The Chicago Field Museum is one of the coolest places on Earth for anyone who loves learning about nature and history. It’s a giant museum filled with amazing things from the past and present. Let’s take a fun tour and discover some of its secrets!
Did you know that elephants have a unique way of growing their teeth? Unlike humans, elephants’ teeth grow from the back of their mouths and move forward as they get older. They have six sets of teeth throughout their lives, and the last set stays with them forever. We even got to see a huge elephant jaw from long ago!
Long ago, people found giant skulls of ancient elephants, like mammoths and mastodons, and didn’t know what they were. The skulls had a big hole in the middle, which led to the myth of the cyclops, a one-eyed giant from Greek mythology. It turns out, that hole was just where the elephant’s trunk was!
Here’s a fun fact: both humans and giraffes have the same number of neck bones, called cervical vertebrae. We each have seven! But giraffes’ neck bones are much longer, which is why they have such tall necks.
Scientists used to think that leftover tissue on old specimens was just dirt. Now, they know it’s super important because it can be used to study DNA. DNA helps us learn more about animals and how they lived.
Flying squirrels are amazing creatures that don’t actually fly—they glide! They have a special membrane supported by a rod that lets them glide from tree to tree. The museum has a collection of these fascinating animals from all over the world, including a big one from the 1800s!
The museum’s collection shows us the incredible variety of life on Earth. From elephants to flying squirrels, there’s so much to learn and explore. If you’re curious about these animals, you can study them and maybe even become a scientist one day!
So, the next time you visit a museum, remember that every exhibit has a story to tell and a mystery to uncover. Happy exploring!
Imagine you’re an elephant! Draw a timeline of your life and mark when each of your six sets of teeth would appear. Use different colors for each set and write a fun fact about elephant teeth next to each one.
Write your own short story or comic strip about a cyclops inspired by the ancient myths. Include how people might have reacted to finding a giant skull with a “cyclops eye” and what adventures your cyclops might have.
Using clay or playdough, model the seven cervical vertebrae of a human and a giraffe. Compare their sizes and discuss why giraffes need longer neck bones. Present your models to the class and explain your findings.
Become a DNA detective! Create a simple DNA model using colored beads and string. Each color represents a different part of DNA. Explain to your classmates how scientists use DNA to learn about animals from the past.
Make a paper glider inspired by flying squirrels. Test how far it can glide and adjust its design to improve its distance. Share your results with the class and discuss what makes flying squirrels such great gliders.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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The Chicago Field Museum is one of the largest and most respected natural history museums in the world. Join me as we go behind the scenes!
Are these elephants? Yes! Here, let me just open my cabinet of elephants. This is one half of an ancient elephant jaw. This was sawed at the synthesis between the two dentaries. This is one dentary, right? This is one tooth. Elephants are unique in that their tooth replacement is different from humans; it occurs from behind.
So, the new tooth is formed at the back and as the elephant grows, it migrates forward, pushing the old tooth out. In an elephant’s lifetime, there are six teeth that come in during different stages of growth. The last tooth remains in place for the rest of the elephant’s life.
This is the cranium that goes with this specimen. It was collected in central Sumatra in 1923. The eye socket was here, the tusk was here, and the trunk was here. The shape of the cranium is quite bulbous.
In prehistoric times, ancient civilizations were digging up fossilized mammoths, mastodons, and elephants, but they had no idea what those animals were. This skull contributed to the myth of the cyclops because of the hole in the middle.
Are these phalanges? Those are the foot bones. This is like one toe bone. This is huge!
How many cervical vertebrae do you have? I have seven. How many does a giraffe have? Seven! This is one cervical vertebra from a giraffe.
Historically, we would look at certain tissue on specimens and think we didn’t do a good job cleaning them. However, we now realize that this tissue can be valuable for DNA extraction.
This is a flying squirrel collected in the 1800s from Washington state, specifically 1898. Flying squirrels don’t fly; they glide. They have a cartilaginous rod that supports a membrane that extends to the back foot.
Flying squirrels occur in other parts of the world, including the island of Borneo. This specimen is quite large! Notice how the cartilaginous rod supports the membrane.
We have a diverse collection of flying squirrels from various regions, representing the diversity of the species.
If you want to study flying squirrels, you can absolutely pursue that!
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Elephants – Large mammals known for their long trunks and tusks, often found in Africa and Asia. – Elephants are important to their ecosystems because they help spread seeds and create pathways in dense forests.
Teeth – Hard structures in the mouth used for biting and chewing food. – In history, scientists have studied ancient human teeth to learn about their diets and lifestyles.
Cyclops – A mythical giant with a single eye in the middle of its forehead; in biology, it refers to a genus of small crustaceans with a single eye. – The cyclops is an interesting creature in biology because it helps us understand aquatic ecosystems.
Giraffes – Tall mammals with long necks, native to Africa, known for their unique spotted patterns. – Giraffes use their long necks to reach leaves high up in trees that other animals can’t reach.
DNA – The molecule that carries genetic information in living organisms. – Scientists study DNA to understand how traits are passed from parents to offspring.
Squirrels – Small rodents known for their bushy tails and ability to climb trees. – Squirrels play a role in nature by spreading seeds and helping forests grow.
Gliders – Animals or devices that move smoothly through the air without engine power; in biology, refers to animals like flying squirrels. – Flying squirrels are gliders that can leap from tree to tree using flaps of skin to glide through the air.
Nature – The natural world, including plants, animals, and landscapes. – Learning about nature helps us understand the importance of protecting our environment.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – By studying history, we learn how ancient civilizations lived and how they shaped the world today.
Variety – A range of different things; in biology, it refers to the diversity of species. – The Amazon rainforest is home to a great variety of plants and animals, making it one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth.
