Welcome to our exciting Q&A session where we dive into the fascinating world of museums and natural history! Let’s explore some intriguing questions and answers that will help you learn more about these amazing topics.
Old Wolf asked if museums purchase items like fossils or historical artifacts from private collectors or if they rely solely on donations. The answer is both! Museums often accept donations if the item’s history, known as provenance, is well-documented and legal. For example, the Field Museum recently received a donation of over 18,000 seashells from Dr. Byron Gtorte’s collection. However, museums also buy items. Last year, the Field Museum acquired an original pancake camera at an auction, invented by Carl Akeley, a pioneer in taxidermy and filmmaking.
Marcus wanted to know about updates to Sue the T-Rex. Sue was carefully moved and reassembled in a new gallery space at the museum. The skeleton’s pose was updated, and new features were added. One fun detail is a video in the exhibit that humorously showcases Sue.
Erin Ambrose’s six-year-old wondered how researchers figured out Sue the T-Rex’s age. Scientists examine dinosaur bones to determine age, similar to counting tree rings. This process is part of a field called ontogeny, which studies an organism’s development. Sue was estimated to be about 28 years old when she died.
Juan Perez asked about interviewing Sue the T-Rex. While we can’t interview a dinosaur, Sue is a star at the Field Museum’s Griffin Dinosaur Experience. Sue is the largest and most complete T-Rex ever found, discovered in South Dakota.
Kevin asked which animal would be interesting to dissect on camera. The platypus is a fascinating choice because of its unique features. In 1799, George Shaw at the British Museum thought the platypus might be a hoax due to its unusual appearance.
Cheyanne Schneider shared her struggles with museum preparation work. It’s normal to feel unsure at first, but with practice, it gets easier. Learning new skills takes time, and even experienced curators started where you are now.
Kevin also asked about the decline in insect populations. Museums play a crucial role by providing historical data on species distributions. Entomologists and ecologists use museum collections to study changes in insect populations over time.
Persie wanted to know how to support museums. Visiting museums, participating in their programs, and attending events are great ways to help. If you can’t visit, follow them on social media or explore their websites to stay connected.
Techno Plasm asked about staying positive despite environmental challenges. It’s tough, but finding joy in small things, like watching birds, can help. Learning something new about nature every day can reignite your love for the Earth.
Thanks to everyone who sent in questions! If we didn’t get to yours, feel free to leave a comment, and we’ll try to answer it in future sessions. Stay tuned for more exciting videos!
Imagine you are a curator at a museum. Choose an artifact or a natural history specimen you find fascinating. Research its history, significance, and provenance. Create a mini-exhibit using a poster or digital presentation to showcase your findings. Share your exhibit with the class and explain why this item is important to you and to history.
Become a paleontologist for a day! Research how scientists determine the age of dinosaurs like Sue the T-Rex. Create a step-by-step guide or a comic strip illustrating the process of examining dinosaur bones to determine their age. Present your guide to the class and discuss what you found most interesting about the process.
Choose a historical figure related to museums or natural history, such as Carl Akeley or George Shaw. Write a fictional interview with this person, asking them about their contributions and discoveries. Perform your interview as a skit with a classmate, or record it as a podcast to share with the class.
Research the unique features of the platypus and why it puzzled scientists like George Shaw. Create a creative project, such as a drawing, model, or video, to explain the platypus’s characteristics and why it was once thought to be a hoax. Present your project to the class and discuss what makes the platypus so fascinating.
Investigate ways you can support a local museum. Create a plan that includes visiting, volunteering, or promoting the museum on social media. Present your plan to the class and encourage your classmates to get involved. Discuss how supporting museums can help preserve history and promote education.
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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Hey, we’re going to do an “Ask Emily” video where you ask questions and I provide some answers. It’s fairly straightforward. Let’s go!
Old Wolf asked on Twitter: “Hi, Emily! Will museums purchase items such as fossils or historical items from private collectors, or do they rely solely on donated artifacts?” The answer is that it’s a little bit of both. Various collections in museums will accept donations if the provenance of that material is sound. Provenance is just a way of saying that the item or specimen has a verifiable record and was obtained legally.
Just recently, Jochen and Martin from the invertebrate zoology collection went to Muncie, Indiana, to pick up a huge shell collection of more than 18,000 seashells that were amassed by the late Dr. Byron Gtorte, a longtime faculty member at Ball State University and a huge fan of shells. His widow, Sally, donated the collection to the Field Museum, where it will be studied and cared for in perpetuity. But sometimes we do purchase items for the collection too. Last year, a Field Museum trustee went to an auction and picked up an original pancake camera, the very style invented by the museum’s first chief taxidermist, Carl Akeley. Akeley was obsessed with making his taxidermy mounts as lifelike as possible and invented one of the first motion picture cameras to document animals and study their movements and forms more closely. Since Akeley has such a history at the Field Museum, it made sense for us to have one of his cameras.
Marcus asked: “Got any info on Sue’s new suite that the general public doesn’t know?” Definitely! We relocated Sue last year, and you wouldn’t believe what happened during the move. Just kidding! Sue was carefully dismantled in the museum’s main hall and reassembled in her own gallery space last year. Some updates were made to the skeleton’s pose, and we added some new features. It took researchers a few years to figure out how they were supposed to fit on the body. Unless you’re paying really close attention, you might just miss one of my favorite details from the new Sue exhibit: there’s a video that plays on the screens in the back of the exhibit where Sue is shown in a humorous way.
Erin Ambrose asked: “My six-year-old is wondering how the researchers figured out the age of Sue the T-Rex when she died.” Scientists can determine the age of a dinosaur and many other vertebrates by carefully examining their bones. As you age and grow, your body lays down new layers of bone, which can be counted when you cut a cross-section of that bone, similar to counting tree rings. This field of research is called ontogeny, the study of an organism’s development. It was thought that Sue was about 28 years old when she died.
Juan Perez asked: “What are the chances of an interview with Sue the T-Rex?” I’d love to see my two favorite Field Museum residents in the same video! We are here in the Griffin Dinosaur Experience at the Field Museum, interviewing Sue the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the largest and most complete T-Rex ever found, excavated outside of South Dakota.
Kevin asked: “What animal would you most like to dissect on camera?” I want to know what the inside of a platypus looks like. They’re so bizarre that in 1799, when George Shaw at the British Museum was writing up a description of a platypus sent to Europe, he was fairly certain it was a hoax.
Cheyanne Schneider asked: “I started prepping at my university’s museum and I’m getting really frustrated. I constantly worry about messing up and feel like my work will never be as good as the curators. Did you ever feel like this, and how long did it take you to gain confidence in your preps?” Of course, I felt like this! It’s normal to struggle in the beginning. You’re learning a new skill that requires a unique set of abilities. Plus, there are sometimes unusual smells, and the insides of animals can be a bit challenging at first. It does get easier over time with practice.
Kevin also asked about the alarming decline in insect populations and what museums can do to help combat this crisis. There have been numerous reports indicating that insect populations have plummeted in the last 40 years, sometimes by as much as 60 to 75 percent. Museums and their collections offer a baseline for historic distributions of many animal groups, including insects. Entomologists and ecologists consult these collections to verify where certain species have been collected in the past.
Persie asked: “What are the best ways to support your local and national museums?” If you can, you should visit them, participate in their programs, and attend their events. Many museums base their budget projections on attendance and revenue from the previous year. If a museum gets extra foot traffic one year, they might expect the same the next year. If you can’t visit, you can support their work by following and interacting with them on social media or visiting their website.
Techno Plasm asked: “Do you ever find it hard to stay positive about nature and natural history when we are witnessing habitat degradation and animal extinctions?” Yes, of course, I struggle. Some days are really hard, and on those days, I stay home and watch the birds at my feeders. Every day, I learn something new and fascinating that makes me fall in love with the Earth all over again.
Thanks to everyone who sent in questions! Sorry if I didn’t get to yours, but feel free to leave one in the comments below, and I will try to get to your questions in the next couple of weeks. We have some exciting videos coming out soon, and that’s all I’m going to say about it. Thanks for watching!
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any informal language or potentially inappropriate content.
Museums – Institutions that collect, preserve, and display objects of scientific, artistic, or historical importance – The museums in our city have a special exhibit on the evolution of mammals.
Fossils – Preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms found in rocks – Scientists study fossils to understand how life on Earth has changed over millions of years.
Donations – Gifts or contributions, often of money, to support a cause or organization – The wildlife conservation project relies on donations to protect endangered species.
Dinosaur – A group of reptiles that lived millions of years ago, known for their large size and diverse forms – The discovery of a new dinosaur species has provided insights into prehistoric ecosystems.
Ontogeny – The development and growth of an organism from embryo to adult – Studying the ontogeny of frogs helps scientists understand their life cycle and adaptations.
Platypus – A unique egg-laying mammal native to Australia, known for its duck-bill and webbed feet – The platypus is an example of a monotreme, a rare type of mammal that lays eggs.
Insect – A small arthropod animal with six legs and generally one or two pairs of wings – Bees are an important type of insect that play a crucial role in pollinating plants.
Populations – Groups of individuals of the same species living in a particular area – The populations of certain fish species are declining due to overfishing and habitat loss.
Ecology – The branch of biology that studies the interactions between organisms and their environment – Ecology helps us understand how different species coexist and affect each other in an ecosystem.
Nature – The natural world, including plants, animals, landscapes, and other features and products of the earth – Exploring nature can help us appreciate the diversity and beauty of life on our planet.
