural landscapes, and can help mitigate negative impacts of environmental change.

photo of cedar waxwing on a serviceberry branch with a berry in its mouth

Native plants are the plants that occur naturally in the area, and they have evolved with the local environmental conditions and other plants and wildlife that occur in the area. Because of this, native plants often provide the necessary shelter and food needed for local wildlife while requiring little to no fertilizers, pesticides, or water after they are established. Having more native plants in your backyard increases wildlife habitat, reduces air pollution (no mowing required!), decreases erosion (choose plants with deep root systems over non-native grassy lawns), reduces chemicals and excess water use (easy maintenance!), and adds natural beauty to your very own backyard or patio!

Imagine a world where our backyards, patios, and shared spaces are full of native plants – creating a completely connected world full of beautiful plants and providing food and shelter for wildlife. Our landscapes don’t have to be “Developed” OR “Wild”. Our landscapes can be a mosaic of varying levels and sizes of native habitats and local ecosystems – but always with some habitat, connecting one place to the next.

If you want to know more about the benefits of native plants, the sites below are a good place to start.

Benefits of Native Plants for Birds and People

Where I found my inspiration to plant native

What do I plant?

Heather Hulton VanTassel, PhD is the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Assistant Director of Science and Research. Museum staff, volunteers, and interns are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

May 18, 2020 by wpengine

Air Quality and Urban Gardening

Transforming my ultra-tiny backyard into a garden has been a kind of mental, physical, and spiritual therapy for me during this COVID-19 pandemic. It’s work, even at this scale. But is it healthy? I’m new to Pittsburgh, and unlike my past community gardening experiences at places with better air quality and soil ratings, I now wonder if it’s safe to eat the plants I grow. When I look at the soil, I wonder what more than 150 years of air pollution has done to it. How can I amend past damage, manage the current risks and then eat from it?

I’m not alone in this work. Before I dive in, I want to share a quote by Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants:

“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”

Professional advice guided my urban garden work. If you are contemplating a similar project, information at the sites listed below will be valuable.

Resources: amending the soil, soil testing, garden planning, and a cool foraging app

Grow Pittsburgh: Info Hub

University of Minnesota: How to Manage Soil and Nutrients in Home Gardens

Phipps Conservatory: Modifying PH Levels in Soil

Falling Fruit – Map the Urban Harvest!

Resources: dangers and benefits of urban gardening and foraging

The Geological Society of America: Hunting Down Hidden Dangers and Health Benefits of Urban Fruit

EurekAlert!: Risk of Lead Poisoning from Urban Gardening is Low, New Study Finds

Oxford Academic: Phytoremediation of Lead: What Works, What Doesn’t

First Step: Soil Test

The work I did to make my soil safe for gardening began with a soil test. A City of Pittsburgh site directed me to a Penn State University Agriculture Extension Office, where for a $9.00 fee, postage to mail a soil sample, and a couple of weeks’ time for testing, I learned that my typical Pittsburgh soil is full of clay and in need of compost and lime.

My front yard faces a busy intersection and contains lead and other contaminants. I decided to try phytostabilization, which is a cheap way to use plants, lime, and compost to both reduce the mobility of heavy metals in the soil and lower the bioavailability of contaminants to the food chain. I wore a mask and gloves when I tilled this soil because contaminants can bind to soil particles and can be inhaled. I mixed some nearby oak leaves into the soil to break up the clay, mixed in some lime, and planted sunflowers. (Any additions of lime should be done according to package directions about how much to use and when to plant.)

photo of a backyard garden under construction

Soil conditions in my backyard were better, requiring only lime to adjust the pH and lots and lots of compost. The backyard is where I will grow vegetables. I learned during my research that pH and compost are the key elements to healthy soil. If the air quality fluctuates during the gardening season, I will be fine as long as I wash the produce thoroughly before consuming and wash my hands after gardening. Now, after long days of online meetings, I’m able to retreat to my garden and, in good way, work myself tired. I feel better now. I feel happy.

I confess, I’m a renter, and I’m doing this work (with my landlord’s approval of course) even though I don’t own the property. My homeowner neighbors ask me why I care and put in so much energy and money into something I don’t own. I think it’s an easy answer: I live here for now, and I do this work to improve my quality of life, and because “joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”

Asia Ward is CMNH Anthropocene Program Manager and Science Communication Fellow. Museum staff, volunteers, and interns are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.