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Fla. Museum to celebrate Darwin’s 200th birthday with events Thursday, Saturday

Gerber,Logan R — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:16:35 +0000

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Come celebrate the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin, of one of science’s most influential figures, at the Florida Museum of Natural History Thursday and Saturday.

At 7 p.m. Feb. 12, join Betty Smocovitis of the University of Florida’s zoology and history departments for “Singing His Praises: Darwin and His Theory in Song and Musical Production.”

This lecture will examine the issues and controversies of Darwin’s theory of evolution through song while studying the link between modern science and pop culture. To sweeten the event, a birthday cake featuring Darwin will be served.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 14, those curious to learn more about evolution and want to see evidence of the process can take part in “Darwin Day” with Florida Museum collections staff.

Several departments from the museum will display features on evolution in action. Included in the displays will be cowrie shells, neotropical orchids, horses and primate missing links, neotropical tanagers and fossil invertebrates.

The event will culminate with a symposium on Darwin’s theory of evolution from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Feb. 14 featuring Florida Museum curators Jon Bloch, Steve Manchester, David Reed, and David Steadman, and moderated by museum vertebrate paleontology curator Bruce MacFadden. Topics discussed will include the evolution of nuts, humans and their body lice, fossil primates and the story of our origin, and Darwin’s research in Tahiti and the Galapagos Islands.

“The Florida Museum is proud to recognize the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of “On the Origin of Species,” said Florida Museum of Natural History Director Doug Jones. “Darwin was one of the greatest thinkers of all time. It is an honor for us to recognize his life as well as his ideas, such as organic evolution by means of natural selection, which probably represents the single greatest unifying concept in all of modern biology.”

For more information call (352) 273-2064 or visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/darwin200/.

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Writer: Morgan Lamborn
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

Florida Museum hosts "Science Sunday" lecture April 6

Gerber,Logan R — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:54:10 +0000

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History will host the “Of Ants and Elephants” portion of its “Science Sunday” lecture series this Sunday, April 6 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

University of Florida Zoology professor Todd Palmer has returned from east Africa to share with lecture-goers the details of his experience. In this lecture, participants will learn how the relationship between ants, acacia shrubs and African elephants is vital to maintaining a healthy environment.

Palmer is an ecologist with broad research interests, including species coexistence, the ecology and evolution of mutualisms, and the role of ecosystem engineers in structuring rangeland communities. Most of his work is conducted in East Africa, although he has also worked in alpine streams, meadows and prairies of the western U.S. Palmer is the author of numerous publications and conducts various research projects funded by the National Science Foundation.

Palmer’s presentation is the last installment of the once-a-month Science Sunday lecture series this spring. Lectures are geared toward adults and have covered a diverse array of topics.

For more information, please call (352) 846-2000 or visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu.

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Writer: Jessica Thurmond
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

Fla. Museum archaeologist explores role of myths in history during Oct. 28 program

Gerber,Logan R — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:14:49 +0000

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Discover the true story of Columbus through his own words, native oral history and modern scholarship during the Florida Museum of Natural History’s “Science Sundays” lecture series, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Oct. 28.

Florida Museum Caribbean Archaeology Curator William Keegan will discuss how myths and beliefs of the storyteller bias our history. A book signing will follow.

Keegan is the author of the recently released book “Taíno Indian Myth and Practice: the Arrival of the Stranger King.” He began investigating Caribbean prehistory nearly 30 years ago and infuses his accumulated knowledge about the Taíno, an indigenous pre-Columbian people, with archaeological theory to explain how myths and beliefs not only affect cultures, but also may be used thousands of years later by archaeologists interpreting culture.

Upcoming “Science Sundays” lecturers include “Into the Wilds” Nov. 11, a discussion of nature photography, and “A Natural Perspective” Dec. 2, focusing on the history of Florida’s forests. Both programs begin at 2:30 p.m. For more information call (352) 846-2000, ext. 246 or visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/education/science_sundays.htm.

Media contact: Paul Ramey, (352) 273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

Rich fossil dig site near Newberry subject of Fla. Museum program Sept. 9

Gerber,Logan R — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:57:41 +0000

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Learn about animals that roamed Florida 2 million years ago, surfacing now in western Alachua County, during the Florida Museum of Natural History’s “Science Sundays” lecture series, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Sept. 9.

Florida Museum Vertebrate Paleontology Collections Manager Richard Hulbert will discuss the struggles and victories of the “Tapir Challenge” fossil dig site, how it is being excavated and its scientific significance for understanding Florida’s ancient fauna and climate. Sunday’s program also includes a short documentary film by Michelle Friedline.

Museum staff and hundreds of volunteers recovered more than 200 skeletons of tapirs, sloths, giant armadillos, turtles, alligators, snakes and other animals at a limestone quarry northeast of Newberry during the 2006-07 season. Volunteers are needed for the upcoming season beginning later this fall.

For more information on the “Science Sundays” series, call (352) 846-2000, ext. 246 or visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/education/science_sundays.htm.

Writer: Christine Eschenfelder
Media contact: Paul Ramey, (352) 273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

Fla. Museum lecture Sept. 24 explores new evidence of fossil porcupine

Gerber,Logan R — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 17:28:30 +0000

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Museum of Natural History graduate student Alex Hastings will describe new evidence of a fossil porcupine from Haile, Fla. in his lecture from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Sept. 24 as part of the Florida Museum’s Science Sunday lecture series.

In his presentation, “Bridging the Continents: The Porcupine Enters North America,” Hastings will discuss how this missing link can contribute to the understanding of porcupine evolution and what it can tell us about Florida’s environment 2 million years ago.

Media Contact: Paul Ramey, (352) 846-2000, pramey@ufl.edu
Writer: Lauren Williams

East coast butterflies topic of Fla. Museum lecture April 23

Gerber,Logan R — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:58:58 +0000

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Author Rick Cech will share facts and photos from his book “Butterflies of the East Coast: An Observer’s Guide” from 2-3 p.m. April 23 as part of the Florida Museum’s Science Sunday lecture series. During his presentation in the Lucille T. Maloney classroom, Cech will discuss both common and rare butterflies and their complex behavior. Following the lecture, he will offer a book signing. Books are available for purchase in the Florida Museum Collectors Shop.

Science Sunday allows adults to enjoy stimulating lectures while children are entertained with free, age-appropriate activities on related themes guided by Florida Museum docents and staff. Children will be returned to parents following the lecture and prior to the book signing.

Media contact: Paul Ramey, (352) 846-2000, pramey@ufl.edu

Fla. Museum April 9 lecture explores fossil teeth research on ancient ecology

Gerber,Logan R — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 15:07:55 +0000

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida/Florida Museum of Natural History Ph.D. student Larisa Grawe DeSantis will describe research to reconstruct ancient environments from tapir teeth from 2-3 p.m. April 9 as part of the Florida Museum’s Science Sunday lecture series.

The presentation, “Reconstructing Past Environments: Utilizing Fossil Teeth to Infer Ancient Ecology,” will discuss how fossils from the eastern United States are being used to recreate the density of forests and grasslands during the Neogene period, and why tapirs are particularly helpful in revealing secrets of the past.

Science Sunday allows adults to enjoy lectures while children are entertained with free, age-appropriate activities on related themes guided by Florida Museum docents and staff. Children will be returned to parents following the lecture.

Media contact: Paul Ramey, (352) 846-2000, pramey@ufl.edu
Writer: Lauren Williams

Florida Museum presents ‘Revealing the Deep’ lecture March 30 by Daniel Fornari

Gerber,Logan R — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 15:09:56 +0000

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Explore the new science behind mysterious black smokers–deep-sea hot water vents–and exotic tubeworms as Daniel J. Fornari, director of the Deep Ocean Exploration Institute, discusses 21st-century ocean science and technology at 6 p.m. March 30. Fornari’s lecture, “Revealing the Deep: the 21st Century Revolution in Ocean Science and Technology,” will be held at the Florida Museum of Natural History as part of its Museum Nights program.

Fornari holds the W. Van Allen Clark Senior Scientist Chair at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He is internationally recognized for his research in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans on volcanic and hydrothermal processes and on the structure and magmatic processes at oceanic transforms and islands, such as Hawaii and the Galapagos. In 2000, he co-developed “Dive and Discover,” an education and outreach Web site for school science enrichment.

After Fornari’s presentation, Florida Museum of Natural History Molecular Lab Curator Pam Soltis will dissect myth from reality in “The Relic” beginning at 8 p.m. The discussion will be followed by a public screening of the R-rated horror film “The Relic.”

Funded by UF Student Government, Museum Nights strives to increase student and community visitation at the UF Cultural Plaza, located near the intersection of Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road. It serves as an entertainment alternative for Thursday nights in Gainesville and offers individuals who are too busy during the day the opportunity to visit the museums in the evening. For more information and a complete schedule, visit the UF Student Government Web site at www.sg.ufl.edu.

Media contact: Paul Ramey, (352) 846-2000, pramey@ufl.edu
Writer: Emily Banks

Wild Florida frontier topic of Florida Museum lecture Feb. 19

Gerber,Logan R — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 18:01:46 +0000

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Museum of Natural History Curator of Archaeology Jerald T. Milanich will share stories and antics from his newly released book from 2-3 p.m. Feb. 19 as part of the Florida Museum’s Science Sunday lecture series. Following the lecture, Milanich will offer a book signing. Books are available for purchase in the Florida Museum’s Collectors Shop.

Milanich’s book, “Frolicking Bears, Wet Vultures and Other Oddities: A New York City Journalist in Nineteenth-Century Florida,” compiles the wanderings and musings of Amos Jay Cummings as he explores the Florida frontier in the late 1800s. Through his book, Milanich uncovers how Cummings’ writing about “bruins and buzzards; rednecks and racists; murderers and mosquitoes; rich soils and poor souls” reveals the untamed frontier that once was Florida.

During his career, which spans more than three decades, Milanich has published more than 190 books, articles and other publications, received 64 academic grants and supervised more than 100 graduate students — many who currently practice archaeology in Florida and throughout the Americas. His role as Bullen Series editor for the University Press of Florida, as well as other editorial positions, have helped disseminate Florida archaeology information globally.

Media Contact: Paul Ramey, (352) 846-2000, pramey@ufl.edu
Writer: Emily Banks

Fla. Museum to host lecture on evolution, intelligent design debate

Gerber,Logan R — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 16:36:08 +0000

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History will host a free public lecture on the evolution/intelligent design debate at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2006.

The presentation by Wesley Elsberry from the National Center for Science Education is titled “The Top Anti-evolution Arguments and How to Answer Them.” Seating is limited.

The National Center for Science Education is a not-for-profit, membership organization providing information and resources for schools, parents and citizens working to keep evolution in public school science education.

Elsberry, the center’s information project director, is a scientist with research interests including biosonar signal production and physiology in bottlenose dolphins, the effects of sound on marine mammals, cognition and behavior, artificial neural systems and evolutionary computation.

Media Contact: Paul Ramey, (352) 846-2000, pramey@ufl.edu