InsideVirginia Museum of NATUR AL HISTORY RESEARCH

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OCEAN FLOOR EXPLORED

BRYOZOANS IN BRAZIL

DESERT WHALES

Number 1 • 2006

The earth is an unpredictable body in a state of constant flux. In recent years the violence and power of hurricanes, tsunamis and tornadoes have left an indelible mark on our minds. Simply put the natural world is an awesome place. What sets humankind apart is our inquiring mind, and one of our most ba-sic questions is, “What makes the world work”? Cer-tainly a very simple question, but one that has no simple answer and, if we are ever to really understand our home, it requires to be broken down into an in-finite number of associated questions. Each scientist at the Virginia Museum of Natural History works on a subset of these questions, and strives to learn more and share their new found knowledge with others. Questions regarding the natural history of Virginia are at the forefront of their minds, but the natural world knows no political boundaries, and to come to grips with the whole picture scientists must often travel further a-field. For instance, over the past year Dr. Dooley has begun a collaboration with Peruvian paleontologists on localities yielding fossils of 14 million year old whales in Ica Province. It turns out that, although the Peruvian fossil whale populations show distinct differences from similar aged fossils in Virginia, there is one exception in the form of a new form of sperm whale. Dr. Dooley hopes that with continued field work he will learn more about this connection between Virginia and Peru. As our global transportation systems become more sophisticated we are breaking down the natural barriers to the dispersion of many organisms. Con-sequently the invasion of marine habitats by alien species is becoming a huge problem. Marine animals can be dispersed far and wide when ships dump ballast water containing their larvae thousands of miles from the original source, and encrusting or-ganisms hitch rides on the hulls of ships. Without the knowledge of distribution patterns in other parts of the world and their recent fossil records it is not possible to accurately monitor the progress of these potential invasive species. Marine taxonomists, such as Dr. Winston, are taking part in rapid assessment surveys to determine the spread and persistence of

Since it’s founding in 1984, the Virginia Museum of Natural History has de-veloped a strong reputation for significant research and important collections, which now number more than 22 million items.

Over the past year, the Museum received more than $75,000 in grants and contracts to support research, collections and education. Research at VMNH with its eight research scientists focuses on studies of Invertebrate Paleontology, Vertebrate Paleontology, Recent Invertebrates, Archaeology, Marine Science and Earth Science.

While the Museum’s primary geographic strengths are in Virginia and the Southeastern United States, the collections and research programs span the globe including China, Peru, Brazil, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Russia, and Tanzania.

Soon the Virginia Museum of Natural History will have a great building with world-class exhibits that will showcase this research. It is the tireless dedication of those who deeply care about the Museum’s mission—including supporters such as you, a strong board and staff that have allowed our institution to achieve so much in such a short period of time. I thank each of you for your support and encour-age you to visit our new museum at 21 Starling Avenue in Martinsville when we open in September 2006.

Timothy J. Gette,VMNH Executive Director

exotic species which may wreak economic and en-vironmental havoc in the marine ecosystems they invade. Dr. Winston’s research on bryozoans (moss animals) took her to São Sebastião, Brazil to help undertake an inventory of the species in that part of the world. Some of the bryozoans that have in-vaded Brazil from Asia have also made it into the Caribbean and Florida, and it may just be a mat-ter of time before they show up in the Chesapeake Bay. Visitors from across the ocean cause headaches today, but an unwelcome visitor from outer space caused more than a few headaches 35 million years ago. During the late Eocene Epoch a massive bo-lide struck what is now the eastern part of Virginia. Its signature in the form of the Chesapeake Bay is Dr. Lauck Ward is now collaborating with ge-ologists from DEQ and the USGS, among others, to examine new drill cores taken from within the impact site. From a detailed study of their content these scientists hope to gain a better understanding of what shaped our coastline and its effect on pres-ent day wells and the Coastal Plain aquifer system. Whether it’s sequencing DNA from Fox squirrel hair on the Delmarva peninsula, collecting insects in pit fall traps in Mount Rogers Recreation area or studying a 220 million year old reptile from a borehole drilled in Siberia, the curators at VMNH are constantly learning more about the place we call home.

Dr. Nicholas Fraser,VMNH Director of Research and Collections

InsideVirginia Museum of NATUR AL HISTORY RESEARCH

From the Director of Research and Collections

From the Executive Director

Published by the Virginia Museum of Natural History Marketing Department, 21 Starling Av-enue, Martinsville, VA 24112, for VMNH mem-bers, scholars, educators, libraries, journalists and supporters. To be added to the mailing list or for more information, call (276) 666-8600.

Production StaffRyan L. Barber, EditorMelody Cartwright, Art DirectorTim Cox, Graphic Designer, Timothy-David Design

Executive StaffTimothy J. Gette, Executive DirectorGloria W. Niblett, Director of Administration and ServicesDr. Nicholas C. Fraser, Director of Research and CollectionsDr. Dennis A. Casey, Director of Education and Public ProgramsRyan L. Barber, Director of Marketing and External AffairsNancy Bell Dethlefsen, Director of Development

Research and Collections Board CommitteeDr. Anne C. Lund, ChairBriggs W. AndrewsElizabeth C. ColeDr. Oliver S. Flint, Jr.Professor Ervin L. Jordan, Jr.Dr. J. James Murray, Jr.Lisa L. Wu

Scientific Advisory BoardDr. William Shear, Chair Dr. John HolsingerDr. Michael KosztarabDr. Duncan PorterDr. Janet ReidDr. Mary SchweitzerDr. E-an Zen

Research and Collections StaffDr. James S. Beard, Curator of Earth SciencesDr. Alton C. Dooley, Jr., Assistant Curator of PaleontologyDr. Nicholas C. Fraser, Director of Research and Collections, Curator of Vertebrate PaleontologyDr. Richard L. Hoffman, Curator of Recent InvertebratesDr. Nancy D. Moncrief, Curator of MammalogyDr. Elizabeth A. Moore, Curator of Archaeology and CollectionsLauck W. Ward, Curator of Invertebrate PaleontologyJudith E. Winston, Curator of Marine BiologyHaley E. Cartmell, Research Assistant, Biology Jill K. Harris, RegistrarSusan C. Kirby, Lab Assistant, Earth SciencesStephanie K. Mace, Research Assistant, Recent Invertebrates

Number 1 • 2006

INSIDE VMNH RESEARCH • 2006 �

Voyage to the Bottom of the SeaBy Dr. James Beard,VMNH Curator of Earth Sciences

n March 3rd, 2005, the drill ship JOIDES Resolution docked in the Azores Islands. Aboard were

the 30 scientists (including yours truly) from 9 countries that made up the scientific party of IODP expedition 305. We were returning from an eight week expedition to an area of the Atlantic Ocean 900 miles to the southwest and brought with us nearly a mile of solid rock core. The rocks were

drilled from the Atlantis Massif, a 16,000 foot high undersea mountain located near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and they were un-like anything else that had ever been found in the 37-year history of deep ocean drilling. The core samples consist almost entirely of an igneous rock called gabbro. Gabbro forms when basalt magma, instead of erupt-ing at the surface as lava, crystallizes slowly deep within the Earth. Although this was

not the first deep ocean drilling expedi-tion to find gabbro, the type of gabbro we found was unique. To understand how, you need to know a little about how gabbro and basalt magma form. Deep under the mid-ocean ridges, hot mantle from deep within the Earth rises slowly (inches per year) towards the surface. As the mantle rises, it begins to melt. The liquid rock formed in this way is called a

O

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Bottom: The author and friend aboard the Joides Resolution at the drill site. The ocean in this area in approximately 5000 feet deep.

Geology

primary basalt magma. This primary magma is almost never seen at the surface because, as it rises towards the surface, various things happen that change its chemistry. It can begin to crystallize, it can become trapped in magma chambers and mix with other batches of magma or it can interact with the surrounding rocks. Even after it crystal-lizes, the magma, now a gabbro, is subject to shearing along faults and metamorphism by hot fluids percolating through the crust.

“In essence we drilled

into a still cooling

magma chamber....

Preliminary results are

already changing our

understanding of how &

when metamorphism

occurs in the deep

ocean crust.”All of the gabbros found in previous ocean drilling expeditions were strongly affected by these processes. Most of our gabbros, however, were fresh and unaltered and represent the most pristine and most primitive sample of deep crust ever found in the oceans. These gab-bros will allow scientists to go a long way towards understanding the chemistry and composition of the elusive primary basalt. The exp 304-305 gabbros were exciting in another way. They were still hot (about 200C, the temperature of a medium oven) when they were drilled. In essence we drilled into a still cooling magma chamber. We were actually able to capture the cooling process and some of the metamorphism

� INSIDE VMNH RESEARCH • 2006

Top: The drill site is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge about 900 miles southwest of the Azores Islands. The ridge is the place where new ocean crust is formed as rock from deep within the Earth rises and melts.

that accompanied cooling as it occurred, something that has never happened before. Preliminary results are already changing our understanding of how and when metamor-phism occurs in the deep ocean crust. Most of the exciting science that will come out of the expedition 305 gabbros is just beginning. But beyond the science, IODP presents a wonderful opportunity for international cooperation. I’m looking forward to collaborating with scientists from Japan, England, and France as we work to-gether towards solving some of the mysteries of the deep ocean crust. •

Top: Suspendisse tincidunt dui id nisi. Nunc sollicitudin nisi eu lorem. Donec do-lor. Etiam nec diam. Aenean in lectus nec arcu vehicula sagittis. Maecenas nunc pu-rus, accumsan in, lobortis et, placerat quis, erat. Donec ac massaolor cursus ultricies.

Top left: Magnified view (50x) of the gabbro drilled by expedi-tion 305 taken in polarized light. The mineral olivine (magnesium silicate) shows bright colors as a result of interference – similar to the bright rings of color seen in a thin sheen of oil atop water. Top right: Magnified view (100x) metamorphosed gabbro taken in re-flected light. The bright spots are iron pyrite and similar minerals. Bottom right: Suspendisse tincidunt dui id nisi. Nunc sollicitudin nisi eu.

Base of operations: The drill tower aboard Joides Resolution after a spring rainstorm.

rom mid-January to mid-February 18, 2005, VMNH marine biolo-gist, Dr. Judith Winston worked

with Brazilian colleagues at CEBIMar, the University of São Paulo’s marine station in São Sebastião, Brazil. She was invited there to assist USP scientists in collecting and identifying bryozoans for a field guide to the marine life of the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The field guide is part of the BIOTA Project, a FASEP (a Brazilian science foundation) supported survey of the marine fauna of the state, and all expenses for the trip were paid by USP. This was her second visit to work on the project; her first visit was in November 2002. Earlier taxonomic studies on marine bryozoans of Brazil were carried out by Ernst and Eveline Marcus, two German scientists who immigrated to Brazil in the mid-1930s. Ernst became Professor of Zool-ogy at the new University of São Paulo. He and his wife, a trained biological illustrator, studied marine and freshwater invertebrates there from the 1930s to the 1950s and pub-

lished many scientific papers on them. Their work was excellent and is still much in use in Brazil and elsewhere, but because the tax-onomy of bryozoans has changed some since that time and because new collections and photographs of live animals were wanted for the guidebook, Dr. Winston was asked to help update their bryozoan work. During the sampling phase of the BIOTA project, from 2001-2005, more than 130 species of bryozoans were col-lected. Ninety-six of the species reported previously from the state of São Paulo were found again. Photographs and preliminary studies of morphology indicate that there

Life Beyond the BeachBy Dr. Judith Winston,VMNH Curator of Marine Biology

F

are new species to be described as well. Detailed morphologic study using SEM will be needed for the description of the new species. During her two visits, Dr. Winston and Dr. Alvaro Migotto, Director of the ma-rine station, photographed living colonies of most of the species, and Dr. Winston made the necessary measurements of zooid dimensions for the descriptions. Once all the descriptions are complete they will be translated into Portuguese for the guidebook volume to be published by the University of São Paulo Press.

Top: Brazilian marine biology graduate student Gustavo Muniz Dias collects a bryozoan colony from his experimental fouling panels so that it can be included in the guidebook to local marine bryozoans on which Dr. Judith Winston is working in cooperation with Al-varo Migotto, Director of the Centro de Biologia Marinha of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Dr. Judith Winston)

Photographs and

preliminary studies of

morphology indicate that

there are new

species to be

described as well.

Marine Biology

� INSIDE VMNH RESEARCH • 2006

INSIDE VMNH RESEARCH • 2006 �

(continued)

Top: Microphotograph of a colony of Bicellariella, a bryozoan found in the BIOTA survey of the marine fauna of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Long spines on the funnel-shaped individual zooids protect them from damage by predators or water movement. (Photo by Dr. Alvaro Esteves Migotto)

For Dr. Winston the most exciting part of working in Brazil was the discovery of a new fauna of minute species of bryozoans and other encrusting animals which live attached to single grains of sand or shell. She and Dr. Migotto have published a paper on these animals and their unusual way of life. Most encrusting invertebrates need much larger surfaces, such as entire shells or rocks to settle on, so this discovery of an interstitial refuge may be important in understanding their distributions. Long days and nights were spent col-lecting and working in the lab, but Dr. Winston also enjoyed seeing a little of the local area. The small town of São Sebastião

Right: A blue colony of Lichenopora, a cyclostome bryozoan, is nestled next to an empty barnacle shell (upper right) and has grown over a pink calcareous alga. (Photo by Dr. Alvaro Esteves Migotto)

“...this discovery of an

interstitial refuge may be

important in

understanding their

distributions.”

� INSIDE VMNH RESEARCH • 2006

was founded in colonial days and has many beautiful old buildings. It is a now a seaside resort, with seafood restaurants lining the waterfront and crowds of summer tour-ists, especially during the week of Carnival which ends the summer season in Brazil. Dr. Winston enjoyed dancing in the streets with the students from the marine lab during the Carnival parade and seeing the floats and costumes of the parade participants. “It wasn’t much like the giant Rio Parade I saw

Top: Close-up of a living colony of Mem-branipora tenella. The young of this bryo-zoan species preferentially settle on floating objects, such as driftwood and sea beans (the drifting seeds of tropical vines and trees). These chief habitat of Membranipora tenella is floating plastic trash. The increasing accu-

on TV,” she noted, “this parade was home-made and small town style--- but lots of fun for kids and grownups alike.” Educational outreach was an important part of the project, too. Dr. Winston helped graduate students at the marine lab with identification of bryozoans found in their thesis projects. She is working with Brazil-ian graduate student, Laís Vieira Ramalho, on the species description writing and with another graduate student, Leandro Man-zoni, on the translation of the descriptions. During her visit she posted a weblog on the VMNH website every few days describing the project’s progress for students and other virtual visitors to our site. •

mulation of plastic debris in the oceans may be helping this species increase its distribution and abundance. (Photo by Dr. Alvaro Esteves Migotto)

Bottom: View of the town of São Sebastião, Brazil. The long pier in the background is part of a large commercial port for oil tankers. The mountainous island of Ihlabela, a fa-vorite Brazilian tourist destination, is visible beyond a narrow channel. The marine station is located on the far side of the town. (Photo by Dr. Judith Winston)

INSIDE VMNH RESEARCH • 2006 �

Desert WhalesBy Dr. Alton Dooley,VMNH Assistant Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology

eru’s Atacama desert is one of the driest places on Earth – some areas have not had any rain since people

started keeping records. The region is covered with very fine, dusty sand, piled in places into giant sand dunes. Occasionally wind-sculpted hills poke up through the sand. Walking across the Atacama, you don’t see lizards, flies, or even cactuses – it’s far too dry. These desolate hills, 1,000 feet above sea level and more than 20 miles from the ocean, seem a strange place to find fossil whales. Yet the Peruvian desert has some of the richest deposits of marine fossils any-where. Sediments deposited in deep water over the last 40 million years have been elevated thousands of feet due to rapid rates of uplift along the Peruvian coast. In 2001, I received an email from Peru-vian paleontologist Mario Urbina, which included a photograph of a fossil whale. The photo was of a 10-million-year-old sperm whale, one of the rarest types of fossil whales--only about a dozen skulls have ever been found. The Peruvian skull had a very unusual mix of advanced and primitive characteristics, including large upper teeth

that are very rare in such advanced sperm whales. Mario knew the sperm whale would pique my interest, but he didn’t know just how excited I would be. Six years earlier, a VMNH team had excavated a sperm whale at the Carmel Church Quarry in Caroline County, the first fossil sperm whale skull ever found in Virginia. It was immediately apparent that the Carmel Church specimen was a new species, from its mix of advanced and primitive features, including large upper teeth. Even from a photograph, it was clear that the Peruvian and Virginian sperm whales were probably close relatives. This was the first time that closely related sperm whale species had been found in two different places, much less different ocean basins. Af-ter seeing the pictures, I knew I was going to have to go to Peru to better understand Virginia’s whales. Getting to the Peruvian fossil deposits is not easy. Arriving in the national capital of Lima at midnight after a long flight from

the US, there’s a 4-5 hour drive south along the Pan American highway.

Then, it’s necessary to leave the road

in a 4-wheel drive and head across the desert, with a local guide--it’s easy to get lost in this desert, with no roads, no vegetation, and few landmarks. Once on site, though, the fossils are well worth the wait. In spite of the richness of these deposits, they have not been extensively studied or excavated. While many Peruvian toothed whales and some seals were described by French paleontologist Christian de Muizon in the 1980s, most of the whales there are

almost completely unknown. The toothed whales are unusual in their own right. A group of small dolphins called pontoporiids are particularly common. The only living pontoporiid, Pontoporia, lives off the Atlantic coast of Brazil and Argentina. But the Peruvian deposits have a great vari-

(continued)

P

Above: Sperm whale skull from Carmel Church, Virginia.

Bottom: Sperm whale skull from Cerro la Bruja, Peru.

Vertebrate Paleontology

Since it is not bone, baleen does not usu-ally fossilize, and there have only been a few reports of fossilized baleen plates. However, many of the baleen whales in Peru have preserved baleen plates--the only place in the world this has been observed. So how can the Peruvian fossils help us understand Virginia’s natural history? Peru in many ways is almost the exact opposite of Virginia--it’s located in a different hemi-sphere, in a different ocean basin, and the sedimentary rocks formed in deep water

rather than in shallow water. The contrast in the marine life between the two places is informative. Knowing what wasn’t living in Virginia tells us something about Virginia’s past environments. Already there have been some surprising observations made about the two faunas. Most modern baleen whales are found in all oceans, so the baleen whales living of the coast of Virginia today are largely the same species living today off the Peruvian coast. Yet in the fossil deposits, there is so far not a single baleen whale species that has been found in both Peru and Virginia. Likewise, early observations suggest that both the dolphins and the sea turtles are different between the two locations. This pattern doesn’t hold for some of the other animals. Most of the sharks found in Virginia are also found in Peru. And of course, there is the pair of intriguing sperm whale skulls that first pointed to a connec-tion between Peru and Virginia. What was happening in the ancient oceans to cause such an unusual distribution of animals, so different from what we see today? Con-tinued excavation and study of the fossils in both Virginia and Peru may eventually reveal the answer. •

� INSIDE VMNH RESEARCH • 2006

ety of specialized pontoporiids. Interestingly, many of them seem to parallel other groups of dolphins found in Virginia and Maryland during the same time period. One of the strangest Peruvian whales is Odobenocetops. This small whale has a skull with many of the same adaptations as a walrus, even including large tusks (Odobeno-cetops means “walrus head”). Apparently, like walruses, it fed on shellfish that lived on the seafloor. Some of the most spectacular skeletons are the baleen whales, relatives of the mod-ern blue and humpback whales. These giant

whales are named for their feeding appara-tus. Baleen is a soft tissue that hangs from the roof of the mouth, and is used to filter shrimp and small fish from the water. The Atacama is littered with the skel-etons of huge baleen whales, up to 50 feet long. Often, these are complete skeletons, including all the tail vertebrae, and all the small bones in the flippers. Most of these whales were preserved lying on their backs--when the whale dies, decomposition gases cause it to roll onto its back before it finally sinks. The completeness of the skeletons indicates that the whales died in fairly deep water, that was free of most large scavengers.

Top: Fossil baleen whale at Cerro la Bruja, Peru.

Insert: Closeup of the fossilized baleen plates.

Left: Side view of the skull of Odobenocetops. The front of the skull is to the right.

Books and Publications

Special Publications:Proceedings of the Second Symposium on Southeastern Fox Squirrels, Sciurus niger. N. Moncrief, J. W. Edwards, and P. A. Tappe., eds. Pp. 1-84. 1993.

Amphibians and Reptiles of Assateague and Chincoteague Islands. J. C. Mitchell and J. M. Anderson. Pp. 1-120. 1994.

Scale Insects of Northeastern North Ameri-ca: Identification, Biology, and Distribution. Michael Kosztarab. Pp. 1-650. 1996.

Developing Staff Resources for Managing Collections. P. S. Cato (ed.). Pp. 1-71. 1996.

The Biology of Tiger Beetles and a Guide to the Species of the South Atlantic States. C. B. Knisley and T. D. Schultz. Pp. 1-210. 1997.

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Tree Squirrels. Pp 1-310. 1998

Proceedings of the Appalachian Biogeog-raphy Symposium. R. P. Eckerlin, ed. Pp. 1-258. 1999.

Checklist of the Millipeds of North and Middle America. R. L. Hoffman. Pp. 1-564. 1999.

Identification of Waterfowl Breastbones and Avian Osteology (Sterna) of North Ameri-can Anseriformes. D. W. Oates, E. D. Boyd, and J. S.Ramaekers. Pp. 1-51. 2003.

A Classification and Checklist of the Genus Psudanophthalmus Jeannel (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae). T. C. Barr, Jr. Pp. 1-52. 2004.

A Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America. C. V. Covell, Jr. Pp. 1-496. 2005.

Memoirs:Evolution of Environments and Hominidae in the African Western Rift Valley. N. T. Boaz, ed. Pp. 1-356. 1990.

Molluscan Biostratigraphy of the Miocene, Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain of North America. L. W. Ward. Pp. 1-159. 2001.

Molluscan Assemblages of the Chowan River Formation, Part A. L. W. Ward and N. L. Gilinsky. Pp. 1-40. 1993.

The Megaflora from the Quantico Locality (Upper Albian), Lower Cretaceous Potomac Group of Virginia. G. R. Upchurch, P. R. Crone, and A. N. Drinnan. Pp. 1-57. 1994.

A Synopsis of the North American Cen-tipedes of the Order Scolopendromorpha (Chilopoda). R. M. Shelley. Pp. 1-108. 2002.

Systematics of the freshwater amphipod ge-nus Crangonyx (Crangonyctidae) in North America. J. Zhang and J. R. Holsinger. Pp. 1-274. 2003.

Re-description and revision of Smitt’s “Floridan Bryozoa” in the Collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. J. E. Winston. Pp.1-160. 2005.

A New Species of Squalodon (Mammalia, Cetacea) From The Middle Miocene Of Virginia.. A. C. Dooley, Jr. Pp. 1-17. 2005.

Guidebooks:Early to Middle Carnian (Triassic) Flora and Fauna of the Richmond and Taylorsville Basins, Virginia and Maryland, U.S.A. B. Cornet and P. E. Olsen. Pp. 1-83. 1990.

Geologic Evolution of the Eastern United States. A. Schultz and E. Compton-Good-ing, eds. Pp. 1-304. 1991.

Stratford Hall Plantation and Westmoreland State Park: Physical and Cultural Geology, and Paleontology. L. B. Rohr, M. E. Lewis, and L. W. Ward. Pp. 1-93. 2002.

Insects of Virginia 14. Seed bugs of Virginia Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Lygaeidae). R. L. Hoffman Pp. i-vi, 1-111. 1996.

Books listed may be ordered online at www.vmnh.net or by calling 276-666-8600 (leave message if voice mail comes on). Other options include fax: 276-632-6487 or email: books@vmnh.net.

Virginia Museum of Natural HistoryAttention: Publications Order1001 Douglas AvenueMartinsville, VA 24112

VMNH Senior FellowsDr. Mitchell ByrdCollege of William & MaryWilliamsburg, Virginia

Dr. Oliver S. Flint, Jr. Smithsonian InstitutionWashington DC

Dr. William J. Hargis, Jr.Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceGloucester Point, Virginia

Dr. C. E. RaySmithsonian InstitutionWashington, DC

Dr. William A. Shear Hampden Sydney CollegeHampden Sydney, Virginia

Dr. E-An ZenUniversity of MarylandCollege Park, MarylandAssociates

VMNH Research AssociatesDr. Laurie AndersonLouisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, Louisiana

Dr. Miranda J. Armour-Chelu Howard UniversityWashington, DC

Dr. Michael B. BarberU. S. Forest Service--Jefferson and Washington ForestsSalem, Virginia

Dr. Gretchen K. BenedixVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia

Dr. Raymond L. BernorHoward UniversityWashington, DC

Dr. C. Clifford Boyd, Jr.Radford UniversityRadford, Virginia

Dr. Donna Boyd Radford UniversityRadford, Virginia

Dr. R. P. Stephen Davis, Jr.Univ. of North Carolina-Chapel HillChapel Hill, North Carolina

Dr. Raymond D. Dueser Utah State UniversityLogan, Utah

Dr. Ralph P. EckerlinNorthern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale, Virginia

Dr. Arthur V. Evans Richmond Virginia

Dr. Steven J. Hageman Appalachian State UniversityBoone, North Carolina

Mr. William S. Henika Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia

Dr. Richard HightonProfessor EmeritusUniversity of MarylandCollege Park, Maryland

Dr. John R. Holsinger Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, Virginia

Dr. Patricia H. Kelley University of North Carolina--WilmingtonWilmington, North Carolina

Dr. Boris C. Kondratieff Colorado State UniversityFort Collins, Colorado

Ms. Marilyn R. London Smithsonian InstitutionNational Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of MarylandBethesda, Maryland

Dr. Jerry N. McDonald Granville, Ohio

Dr. Frank K. McKinney Appalachian State UniversityBoone, North Carolina

Dr. Joseph C. Mitchell University of RichmondRichmond, Virginia

Dr. Karen MudarNational Park ServiceWashington, DC

Dr. Paul E. Olsen Lamont-Doherty Geological Observa-toryPalisades, New York

Dr. John F. Pagels Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, Virginia

Dr. Charles R. Parker USGS Biological Resources Division--Great Smoky Field StationGatlinburg, Tennessee

Dr. John H. Porter University of VirginiaCharlottesville, Virginia

Dr. Janet Reid Virginia Museum of Natural HistoryMartinsville, Virginia

Dr. Steven M. Roble Virginia Department of Conservation and RecreationDivision of Natural HeritageRichmond, Virginia

Dr. Edwin S. RobinsonEmeritus ProfessorDepartment of Geological SciencesVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia

Dr. A. Krishna Sinha Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia

Dr. Hans-Dieter Sues Smithsonian InstitutionNational Museum of Natural HistoryWashington, DC

Dr. Richard P. Tollo George Washington UniversityWashington, DC

Dr. Robert J. Tracy Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg Virginia

Dr. Christopher TudgeAmerican UniversityWashington, DC

Dr. William David Webster University of North Carolina--Wilm-ingtonWilmington, North Carolina

Affiliated ResearchersMs. Carole L. Nash James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, Virginia

the relatively large size and abun-dance of scarabs, we still have a long way to go in register-ing the Virginia contingent. Some 230 species have been recorded from the Com-monwealth, and additions are being made regularly, the latest being a spectacular spe-cies named Phanaeus igneus. For years it was thought to range between North Carolina and Louisiana, but in July of

2003, sixteen specimens were captured at a study site along the Chowan River just southeast of Franklin, Virginia. Dr. Steven Roble, a zool-

ogist with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, had been surveying the insect

fauna there for several years without encountering this bee-

tle, suggesting a short period of midsummer adult activity. When

his 2003 collections were processed and identified at the museum in 2006, Phanaeus igneus was found to be new not only to our collections, but to the known fauna of Virgin-ia as well, albeit occurring north of the state line by just a few miles. Will it be found elsewhere in our southeast? The name igneus (“firey”) was bestowed to denote the metallic red color of the forebody in some (not all) males. Some males and apparent-ly all females are uniformly

dull black.

fieldwork. When the archaeology program was discontinued, VMI, like many universi-ties, found itself in the position of having col-lections to care for that it no longer needed to support teaching or research. VMNH ac-quired a large amount of prehistoric material from throughout the United States, including some large collections from Virginia. This collection of artifacts will be used for a variety of learning experiences for VMNH visitors. When we move to the new facility on Starling Avenue, VMNH Archaeology Cura-tor Dr. Elizabeth Moore will be working with members of the Archaeological Society of Virginia to put together a synoptic collection of stone tools that will be available in the archaeol-ogy lab. This synoptic collec-tion will contain at least one of every artifact type found in the collection from Virginia and can be used by avocational and profes-sional visitors to help them identify artifacts. Although there are a number of published guide books that people can use to identify artifacts, having a collection of identi-fied artifacts to look at and handle can be even more valuable.

InsideVirginia Museum of NATUR AL HISTORY RESEARCH

Number 1 • 2006

first glance, the artifacts in this tray may look pretty much the same. A closer look, however, reveals differ-

ences in the rock material that they are made out of, differences in the form, or shape, of the artifacts, and differences in their size.

The stone tools in this tray, referred to by ar-chaeologists as “projectile points,” are a very small part of a significant collection transferred to the Virginia Museum of Natural History from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). For some time VMI had an active archaeology program that included both course work and

carab beetles are among the best-known insects, revered by the ancient Egyptians and still modeled in jew-

elry; everyone knows “June bugs” and Japa-nese beetles. About 15,000 species have been described so far, and roughly a tenth of that number occur in the United States. Despite

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New to Collections

Written in Stone

From Ancient Egypt to Virginia

Virginia Museum of Natural History1001 Douglas AvenueMartinsville, Virginia 24112

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P A I DMartinsville, VAPermit No. 456