national museum of natural history

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF

NATURAL HISTORY

MUSEUM REPORT 2009 2010

@ 100 | PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

NatioNal MuseuM of

NatUral History@ 100 | Past, PreseNt & future

on March 17, 1910, our doors opened for the first time to welcome an enthusiastic and curious public. the intervening hundred years have been a time of amazing advances, and the Museums accomplishments have been no

less significant. in our first century, we have assembled the largest natural history

collection in the world, hosted 300 million visitors, re-imagined our exhibition spaces,

embraced new technologies, and made important contributions to understanding the

natural world and our place in it.

Knowledge for a Sustainable Future, the Museums strategic Plan for 2010 to 2015, establishes a roadmap to begin the journey into our second century. the plan builds on our strong legacy and provides guidance for the futurean era of inevitable change during which our scientific endeavors, collections, exhibitions, and educational programs will be more relevant than ever.

in addition to continuing broad explorations of nature and culture, the Museum will undertake interdisciplinary initiatives designed to address issues of major societal importance. We will also strive to become the hub of a global network of institutions committed to the free exchange of ideas and knowledge, apply new methods and technologies to the study of our collections, use innovative approaches to share our resources with people across the globe, and play a key role in the training of future generations of scientists and museum professionals.

a great institution is only as great as its people, so we would like to thank our talented staff, volunteers, collaborators, and supporters for their invaluable contributions to the Museum and for their commitment to its mission.

We are proud of how far we have come in one hundred years. We have a strong advisory board, clear priorities, and a good track record of results. We look forward to the exciting journey into our second century.

Donald E. Hurlbert

John Steiner

Donald E. Hurlbert

Chip Clark

Cristin Samper

Kathryn S. Fuller

Paul G. Risser

Cristin SamperDirector

Paul G. RisserBoard ChairNovember 2008 to November 2010

Kathryn S. FullerBoard ChairAs of November 2010

MuseuM rePort 2009 2010MuseuM rePort 2009 2010

Message

32National Museum of Natural History | mnh.si.edu

During the past century, the Museum has assembled the largest natural history collection in the world and led the way in scientific research and the development of knowledge, engaging the public in science through exhibitions, innovative programming, and the use of new technologies to reach out to global audiences. the Museum has greeted 300 million visitors since its inception, making it the most visited natural history museum in the world and one of the most visited museums in the united states.

since we opened our doors, the Museum has served as the foundation of smithsonian science, research, and education, said Director Cristin Samper. this milestone creates a singular opportunity to recognize the role that the Natural History Museum has played in the history of Washington, D.C., the nation, and the world. and while we continue to evolve, everyone affiliated with and working here at the Museum is immensely proud of the past one hundred years and equally excited about our vision for the future.

When the building opened on March 17, 1910, it was the second largest structure on the National Mall and known as the united states National

Museum. the original 10 million items in the collectiondelivered by horse-drawn carriagehave grown to 126 million historic and scientifi-cally valuable specimens, objects, and artifactsthe largest natural history collection anywhere.

the Museums legacy of scientific research reaches back to the 1909 expedition that discovered the Burgess shale, one of the most important paleontological findings of the early 20th century, and forward to the recent launch of the encyclopedia of life, which is bringing all scientific knowledge on living species together onto one website. through the Museums wide-ranging interdisciplinary research programs, scientists from the Museum and research institutions around the world are addressing topics of crucial importance to society, including biological diversity, global climate change, ecosystem modeling, origins of agriculture, and the documentation and preservation of human cultural heritages.

as scientific knowledge, research, and under-standing advances, the Museum continually employs the latest innovations to study, preserve, exhibit, and make our research and collections available to the public.

The MuSeuM @ 100: PaST, PreSenT,

aNd FUtUreThe M

useum @ 100

for more interactive content, visit mnh.si.edu

since 1910, the National Museum of Natural History has inspired curiosity and learning about the natural world and our place in it.

Chip Clark

James Di Loreto

The Sant Ocean Hall contrasts dramatically with the 1932 display of a giant Japanese spider crab

Anthropology staff display a small portion of the collection in storage at Pod 4 of the Museum Support Center

information technologywhether a mobile app, an interactive physical or online exhibition, or digital data available worldwideis increasingly important to meaningfully connect with our audiences, now and in the future.

The CenTennial CelebraTionthe Museums centennial was marked with a yearlong series of exhibitions, festivals, public events, social media experiences, an oral history project, and an interactive website. the celebrations centerpiece was the March 17, 2010, opening of the David H. Koch Hall of Human origins, featured on the pages that follow.

the photography exhibition Celebrating 100 Years showcased the Museums people, collections, exhibitions, and outreach through archival and modern photographs, including an overhead banner that featured members of the Museum community through the years.

at the Centennial Festival: Looking Past and Forward on september 25, 2010, visitors met scientists for a behind-the-scenes look at the work done at the Museum, spoke with authors and historical re-enactors, and explored the Museum through a centennial guidebook. some 20,000 people attended more than 30 free events.

the centennial website explores the early years of the Museum with photo galleries, multimedia highlights of memorable expeditions, an extensive timeline, and in-depth stories on many of the Museums iconic items. mnh.si.edu/onehundredyears

MuSeuM MileSToneS1902 Congress authorizes construction of the new u.s. National Museum

1909 Paleontologist and fourth smithsonian secretary Charles D. Walcott discovers the Burgess shale

1910 the u.s. National Museum opens

1930s Physical anthropologist ale Hrdlicka initiates work in forensic anthropology

1940s Mineralogist William foshag documents emergence of Mexicos Parcutin volcano

1950s Zoologist roxie laybourne begins birdstrike identification for the u.s. air force

1958 Harry Winston donates the Hope Diamond

1978 first volume of Handbook of North American Indians is published

1979 Dynamics of Evolution exhibition debuts

1983 Museum support Center opens to provide state-of-the-art collections storage and conservation facilities

1986 Museum holds first National forum on Biodiversity, resulting in biodiversity appearing for the first time in a major publication

1995 ocean Planet, the Museums first website, launches

2008 encyclopedia of life creates online resource of earths known species


The Museum @100

5the David H. Koch Hall of Human origins examines one of the truly significant sparks of human curiosity

our own originsand provides an exciting

exploration of what science can tell us

about what it means to be human.

the new exhibition hall, based on decades of work and cutting-edge research by smithsonian scientists, debuted on March 17, 2010. Dedicated to the discovery and understanding of human origins, the hall is named in honor of the man who made it possible, David H. Koch.

Dr. Richard Potts, whose research and vision is the basis of the smithsonians Human origins initiative, is the Peter Buck Chair in Human origins. the exhibitions themeWhat does it mean to be human?is one of the most profound human questions and is informed by philosophy, religion, and the arts and sciences, according to Dr. Potts. it is our hope that the exhibition will expand knowledge and understanding about our defining cultural and biological characteristics and how those traits emerged during the past six million yearsone of the most dramatic eras of environmental change in earths history.

a unique MuSeuM exPerienCeVisitors to the 15,000-square-foot hall of human origins are immersed in an interactive museum experience illuminating the major milestones in the origin of human beings and the interplay of climate change, survival, and extinction that has characterized humans ancient past. on entering the exhibition, visitors travel through a time tunnel depicting life and environments during the past six million years. Visitors can engage with forensically reconstructed, lifelike faces of prehistoric human relatives designed to provide a sense of personal connection with our distant ancestors. the exhibition features actual field research sites, 76 replica skulls from the past six million years, an

WhaT doeS iT Mean To be

HUmaN? Human D

iversity & Cultural Change

interactive human family tree, the one species living Worldwide amphitheater show, and a gallery that addresses climate change and the impact of humans on the earth. the opening of the exhibition received unprecedented media coverage, with stories in the associated Press, The New York Times, CNN, CBs, aBC, Agence France-Presse, and more.

the exhibitions companion book, What Does It Mean to Be Human?, written by Dr. Potts and co-author Christopher sloan, highlights studies on human evolution from around the world, including more than 20 years of Dr. Potts own field research and that of his collaborators.

the smithsonians first mobile app, Meanderthal, was inspired by a popular exhibition kiosk where visitors have their pictures taken and watch the images morph into early humans, such as Neanderthals. the mobile app for iPhone and android can be downloaded from the Human origins website. humanorigins.si.edu/resources/multimedia/mobile-apps

The huMan originS iniTiaTivethe Museums broader initiative human origins: What does it Mean to be human? furthers the Museums singular contributions to understanding the environmental basis of human evolution. thanks to the generosity of Dr. Peter Buck, the Museum continued its field operations at olorgesailie, Kenya. Dr. Potts led a successful season of excavation accompanied by a team of 50 researchers, students, and excavators. the research unearthed vital clues concerning the emergence of several key behaviors of our species.

Dr. Bucks gift also supports educational and outreach programs. among the most popular are the HOT (Human Origins Today) Topics that invite small-group discussion with the public in the exhibition hall, The Scientist is In events where visitors can speak directly with scientists, and The Scientist Is OnlineFrom the Field!, which was a unique, multimedia opportunity to speak directly to the researchers in Kenya during their fieldwork in summer 2010.

the Human origins initiative includes a compelling website featuring engaging interactive experiences, 3D renderings of human fossils on display, and special web-only features. humanorigins.si.edu

More than 60 u.s. and international scientific research and education organizations are collaborat-ing with the Human origins initiative, including the National academy of sciences, american association for the advancement of science, National Museums of Kenya, the Chinese academy of sciences, and more than 70 distinguished scientists and educators.

WHY it Mattersthe science of human evolution offers new perspectives on our relationship with the natural world.

Chip Clark

James Di Loreto

Chip Clark

National Museum of Natural History | mnh.si.edu

WatCHViDeo


What Does It Mean to Be Human?

WHY it Mattersstudies of the human skeleton provide unique information about life and death, teaching us about ourselves as no other type of evidence can.


on may 22, 2010, the museums arctic Studies Center opened its new research facility at the anchorage museum with the exhibition Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska. the exhibition draws on the museums comprehensive alaskan collections and those of the National museum of the american indian to present a sweeping view of the regions indigenous peoples, history, cultural traditions, art, and contemporary lifeways. the exhibition, companion book, and Sharing Knowledge website will serve as a resource for community-based research and teaching, hands-on study by scholars and artists, indigenous language documentation, and public programs focusing on alaska Native cultures and history. the exhibition will be on display until 2017 as the first installment of a continuing smithsonian arctic studies Center exhibition plan in anchorage.

Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska, edited by Dr. Aron Crowell, dr. rosita Worl, Paul C. ongtooguk, and Dawn Biddison, presents the masterful artistry and design traditions of twenty alaska Native peoples. dialogue with the regions First Peoples is reflected throughout, evoking past meanings but focusing equally on contemporary values, practices, and

identities.

the exhibition, website, and catalog represent a pioneering, in-depth collaboration between museums, scholars, and Native communities as part of the smithsonians initiative to make its collections and programs available to all.

repatriation at the smithsonian institution is governed by the National Museum of the american indian act, which asserts the rights of Native american, alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian peoples to determine the disposition of culturally affiliated human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony now in the collections of the smithsonian. at the Museum, repatriation is intended to be a collaborative process in which both staff and Native peoples become involved in determining the future of human remains and cultural objects. through the repatriation process, the Museum hopes to develop new partnerships with Native communities that will lead to greater understanding and respect for the cultural heritage of Native peoples.

the Museum has conducted more repatriations than any other museum or institution in the united states. as of 2010, approximately 5,500 individuals, 180,000 funerary objects, and 52 sacred objects or objects of cultural patrimony have been culturally affiliated, meaning that

they have been identified and made available to the associated tribes for repatriation. During 2009 and 2010, the Museum repatriated 72 human remains and almost 1,200 funerary objects to representatives of 13 tribes. anthropology.si.edu/repatriation

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the exhibitions curators, Dr. Douglas Owsley and Kari Bruwelheide, use evidence from bones, burials, and their associated objects to tell the story of how early colonists in the Chesapeake region lived and died 400 years ago. Written in Bone brings together 340 objects, artifacts, and human bones from the Museums collection and those of more than 20 archaeological organizations and museums. Highlights of the exhibition include skeletal remains and artifacts from Colonial cold cases, extremely rare lead coffins that held members of the founding family of Maryland, and facial reconstructions based on actual skulls. an introductory film, Messages from the Grave, and six additional video presentations were produced by History Channel.

the exhibitions Forensic anthropology lab invites visitors to experience firsthand how scientists examine human remains and related objects to solve mysteries of the past and present. With all the tools of a real bone laboratory, visitors are encouraged to examine real human and animal bones, teeth, insects, pollen grains, and reference materials to search for the biological clues used in forensic and archaeological cases.

Due to popular demand for programs, new forensic scientist tool Kits were developed to extend the lab experience and offer additional access for students, teachers, and families.

During Forensic Fridays, Dr. owsley, Bruwelheide, and scientists conducting forensic work in entomology, anthropology, paleontology, botany,

and ornithology present forensic cases from the past and present. Visitors have the opportunity to meet the real scientists, ask questions, and observe first-hand the basic methods used for solving real-life investigations.

the exhibitions companion book Written in Bone: The Bone Biographers

Casebook, edited by Katherine Meyers, highlights the work of Dr. owsley, Bruwelheide, and their scientific team.

the Written in Bone website includes a new kind of interactive Web comic that merges

fiction and nonfiction to solve a true 17th-century murder mystery. writteninbone.si.edu

Because of its immense popularity, Written in Bone has been extended through January 2013.

modern forensic anthropology, archaeology, and historical research are allowing early american colonists to tell their stories in Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake.

WriTTen in

BoNearCTiC STudieSCenTer/alaSKa

SMiThSonian rePaTriaTion

Hum

an Diversity &

Cultural Change

Donald E. Hurlbert

Chuck Ch

oi

Leah L. Jones

Chip C

lark

Chip Clark

Chip Clark

representatives of the Batchewana Nation and the sault ste. Marie tribe of Chippewa indians paddle from Michigan to Canada to return the remains of their ancestors for reburial.


R. Eric

Hollinger


Human Diversity & Cultural Change

WatCHViDeo

WatCHViDeo


Cyprusthe eastern-most island in the Mediterranean sea and situated at the crossroads of europe, asia, and africahas been a meeting point for many of the worlds great civilizations during its 11,000-year history.

Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilizations is on view from september 2010 through april 2011, marking the 50th anniversary of the independence of the republic of Cyprus. the exhibition features more than 200 artifacts to give an overview of the islands rich heritage and cultural

contribution to the world. objects on display for the first time in the united states include gold jewelry and sphinx sculptures; a marble aphrodite; Byzantine bronze and copper items; and medieval religious icons, paintings, and vases. Nearly 100 coins from different eras in Cypriot history are also featured.

Diverse public programming includes a family festival, activities in the Discovery room, and programs offered through the smithsonian associates. mnh.si.edu/exhibits/cyprus

as modern humans expanded across the earth, the last continents to receive them were the americas. the widely accepted theory is that people migrated on foot via a land bridge from siberia that opened when ice sheets receded during the last great ice age between 13,000 and 13,500 years ago. However, this theory is being challenged by archeological finds that are much olderwhen travel by land would have been impossible. interestingly, many of these older sites are on the east Coast.

the age of archaeological artifacts is determined in part by the date of the soil layer in which they are found. However, in many areas of the Delmarva Peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the atlantic ocean, erosion has made surface sediments difficult to mapand their archeological artifacts difficult to date. a paper in Quaternary Science Reviews 2010 by the smithsonian Paleo-indian Program, led by Dr. Dennis Stanford, defines

a framework for interpreting the ages of soil layers in the Middle atlantic, thereby providing a method for dating the associated Paleo-indian archaeology.

applying this framework to artifacts recovered from Miles Point, Maryland, the findings corroborate the date of greater than 25,000 years old, strongly indicating that the Miles Point site was occupied

more than 11,500 years before the presently accepted date for the first human occupation of the americas.

Humans have substantially altered and enhanced marine ecosystems in many ways, some of which obscure the definition of the term hunter-gatherer, according to a recent publication in Science by Dr. Torben Rick and Dr. Jon erlandson, archaeologists who have conducted excavations along coastal areas.

the development and spread of agriculture is often seen as the tipping point when humans fundamentally changed their relationship with the natural world. However, hunter-gatherers also caused major alterations of terrestrial ecosystemsburning to enhance resource productivity, relocating animals, and possibly exterminating large mammals. they also impacted coastal areas, harvesting shellfish, fish, and other coastal resources for more than 150,000 years.

some early hunter-gatherers influenced the size and structure of near-shore shellfish populations

around 23,000 years ago, the earliest evidence of human impacts on marine populations. But they also improved their environment, creating coastal clam gardens to greatly increase yields and building shell islands that rose above postglacial seas and created microhabitats of flora and fauna.

Hunter-gatherers were important components of coastal ecosystems for millennia, altering many coastal and island ecosystems long before historical accounts of early european explorers documented phenomenal abundance compared with our modern marine ecosystems.

an international team of scientists led by Dr. Dolores Piperno and Dr. anthony ranere have discovered the first direct evidence that maize was domesticated by 8,700 years ago. the research findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Maize was originally domesticated in Mexico from a wild plant called teosinte. Genetic studies of modern populations of teosinte and maize suggested this event occurred somewhere in the Central Balsas Valley region of tropical southwest Mexico, but no research on early prehistoric human settlement and agriculture had been conducted in that area.

Dr. Piperno and colleagues searched the region for locations that showed human occupancy approximately 8,000 to 9,000 years ago. they excavated the sites they discovered and analyzed stone tools and plant remains. Microfossil (starch grain and phytolith) analysis from the Xihuatoxtla shelter, conducted with irene Holst at the smithsonian tropical research institute, provides

direct evidence for the domestication of maize and a species of squash. the archaeological record establishes tropical southwest Mexico as an important region where early agriculture occurred in the New World and adds maize to the list of important cereals that were cultivated and domesticated by 9,000 years ago.

agriculture profoundly changed human interaction with the environment, leading to establishment of stable communities and increased population. research into plant domestication reveals agricultures origins and provides context for this interaction in the present and future.

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CoaSTal exPloiTaTion

Challenging TradiTional ThinKing abouT The FirST aMeriCanS

neW daTa on The originS oF Maize

CyPruS: CroSSroadS oF CivilizaTionS

Hum

an Diversity &

Cultural Change

Miles Point Paleo-American artifacts

WHY it Mattersancient human alteration of marine and land environments provides important baselines and context for the current management, restoration, and sustainability of earths ecosystems.

Elsevier

James Di Loreto

Teosinte

Henry W

ood Elliott

WHY it MattersHumans may have occupied maryland more than 25,000 years ago, which nearly doubles the antiquity of the americas and challenges the presently accepted theory of whenand howthe first americans arrived.


WatCHViDeo


WatCHViDeo

Dr. Elizabeth Borda, EOL Rubenstein Fellow

Megan Paustian, National Museum of Natural History Mentor


the Consortium for the Barcode of life is coor-dinating an international movement that is adding a standardized, DNa-

based identification system to the taxonomists toolbox. CBols 200 member organizations are participants in this movement, including natural history museums, herbaria, zoos, research organizations, governmental agencies, and other organizations involved in taxonomic research and biodiversity issues. CBols secretariat office, headquartered at the Museum, facilitates a broad array of initiatives around the world. among their many activities, CBol held the Third International Barcode of Life Conference in November 2009 in Mexico

City, attracting 350 participants from 54 countries. Planning is now underway for the Fourth International Barcode of Life Conference in adelaide, australia, in late November 2011. barcodeoflife.org

the Museum continues to be engaged in a variety of barcoding projects, including an all-taxon survey in french Polynesia (led by Dr. Christopher Meyer), insects from Papua New Guinea (CBol Chair Dr. Scott Miller), Caribbean fish (Dr. Carole Baldwin), and plants (Dr. John Kress and David Erickson). the Bird Division is partnering with CBol to barcode the extensive contents of its frozen tissue collection. this initiative will contribute barcode data for 20% of the worlds bird species and will be the largest single contribution to the global barcode library to date.

on view in the sant ocean Hall from october 2010 through april 2011, Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef: Art, Science, Community is a thought-provoking fusion of science, conservation, mathematics, and art. By engaging local communities to crochet coral reefs, the exhibition celebrates their beautiful diversity and speaks to the urgent need to protect these vanishing ecosystems.

Created and curated by Margaret and Christine Wertheim of the institute for figuring, the project is an ongoing collective experiment to tell the story of coral reefstheir beauty and the threats they facethrough crochet. for the past five years they have been working with communities all over the world to build a global network of crochet reefs.

in conjunction with the exhibition the Museum created the smithsonian Community reef, and more than 800 volunteers created 4,000 pieces for this newest satellite of the global Hyperbolic Crochet Coral reef project. mnh.si.edu/exhibits/hreef

eol is a sweeping global effort to gather and share the vast wealth of information on every creature and make it available as a Web-based resource. as eol matures, the content is growing in both quantity and quality, and includes descriptions, photos, bibliographic links, distribu-tion maps, and other rare and specialized information that have traditionally been scattered around the world. eol.org

eol operates as an ongoing collaboration among its cornerstone institutions and its international partners. regional eols are a key feature of eols global outreach, and they will typically serve species pages for the flora and fauna of a specific geographic area in the languages used in the region. the number of regional eols continues to grow, and currently includes the Dutch regional eol in cooperation with Naturalis, the National Museum of Natural History in the Netherlands; the australian eol with the atlas of living australia; the arab eol with the New

library of alexandria, egypt; the Chinese eol with the Chinese academy of sciences; and the south african regional eol with the south african National Biodiversity institute.

in 2009, the eol rubenstein Fellows Program was launched through the generous support of David M. Rubenstein, a smith-sonian regent and Museum Board Member. the program is expected to support at least 60 fellows from around the world

over a four-year period. eol rubenstein fellows are selected on the basis of stellar achievement, promise for continued accomplishment, and their ability to catalyze research communities to contribute to eol.

in commemoration of World ocean Day on June 8, 2010, the Museum unveiled the Smithsonian Ocean Portal (ocean.si.edu), a pioneering new website at the center of a multifaceted digital outreach effort designed to inspire awareness, understanding, and stewardship of the worlds ocean. the portal utilizes state-of-the-art, interactive Web technologies and social media platforms to deliver photos, videos, blog posts, and stories that engage and inspire visitors to deepen their personal connection to the ocean and continually build upon their knowledge of and concern for the ocean.

Drawing on the smithsonians unparalleled marine collections and researchand the contributions of collaboratorsthe website contains a growing selection of the best multimedia available and regularly features new content on ocean issues, such as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. educators can access classroom resources and lesson plans and use the portals multimedia content to engage students. the 2010 Webby awards named the portal the Peoples Voice Winner for Best Cultural institution Website.

Visitors to the Museums Sant ocean hall can interact with highly trained ocean Hall Navigators, and messages of ocean stewardship and ecosystem preservation are delivered by the public programs supported by the sant ocean Hall endowment fund. the programsfamily festivals, arts and science saturdays, The Scientist is In, and topical programs such as the impact of the Gulf oil spillhave been well attended. Changing Tides, a collaboration of the smithsonian and the Centers for ocean sciences education excellence launched in June 2010, is a series of public ocean science lectures sponsored by the National science foundation. another popular event, The Sustainable Seafood Program, featured a luncheon, discussions, and seafood specialties from Washington, D.C., chefs.


enCyCloPedia oF liFe

hyPerboliC CroCheT Coral reeF

FoSTering aWareneSS oF The oCean and iTS liFe

ConSorTiuM For The barCode oF liFe

WHY it Mattersthe ocean is essential to all life on earthincluding yoursand understanding it is the first step in protecting it.

Portion of the barcode of a lady beetle, GenBanks accession GU154161

Discovery &

Understanding of Lifes D

iversity

WHY it MattersKnowledge about the diversity of life on earth benefits humanity, science, and our ability to sustain that biodiversity.

Donald E. Hurlbert


Discovery & Understanding of Lifes Diversity

National Museum of Natural History | mnh.si.edufor more interactive content, visit mnh.si.edu

Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants explored their fascinating world from may through october 2009. the exhibition, funded by the Natures Best Photography Windland smith rice Fund, opened with a family festival and featured the astonishingly detailed close-up photographs by Dr. Mark W. Moffett, photographer and museum research associate, who has spent decades study-ing and photographing ants and ant behavior. dr. moffetts images tell fascinating stories about the lives of ants and entomologists in the field. other highlights included a live leaf-cutter ant colony showcasing the research of Dr. Ted Schultz and a 6-foot cast of an intricate underground ant nest.

the museums comprehensive ant collection compris-es more than one million specimensincluding 1,700 type specimensrepresenting over 5,000 species. By studying the smithsonians collection and ants in the field, scientists are discovering how ants evolved over 120 million years to become one of the most successful organisms on the planet. the exhibition will travel through the Smithsonian Traveling exhibition Service beginning in 2011. mnh.si.edu/ants

on view from september 2009 to July 2010, Since Darwin: The Evolution of Evolution commemorated the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwins birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his groundbreaking book, On the Origin of Species. a team of scientists representing various Museum departmentsincluding Drs. Matt Carrano, Doug Erwin, Gene Hunt, John Kress, and Hans Suescollaborated on the exhibition.

Since Darwin presented a brief biography of Darwin, an introduction to the theory of evolution by natural selection, an overview of the experiments and studies that shaped his theories, and advances in evolutionary biology since Darwins time. the presentation of new discoveries by Museum scientists illustrated the vast influence of evolutionary theory and how the processes

of research and inquiry that Darwin promoted continue today. the exhibition was complemented by a public symposium on Darwin and his impact on current research in evolutionary biology, a childrens public program, and an exhibition presented by smithsonian institution libraries.

Collisions of aircraft and birds are surprisingly frequent. in 2010, more than 4,000 birdstrikes were reported by the U.s. military alone, with many more occurring to civil aviation. the smithsonians Feather identification lab, headed by Dr. Carla Dove, reviews more than 6,000 birdstrikes per year to determine the species and origin of birds involved and help minimize the risk of such collisions in the future.

on January 15, 2009, Us airways Flight 1549 experienced a birdstrike shortly after takeoff from New yorks laGuardia airport, causing both engines to fail. thanks to the skill of an experienced flight crew, all 155 people on board survived the crash

landing on the Hudson river. Using feathers and tissues extracted from the engines, dr. dove and colleagues employed dNa analysis and compared feather samples to specimens from the museums collections and other institutions to determine that Canada geese were responsible for the crash. their analysis also revealed that the geese were migratory, not members of a local population. their findings, published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, were widely reported in more than 165 news outlets worldwide, including CNN, The New York Times, and discovery Channel News.

information on the frequency, timing, and species involved in birdstrikes, as well as the geographic origin of the birds, can be integrated with bird migration patterns, bird detecting radar, and bird dispersal programs at airports to help decrease the risks to humans and wildlife and save millions of dollars in damage to military and commercial aircraft.

Hawaiian honeyeaters are made up of five species of nectar-sipping birds that became extinct during the past 150 years. so closely do they physically resemble certain species of australo-Pacific honeyeaters that they have been classified in that family since they were first discovered on James Cooks third voyage.

in a paper in Current Biology, Drs. Robert Fleischer, Helen James, and Storrs Olson report that the Hawaiian honeyeaters are not closely related to the australasian honeyeaters (Meliphagidae), as had long been assumed. using DNa from museum specimens of the extinct speciesincluding specimens from the National Museum of Natural Historythe researchers discovered that the Hawaiian birds are instead related to a very different group of songbirds that includes waxwings, silky flycatchers, and the palm chat. they assigned the Hawaiian species to a new family, Mohoidae, which is now the only recently extinct family of songbirds.

as they independently evolved characteristics to take advantage of nectar as a food source, the Mohoidae developed a tongue structure for drinking nectar, a long and slender body for reaching flowers, and even plumage patterns and song styles similar to those in the true honeyeaters of australasia, thus misleading taxonomists from the time of their discovery until now. the Hawaiian birds illustrate how remarkably similar physical, behavioral, and ecological traits can evolve independently due to common environmental circumstances.

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MigraTory Canada geeSe CauSe air CraSh

SinCe darWin: The evoluTion oF evoluTion

ConvergenT evoluTion in neCTar-SiPPing birdS

The hidden liFe oF anTS

Discovery &


iversity

WHY it Mattersstrikingly similar traits can evolve in different species, separated by an ocean, when they have similar environmental opportunities.

WHY it Mattersidentifying the species of bird involved in a collision with a plane is the first step in preventing future accidents.

Mark W. M

offett

NTS

B

John Anderton

James Di Loreto

George Ve

nable

WHY it Mattersscientists are discovering how ants evolved to become one of the most successful organisms on the planet.

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WHY it MattersHistorical museum collections, as well as exploration and collecting in the ocean, are critical to solving the mysteries of the deep ocean.


our planets rich diversity of plant life is currently at risk. ecosystems are changing rapidly, and more than 20% of the worlds flora are threatened with extinction. Losing Paradise? Endangered Plants Here and Around the World examined the story of plant extinction and conservation and the important role plants play in supporting diverse ecosystems. at the Museum from august through December 2010, this travelling exhibition presented 44 botanical illustrations from around the world and featured work from several renowned artists, including Alice Tangerini, one of the Museums acclaimed scientific illustrators.

focusing on global conservation, the exhibition also displayed specimens of rare and endangered species from the Museums collection and objects used by illustrators and conservation biologists. additional custom content designed by the Museum for this venue highlights the unique and provocative way

scientists and conservation biologists are approaching the loss of plant biodiversityparticularly through their work

with botanical artists whose captivating and scientifically accurate images serve as an essential historical record of plant species.

Curated by Dr. Gary Krupnick, the exhibition is a collaborative effort of the american society of Botanical artists and the Museum. as part of The Illustrator is In program, each week visitors had the opportunity to work with scientific illustrators in the gallery to learn about their creative process, ask questions, and try their hand at illustration. mnh.si.edu/exhibits/losing_paradise

from a trove of 200-million-year-old fossil leaves collected in east Greenland, scientists have unearthed striking evidence of a sudden collapse in ancient plant biodiversity that raises new concerns about the dangers of global warming. as reported by Dr. Peter Wagner and colleagues in Science, one of the most likely culprits for this great loss of plant life was a relatively small rise in the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide that caused the earths temperature to rise.

During the time interval under studybetween the boundary of the triassic and Jurassic periodsplant and animal extinctions occurred on a grand scale. However, until this work, the pace of the ecologic deterioration leading up to the extinction was thought to have been gradual for plants, occurring over millions of years. using a new technique pioneered by Dr. Wagner, the team was able to detect for the first time the very early signs that the collapse of the ancient ecosystems accelerated

greatly just prior to the extinction event at a time of rapid warming of the earths climate.

if estimates of how much carbon dioxide is needed to tip an ecosystem out of balance are correct, then the study may have alarming relevance to the modern world. assuming the continued intensive use of fossil fuel energy, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could reach 900 parts per million by the year 2100, exactly the level at which the researchers detected the ancient biodiversity crash in the late triassic world of east Greenland.

the Deepwater Horizon oil spill has been described by experts as the worst man-made ecological disaster in the history of the united states. assembling an accurate and detailed description of the Gulf of Mexicos pre-spill ecosystem is fundamental to understanding the effects and the success of recovery efforts over time.

since the 1970s, the Museum has been collaborating with the u.s. Minerals Management service to archive collections of marine organisms from surveys, and the Museum now holds more than 58% of the publicly available specimen-based records from the Gulf of Mexico. the Museum is seeking additional support to digitize these collections, which will be extremely valuable to scientists seeking information on the pre-spill ecosystem.

on June 15, 2010, Dr. Jonathan Coddington, associate Director of research and Collections, testified before the u.s. House subcommittee on insular affairs, oceans, and Wildlife on the Museums collections from the Gulf of Mexico. six separate national news stories related to the environmental impact of the oil spilland discussing how the Museums research and collections can helpwere carried in more than 350 major news outlets, including the associated Press, Forbes, Business Week, CNN, CBs, CNBC, BBC, and Hearst Broadcasting.

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Solving a deeP Sea MySTery

CliMaTe Change andanCienT biodiverSiTy

loSing ParadiSe?aSSeSSing oil iMPaCT on The gulF oF MexiCoDiscovery &


iversity

WHY it Mattersmore than 20% of the worlds plants are threatened with extinction, and documenting and assessing plant species is important in conservation efforts.

WHY it Mattersstudies of changes in plant composition and corresponding climate changes leading up to ancient extinction events will allow us to recognize the early warning signs of deterioration within modern ecosystems.

WHY it Matters the museums collections from the Gulf of mexico will help assess the impact of the oil spill and the effectiveness of recovery efforts.

Whalefish, top to bottom: larva, male, and female

Dr. Jonathan Coddington

Deidre Bean

Field Museum

For decades scientists have known about three different fishes called tapetails, bignose fishes, and whalefishes, but wondered why all specimens of tapetails were sexually immature, all bignose fishes were males, and all whalefishes were females. Dr. Dave Johnson and colleagues have solved this mystery, discovering that these fishes are, in fact, members of the same species at different life stages. the teams findings were published in Biology Letters of the Royal Society London.

the scientists studied the disparate body structures and dNa of the tapetails (Mirapinnidae), bignose fish (Megalomycteridae), and whalefishes (Cetomimidae) and found they are respectively the larvae, males, and females of a single species, Cetomimidae. Whalefish, named for the shape of their body rather than their size, are found throughout the worlds oceans between 1,000 and 4,000 meters.

morphological transformations of whalefishes involve dramatic changes in the skeleton, most extremely in the head, which correlate with distinctly different feeding mechanisms. larvae have small, upturned mouths and gorge on small crustaceans called copepods. Females have relatively large

mouths to capture larger prey. males, which have immobile upper jaws that support huge nasal organs used to locate females, are incapable of feeding, relying instead on a massive liver to survive. this remarkable combination of developmental transformations and divergent body plans of males and females is unparalleled among vertebrates. vertebrates.si.edu/fishes/whalefish

Chris Kenaley

Bruce Ro

bison

Donald E. Hurlbert


National Museum of Natural History | mnh.si.edufor more interactive content, visit mnh.si.edu

Plate tectonics leads to a two-way exchange of material between earths interior and exterior. New oceanic crust is created by volca-noes at mid-ocean ridges, where the sea floor is pulling apart. over millions of years, the crust moves across the sea floor, hydrating and absorbing oxygen until it reaches a subduction zone and plunges back into the mantlecreating the numerous volcanoes that ring the Pacific ocean in the process.

Geologists know that lavas from volcanoes at subduction zones are more oxidized than those found at mid-ocean ridges. But does this oxidized signature derive from melting the deep earth where it has been affected by the subduction of hydrated oceanic crust, or is it caused by processes in the

volcano close to the surface? to distinguish between these possibilities, Dr. Elizabeth Cottrell and Dr. Katherine a. Kelley adapted a microbeam technique to analyze the oxidation state of tiny samples of volcanic glass trapped at great depth in the earth by growing minerals. as reported in Science, they used this technique to examine samples of volcanic glass from the

Museums collection and from explosive volcanoes around the globe. By correlating chemical signatures unique to the process of subduction with the oxidation state of the glass, they suggest that the process of subduction is oxidizing the deep earth beneath subduction zone volcanoes.

the iconic Hope Diamond has graced the Museum since the distinguished jeweler Harry Winston donat-ed it in 1958. During the last 50 years, the diamond was mounted in a platinum setting, surrounded by 16 white pear-shaped and cushion-cut diamonds, and suspended from a chain containing 45 diamonds.

to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hope Diamonds donation, Harry Winston, inc., created designs for three contemporary settings for the diamond. More than 100,000 people selected the stunning new design, embracing Hope, in an online vote sponsored by the smithsonian Channel. Master craftsmen at Harry Winston then spent eight months creating it. During the fabrication of the setting, the public had the rare opportunity to see the 45.52-car-at Hope Diamond unmounted as a stand-alone gem.

the Hope Diamonds new temporary platinum setting surrounds it with 340 baguette diamonds totaling 60 carats. the setting was unveiled

November 18, 2010, coinciding with the world premiere of the smithsonian Channel high-definition documentary film, Mystery of the Hope Diamond. stories about the Hope Diamond appeared in more than 600 major u.s. and international media outlets, including the associated Press, The Washington Post, The New York Times, NBC, CBs, foX, aBC, and MsNBC. the Hope Diamond will be on view in its temporary setting through November 2011.

five hundred million people worldwide live in the shadows of active volcanoes. Volcanoes take the pulse of the earth, indicating an energetic environment that can nurture lifeor destroy it.

the smithsonians Global Volcanism Program is the worlds most comprehensive source of information related to volcanic activitythe hub of an international network of correspondents and observatories that provide time-sensitive information about the style, magnitude, and duration of eruptive activity. the Global Volcanism Program works in close collaboration with scientists and organizations concerned with volcano hazards, airline safety, global climate change, and basic research.

the Global Volcanism Programs unique database on volcanic eruptions is the international standard for basic science in this area, supporting plans to mitigate threats to human life and to aviation. However, the pace of scientific discovery is impeded when digital databases are disconnected from one another and from physical samples. During the next six years, the program will be working toward complete integration of the Museums database of volcanic rocks with the database of volcanic activity and existing geochemical informatics tools. By digitally linking information on the geophysical characteristics of an eruption with its chemical characteristics, new answers can be sought on fundamental questions related to global volcanism. volcano.si.edu

the first direct measurements of the chemistry of mercurys surface were reported by Dr. Timothy McCoy and colleagues in the journal Icarus. Nasas messeNGer spacecraft conducted three flybysin January 2008, october 2008, and september 2009and measured the neutron flux coming from the planets surface. on planetary bodies with low or no atmospheres, neutrons are produced when galactic cosmic rays hit the surface, and surface elements absorb these neutrons at different rates. these measurements of neutron absorption indicate an abundance of the elements iron and titanium similar to basaltic rocks found on the moon.

Because of mercurys high density, geologists have inferred that the planets core is largeabout 42% of its volume versus 17% for earthand contains nearly all of the iron from the planet. the presence of significant iron and titanium at the surface revolutionizes our ideas of how mercury originated, probably suggesting a much more complex geologic history. during the yearlong orbital phase

of the messeNGer mission beginning in summer 2011, measurements of X-rays and gamma-rays from the surface of mercury will further our understanding of the geologic history of our solar systems innermost planet.

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eMbraCing hoPe

oxidaTion oF earThS ManTle

CheMiSTry oF MerCuryS SurFaCe

The global volCaniSM PrograM

Formation &

Evolution of Earth & Sim

ilar Planets

WHY it Matterssignificant iron and titanium on mercurys surface revolutionizes our ideas of how mercury originated.

a village covered by thick volcanic ash from the october 2010 eruption of Mt. Merapi in indonesia. around 320,000 people were evacuated and more than 350 lost their lives.

the ash plume from icelands eyjafjallajkull volcano disrupted air travel throughout northern europe for several weeks in 2010.

WHY it MattersWe can quantify how the earth is breathing through volcanoes.

Tiny spheres of volcanic glassonly one hundred microns in diametertrapped inside the mineral olivine.

NASA

/nasaimages.org

Donald E. Hurlbert

Glenn M

acPh

erson

WHY it Matters Understanding volcanic activity can help save lives and lessen threats to aviation.


Formation & Evolution of Earth & Similar Planets

WatCHViDeo

WatCHViDeo

MuSeuM volunTeerS Serving The PubliCDuring 2010, volunteers contributed more than 25,000 hours and served nearly 900,000 children and adults, answering questions and helping visitors interact with real objects in the forensic anthropology lab, Discovery room, Naturalist Center, insect Zoo, Butterfly Pavilion, and the Museums exhibitions. the Museums dedicated and diverse community of volunteers represents the most educated volunteer corps at the smithsonian, with 11% holding doctoral degrees and an additional 39% holding Masters degrees.

youTh engageMenT Through SCienCe (yeS!) PrograMin the summer and fall of 2010, fifteen students from Washington, D.C., high schools participated in the yeS! Program, a new internship initiative for students developed by the Office of Education and Outreach. Yes! students worked on research with Museum mentors and learned how to ef-fectively communicate science to the public. Youth interns worked on a host of different projects, ranging from preparing 70-million-year-old fossils, caring for and handling live insects, and working on digitization projects for the encyclopedia of life.

naTural hiSTory reSearCh exPerienCeS (nhre)natural history research experience summer internships provide a hands-on introduction to scientific research. the program teams undergraduates with members of the Museum research and collections staff, giving students the opportunity to engage in an original research project

with a scientific mentor from one or more scholarly disciplines. additional activities include behind-the-scenes tours and lectures at the Museum. in 2010, the Museum hosted 18 interns and the program received a major five-year award from the National science foundation and will become an official Nsf research experience for undergraduates site.

ColleCTionS ManageMenT Training PrograMin 2009 and 2010, the Museum conducted a six-week training program in collections management for professionals working in public museums and non-profit research centers in latin american and Caribbean countries. through lectures, workshops, demonstrations, independent research, and hands-on activities, participants were trained in internationally recognized best practices for managing, preserving, and using natural history collections. By working collaboratively with Museum staff, participants identified practices that could be applied within the context of their home institutions mission, resources, and environmental conditions.

the Museum is home to 92% of the smithsonians collectionsmore than 126 million specimens and objects from the natural

and cultural worlds. as the nations natural

history museum, the National Museum of

Natural History is committed to the highest level

of care for its collections, now and into the future.

as part of ongoing collections management, the Museum will help ensure that the collections are still viable for research in 100 years or more. the Museum also strives to make digitized information about the items in its collections freely available online for researchers and the general public.

in 2009, the Museums collections staff completed the two-year move of the alcohol-based collections to Museum support Centers newest building, Pod 5. attention then turned to the renovation of Pod 3. Completed in 2010, Pod 3 is a state-of-the-art special environments

facility that includes precisely calibrated cold rooms, very low humidity dry conditions for anthropological artifacts, nitrogen gas atmospheres for meteorites, and the Museums new Biorepository for ultra-cold storage of biological specimens. technological improvements and fully equipped work spaces in Pod 3 will enhance preservation of the collections and increase their use by researchers working on the Global Genome, recovering Voices, Deep time and other important big ideas.

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inSPiring engageMenT

iN sCieNCethe Museum strives to inspire lifelong learners to become engaged with science and natural history. educational efforts of the Museum inspire millions of people each year across the united states and internationally through digital outreach, visits to

the Museum, and programs for students, teachers, enthusiasts, and professionals.

SaFeguarding The naTionS

ColleCtioNs

aCquiSiTionS highlighTSl Anthropology: Clovis point and sinew stone from

the eastern shore area of Maryland

l Botany: Plant specimens from Vietnam

l Entomology: Collection of bark beetles from stephen l. and elizabeth G. Wood

l Invertebrate Zoology: specimens from the Gulf of Mexico

l Mineral Sciences: the 17.08 carat Whitney alexandrite, gift of Coralyn Wright Whitney

l Paleobiology: two gifts of 131 trilobite specimens from Dr. robert Hazen

l Vertebrate Zoology: Mammals from Papua New Guinea, including the newly discovered giant bosavi woolly rat

Chip Clark

Education specialist Gale Robertson explains X-rays of bones in the Forensic Anthropology Lab.

Sabrina Monsalve, NHRE intern, with Dr. John Brown

Yes! interns Olivia Persons (left) and Camila Moscoso working in the FossiLab.

Jun Wen

Magnolia eriosepta, Vietnam

Chip Clark

Hoplolichas furcifer trilobite

Chip Clark

Christin

a Ca

stillo

the color-changing Whitney alexandrite

Chip Clark

for more interactive content, visit mnh.si.edu National Museum of Natural History | mnh.si.edu


Safeguarding the Nations Collections

Inspiring Engagement in Science

WatCHViDeo


Lapps and Labyrinths: Saami Prehistory, Colonization and Cultural Resilience by Dr. Noel Broadbent offers a seminal re-analysis of saami history in northern sweden and its profound, yet little appreciated, imprint on the Nordic culture.

Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska, edited by Dr. Aron Crowell, dr. rosita Worl, Paul C. ongtooguk, and Dawn Biddison, presents the masterful artistry and design traditions of twenty alaska Native peoples.

The Department of Invertebrate Zoology contributed substantially to Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters and Biota: Volume 1, Biodiversity, a massive volume on the fauna of the Gulf of Mexico that covers 15,419 species in 40 phyla.

in the stebbins Medal-winning book Systematics, Evolution, and Biogeography of Compositae, lead editor Dr. Vicki Funk provides a complete treatment of the largest group of flowering plants.

in One Hundred Summers: A Kiowa Calendar Record, Dr. Candace Greene presents a recently discovered pictorial calendar that offers an indigenous perspective on Kiowa history from 1828 to 1928.

Dr. Jerry Harasewych and Dr. fabio Moretzsohn co-authored The Book of Shells, a guide to identifying and classifying 600 shells, with each shell reproduced in full color at its actual size.

Based on the results of the ten year Census of Marine life, Dr. Nancy Knowlton reveals the astonishing diversity of ocean life through lively vignettes and stunning underwater photography in Citizens of the Sea.

adventurous travel and discovery of rare, beautiful and scientifically unknown plants are recounted through the words and photographs of Dr. John Kress in The Weeping Goldsmith: Discoveries in the Secret Land of Myanmar.

Botanica Magnifica: Portraits of the Worlds Most Extraordinary Flowers and Plants by Dr. John Kress, Marc Hachadourian, and Jonathan singer presents 250 of singers stunning photographs of rare and exotic plants and flowers.

Co-authored by Dr. John Kress and Museum Board Member Dr. Shirley Sherwood, The Art of Plant Evolution reveals plant evolution through the work of leading contemporary botanical artists, including Alice Tangerini.

SIKU: Knowing Our Ice, edited by an international team led by Dr. Igor Krupnik, explores indigenous peoples knowledge and use of the arctic sea ice

through the study of socio-cultural understanding of the many changing aspects of the natural world.

Dr. Jerry Louton is the co-author of Damselfly Genera of the New World, a comprehensive, illustrated guide to the damselflies of the americas.

in Comparative Biogeography: Discovering and Classifying Biogeographical Patterns of a Dynamic Earth, Dr. Lynne Parenti and Dr. Malte ebach

outline comparative tools to help unify the fields divergent systematic and evolutionary approaches.

the new DK Natural History presents an unrivaled visual survey of earths natural history in more than 5,000 photographs and illustrations, involved over a dozen curators, and includes an introduction by Museum Director Cristin Samper.

Volcanoes of the World: Third Edition, by Dr. Lee Siebert, Dr. Tom Simkin, and Paul Kimberly, updates the most comprehensive resource on volcanic activity with new information, photos, population densities, and other essential data on earths dynamic volcanism.

Carnivores, the first volume of the series Handbook of the Mammals of the World, was edited by Dr. Don Wilson and Dr. russell a. Mittermeier of Conservation international and includes an introduction to the Class Mammalia by Dr. Wilson.

20

PubliCaTionS highlighTS

21

these charts represent the National Museum of Natural Historys sources and uses of funds in fiscal years 2009 and 2010. these charts do not include some support services provided to museums by central smithsonian offices such as human resources, accounting, legal services, and contracting. federal appropriations are critical for support of long-term research, collections management, exhibition maintenance, facilities operations and renovations, and safety programs. income from private gifts, grants, and endowments supports research and training projects and nearly half of the Museums public program activities, providing vital funds for special exhibitions and an ambitious schedule of exhibition renovation. smithsonian business activities provide funds for short-term projects and some administrative support. federal grants and contracts underwrite several research projects.

FinanCial SuMMary

FiSCal year 2009SOURCES OF FUNDSfederal appropriations $46.6support from central si federal funds: facilities capital $45.0support from central si federal funds: research, collections, security, maintenance $14.9Gifts, grants, and endowment income $20.4Government grants and other contracts $2.9 unrestricted revenue $2.4Centrally allocated support (trust) $0.9 Total (in millions) $133.1

USES OF FUNDSfacilities, maintenance, and safety programs $47.3scientific research, collections, and outreach $51.0Public programs $23.8administration $11.0Total (in millions) $133.1

FiSCal year 2010SOURCES OF FUNDSfederal appropriations $47.6support from central si federal funds: facilities capital $34.3support from central si federal funds: research, collections, security, maintenance $15.4Gifts, grants, and endowment income $24.0Government grants and other contracts $3.1 unrestricted revenue $1.6 Centrally allocated support (trust) $0.4 Total (in millions) $126.4

USES OF FUNDSfacilities, maintenance, and safety programs $50.7scientific research, collections, and outreach $47.0Public programs $17.4administration $11.3 Total (in millions) $126.4

Federal appropriations

38%

gifts, grants, and endowment

income 19%

government grants and other contracts 2%

SOURCES OF FUNDS USES OF FUNDSunrestricted revenue 1%Centrally allocated support (trust)

for more interactive content, visit mnh.si.edu2322

Chip Clark

Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan

The John d. and CaTherine T. MaCarThur FoundaTionThe John d. and Catherine T. Macarthur Foundation made a second $10 million grant to the encyclopedia of life, underscoring its historic support for science. the foundation is a longstanding supporter of smithsonian museums and research centers. the National Museum of Natural History is one of eols cornerstone institutions and serves as eols administrative headquarters. eol is working with scientists, librarians, and specialists across the globe in an effort to publish Web pages for all 1.9 million known species on earth by 2017. one of the eol partners, the Biodiversity Heritage library, works with the smithsonian institution libraries to digitize classic works of scientific literature and link them to appropriate eol pages. With the Macarthur foundations support, scientists and the public are gaining unprecedented access, free of charge, to the best information on the worlds biodiversity.

The alFred P. Sloan FoundaTion The alfred P. Sloan Foundation continued its support of the smithsonian with $4.22 million in grants to advance the work of the encyclopedia of life and the Consortium for the Barcode of life, both hosted at the National Museum of Natural History. the Consortium for the Barcode of life was established in 2004 as an international initiative devoted to developing DNa barcoding as a global standard for the identification of biological species. sloans continued support for these two initiatives melds its interests in biodiversity, environmental science, and universal access to recorded knowledge. in addition to their ongoing commitment to these initiatives, sloan has long history of support to the smithsonian.

harry WinSTon hoPe FoundaTionWhen distinguished jeweler Harry Winston gave the Hope Diamond to the Museum in 1958, he made a lasting gift to the american people that has since become one of the most renowned museum icons in the world. the gem inspires visitors with its fascinating scientific story, historical significance, and intriguing tales of a curse. Harry Winston, inc., through its harry Winston hope Foundation, celebrated that donation with another historic gift: a minimum $1 million to support the Museums educational initiatives and the National Gem Collection. this is the inaugural gift of the newly created Harry Winston Hope foundation, which, under the leadership of robert Gannicott and frdric de Narp, was founded on the belief that education is the key to creating opportunities for people around the world to embrace hope and achieve their dreams. thanks to the generosity and support of donors like Harry Winston, the Museum has been able to build the National Gem Collection and make it available to the american public.

elizabeTh and WhiTney MaCMillan elizabeth and Whitney MacMillan pledged a significant gift to support the priority initiatives envisaged in the Museums 20102015 strategic plan, Knowledge for a Sustainable Future. With this gift, the Museum will establish two endowments: one to expand the Museums documentation, revitalization, and public education about the worlds endangered languages; and another to revitalize the Museums education and outreach, greatly expanding, in perpetuity, its capacity to engage millions of visitors onsite and online about the natural world and our place in it. the MacMillans gift also provides seed funding to develop and launch the Museums strategic initiatives over the next several years. Whitney MacMillan serves on the National Museum of Natural History Board. elizabeth MacMillan is an alumnus of the National Museum of american History Board and the smithsonian National Board, and is a current member of the smithsonian american art Museum Board.

The PeTer buCK FelloWShiP PrograMin 2010, Dr. Peter Buck established an endowment that will transform the Museums ability to inspire and train the next generation of scientists. Dr. Bucks support provides the Museum with an unprecedented opportunity to build upon its established tradition of mentorship. the Peter Buck fellowship Program will invest in individuals who have the potential to advance scientific research and public understanding of the natural world. the program enables the Museum to offer a range of fellowship opportunities, including long-term research fellowships, pre-and post-doctoral fellowships, and summer-long undergraduate and graduate internships.

the impact of this program will be felt far beyond the Museums own walls, strengthening ties with universities, higher education institutions, and scientific centers around the world. Dr. Bucks generous gift creates a fellowship program that will provide a constant influx of new ideas as the Museum pursues some of the most significant natural science research questions of our timea fitting legacy for the Museums next century.

Dr. Buck is a member of the Museums Board and a committed supporter of the Museums scientific research. His 2006 gift to the Museum established the Peter Buck Chair in Human origins.

the National Museum of Natural History is deeply grateful for the generous new gifts and pledges during 2009 and 2010, including those from the following valued donors, whose thoughtful and wide-ranging support has been essential in

advancing the Museums scientific and educational initiatives.

MuSeuM SuPPorTerS

leadersHiP GiFts

Dr. Peter Buck

Dr. Matt Buffington, a USDA Research Entomologist in residence at the Museum, teaches an early career scientist at Punta Cana Nature Reserve in the Dominican Republic in 2008.

Marcelo Duarte da Silva first joined the Museum as an undergraduate intern in 1996. Today, Dr. Duarte da Silva is a Curator at the Museu de Zoologia and hosts his own interns, pictured above, through the Universidade de So Paolo.



Museum Supporters


$1,000,000 and overanonymousDr. Peter BuckDavid H. Kochthe John D. and Catherine t.

Macarthur foundationelizabeth and Whitney MacMillanNational science foundationDavid M. rubensteinVictoria and roger santalfred P. sloan foundationHarry Winston Hope foundation

$500,000 To $999,9993Mabu Dhabi authority for Culture and

Heritagea&e television Networkssouth florida Water Management

Districtu.s. Department of the air forceu.s. Department of the interior/u.s.

Geological survey

$100,000 To $499,999anonymous (3)anchorage Museum foundationBMCe Bank foundationMichael and sandy Collins,

Malcolm Collins, Miles Collins, Catherine Collins Masterson, and ashley Jackson

Council on library and information resources

the field MuseumGraff Diamondsthe Henry foundationMassachusetts institute of

technologyandrew W. Mellon foundationNational aeronautics and space

administrationoasis Management limitedsoil science society of americasony electronics, inc.st. Johns river Water

Management District

the summit foundationthe ruth and Vernon taylor

foundation, Montanatowson universityuniversity of alabamauniversity of floridau.s. Department of Defenseu.s. Department of Defense/

Department of the Navyu.s. Department of the interioru.s. Department of the interior/

National Park serviceu.s. Department of transportationVirtual space entertainment, inc.

$50,000 To $99,999anonymous (3)CaCi international, inc.earthwatch instituteflorida institute of technologyinter-american Development BankMr. and Mrs. John W. Madigan

(Madigan family foundation)

Mohawk Carpet Distribution inc.Curtis & edith Munson

foundationNational Marine sanctuary

foundationthe schlinger foundationDr. shirley sherwooduniversity of Guelphu.s. Department of agricultureu.s. Department of Commerceu.s. Department of Health and

Human servicesu.s. Department of the

interior/u.s. Geological survey/BrD

u.s. Department of Justicethe Widgeon foundation

$10,000 To $49,999anonymous (4)aB Vistaaes Corporationalaska seafood Marketing

instituteall species foundationamerican association of

Critical-Care Nursesamica Mutual insurance

CompanyJudy Hart angelo and John M.

angeloapplied security, inc.Mr. and Mrs. richard C. ashleyassociation of Bone and Joint

surgeonsassociation of energy

engineers

elizabeth Ballantine and Paul leavitt

ambassador Barbara BarrettBae systemsBaker HostetlerMax N. and Heidi l. BerryDavid C. BlackburnCount and Countess Peder

BondeBooz allen Hamiltonthe Boston Consulting Group inc.Cabot Creamery Cooperative, inc.Giuseppe and Mercedes

CecchiClark Construction Group, llCMr. and Mrs. Peter ClaussenCode Blue foundationCoral reef allianceCovington & BurlingDisney Worldwide

Conservation fundelectronic Consulting servicesevent emissary, llCMr. and Mrs. John faheyMs. Gabriela febres-Corderoroger s. firestone foundationflorida international universityfreedom information systems, inc.robert W. and Jill l. frithe Honorable William H. frist,

frist foundationVirginia l. fultonrichard and rhoda Goldman

fundGovernment of australiathe institute for technology in

Healthcare

intellectual Property owners education foundation

international society for Biological therapy of Cancer

itt CorporationJPl-California institute of

technologyPaula and Joseph KergerMr. and Mrs. Norman V. Kinseylt. Col. and Mrs. William K.

Konzeada Kugajevskylink foundationMr. and Mrs. Creighton r.

MagidMarpat foundation, inc.Mr. and Mrs. D. James

McDowellMrs. Jeffery MeyerJane Mitchell and Jeffery BlandMonterey Bay aquariumMote Marine laboratoryNational film Preservation

foundationNational Geographic societyPark foundation, inc.Dr. and Mrs. arthur PelbergPriceWaterhouse CoopersDr. Jerold J. PrincipatoProfund advisors llCProQuestPrudential financialDavid and Cheryl PurvisQuanta services, inc.Quiksilver foundationMr. Conrad C.s. reining

Mr. robert C. reiningroger Williams universityrollins, inc.sacramento Metropolitan

Chamber of Commercescience sparkthoreen scopellitisealaska CorporationMs. elizabeth C. seastrumfrances and Michael seayruth o. seligses americom, inc.Mr. scott solomonGuenther and siewchin

Yong sommerstate of alaskastate of New MexicoMs. Patricia Q. stonesifer

and Mr. Michael e. Kinsley (the stonesifer/Kinsley family fund)

Mrs. William C. storeyDr. and Mrs. f. Christian

thompsonrichard e. thompsonthomson reutersuniversity of California

Berkeleyuniversity of California,

santa Barbarauniversity of Central floridauniversity of Hawaii at Monoauniversity of texasu.s. Department of

agriculture, Natural resources Conservation service

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MuSeuM SuPPorTerS

the Museum gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the many individuals, foundations, and corporations whose support has been essential to advancing Museum initiatives in all fields.

Members of the Natural History leadership Circle are part of a special giving society whose support strengthens the Museums future and whose generosity serves as an inspiration to others. Members enjoy a personal relationship with the Museum while gaining hands-on, behind-the-scenes access to experts, exhibitions, and the collections.

direCTorS CirCleelizabeth Ballantine and Paul leavittPeder and Clarissa BondeGiuseppe and Mercedes Cecchirobert and Jill friVirginia fultonMichael and Diane JonesNorman and Margaret Kinsey

lt. Col. and Mrs. William K. Konzeada KugajevskyCreighton and Vicky Magidedward and Nancy ricefrances and Michael seayruth o. seligMichael and Carol shealyJo ann storeyrichard e. thompsontom and Wendy Watkins

SuSTainerS CirCleBonnie and Jere Broh-Kahn Dr. Cesar a. CaceresHannah and Michael MazerPatricia s. swaney

beneFaCTorS CirCleJames Banks and alison Martynardath M. Cade

James and Janet CobeyHelen and ray DuBoisJoseph and Betty DukertDean s. edmondsGloria HidalgoJohn K. Hoskinson and ana i. fbregasPatricia and David JerniganDr. Judith JonesPatricia ann Kaupproger and eleanor lewisJed and Blythe lyonsJerry and Joyce sachssimon and Nancy sidamon-eristoffDwight smith and Marillyn suzuki

f. Christian and Betty thompson

For more information on how you can become a part of the Leadership Circle and support the Museums mission, please visit: mnh.si.edu/leadership

leaderShiP CirCle

Members of the smithsonian Gemstone Collectors provide support for the acquisition of major gemstones and minerals for the National Gem Collection. annual contributions also support important scientific research and initiatives in the Museums Department of Mineral sciences.

richard and rita ashley

Barbara and Craig Barrett

Jim and Joanne McDowell

Jane Mitchell and Jeffery Bland

art and linda Pelberg

thoreen scopelliti

richard e. thompson

Coralyn Whitney and Dwight Gadd

SMiThSonian geMSTone ColleCTorS

Chip Clark

Resplendent Quetzal by Judd Patterson, 2010 Windland Smith Rice International Awards, Natures Best Photography



BOARD CHAIRKathryn S. FullerWashington, D.C.

BOARD MEMBERSBruce E. Babbitt Washington, D.C.Peter BuckDanbury, ConnecticutJane Buikstra Tempe, ArizonaMichael J. CollinsCoral Gables, FloridaRita R. ColwellBethesda, MarylandScott EdwardsConcord, MassachusettsJohn FaheyWashington, D.C.Gabriela Febres-CorderoNew York, New YorkJonathan Fink Lake Oswego, OregonWilliam H. FristNashville, Tennessee Paula Kerger Washington, D.C.David H. KochNew York, New YorkJane LubchencoWashington, D.C.William H. LuersWashington Depot, Connecticut Whitney MacMillanVero Beach, Florida Sandra Day OConnorParadise Valley, Arizona Lisbet RausingLondon, EnglandPaul G. RisserNorman, OklahomaDavid M. RubensteinBethesda, MarylandJeremy Sabloff Santa Fe, New MexicoRoger W. SantWashington, D.C.Shirley SherwoodLondon, EnglandJorge SobernLawrence, Kansas

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERSG. Wayne CloughSmithsonian SecretaryEva Pell Smithsonian Under Secretary for ScienceCristin SamperDirector

SENIOR EXECUTIVE STAFFCristin SamperDirectorJonathan Coddington Associate Director for Research and CollectionsElizabeth DuggalAssociate Director for External Affairs and Public ProgramsSusan FruchterAssociate Director for Operations

DEPARTMENT CHAIRS & DIRECTORSMary Jo Arnoldi AnthropologyCarol ButlerCollectionsStephen CairnsInvertebrate ZoologyChristine EliasDevelopmentBrian Huber PaleobiologyRandall KremerPublic AffairsMichael Mason ExhibitionsWayne MathisEntomologyTimothy McCoyMineral SciencesMatthew McDermottInformation TechnologyValerie PaulSmithsonian Marine StationWarren WagnerBotanyShari WerbEducation and OutreachDon WilsonVertebrate Zoology

Wendy WiswallScience ProgramsChun-Hsi WongFacilities Operations

aCKNoWleDGeMeNtsThis annual report was produced and published by the National Museum of Natural Historys Office of Public Affairs.

EDITORSRandall KremerDirector of Public AffairsKelly CarnesPress Officer

PROJECT MANAGERBreen ByrnesPublic Information Officer

WRITING, DESIGN & PRODUCTIONCreative Project Management, Inc.creativeprojectmgmt.comCyndi Wood, President Michael Molanphy, Designer

PRINTING: McArdle Printing Company

PHOTO CREDITSCover (left to right, starting at top): Amy Marques, Natures Best Photography; Jonathan Singer, Botanica Magnifica; Timothy McCoy; Chip Clark; Chip Clark; Ken Rahaim; Donald E. Hurlbert; Chip Clark; Dawn Abate

Title page (left to right, starting at top): iStock; Chip Clark; Jon Cornforth, Natures Best Photography; Steven Ward; Jonathan Singer, Botanica Magnifica; James Di Loreto

Back cover (left to right, starting at top): W. John Kress; Chip Clark; James Di Loreto; NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org; Chip Clark; Karen Carr Studio; Donald E. Hurlbert; David F. Bezold, Natures Best Photography; John Steiner

for more interactive content, visit mnh.si.edu2726


board & STaFF MeMberS (as of January 2011)

u.s. Department of Defense/Defense intelligence agency

Wegmans food MarketsWenner-Gren foundation

for anthropological research

Coralyn Whitney and Dwight Gadd

Whole foods Market

$5,000 To $9,999anonymous (2)alcan CorporationMajor General William a.

anders, usaf (ret.), and Mrs. Valerie anders

association for advanced life underwriting

authentix, inc.Capgemini u.s. llCextreme CakesexxonMobilDr. Kristian fauchaldthe fertilizer institutethe George Washington

universitysumner Gerard foundationJacqueline Badger MarsCharles e. McKittrick, Jr.Morgan stanleyMount Holyoke CollegeMr. Henry r. Muoz iii

(Kell Muoz architects, inc.)National association of

realtorsNational Cancer institute,

frederick Cancer research Center

the National ecological observatory Network

New York state Bar association

oak foundation usaPerigenrain Bird Corporationedward and Nancy ricest. lucie County Mosquito

Control Districtscience application

international Corporationfrederick, inc

serta Mattress CompanyMichael and Carol shealysHPssurescriptsDwight r. smith, M.D.ann and Marshall turnerMr. and Mrs. H. thomas

WatkinsXerox Corporation

$2,000 To $4,999american Hospital

associationthe Honorable Bruce e.

Babbittalice s. Baldwin trustMr. and Mrs. robert f.

BangertMr. James t. Banks and

Ms. alison MartynBertelsman foundation

(Na) inc.Bonnie and Jere Broh-KahnDr. Jane BuikstraCesar a. Caceres, M.D.Camp-Younts foundationDr. and Mrs. James C.

Cobeythe Community foundation

for the National Capital region

embassy of CyprusDr. and Mrs. Joseph M.

Dukertsylvia a. earleDean s. edmondsMrs. tamala fingerMr. William s. fletcherthe ford foundationestate of Helen fruthKathryn s. fullerKatherine GoldPaul HertelendyGloria a. HidalgoJohn K. Hoskinson and

ana i. fbregasMr. and Mrs. Donald C.

ingramMs. Patricia ann Kaupprajinder Keith and

Manorma Kochhar

Dr. and Mrs. Brijinder s. Kochhar

Mrs. lilly s. lievsayMarilyn C. linkMr. and Mrs. James e. lyonsMalott family foundationHannah and Michael MazerMetropolitan life insurance

CompanyMr. and Mrs. Wendell MohrDr. thomas a. MunroeNoaa (the National

oceanic and atmosphere administration)

oceana inc.sandra Day oConnor

Charitable fundoctopus CommunicationsBeverly a. PierceMr. George f. russell iiithomas and lynn russoDr. Jeremy a. and Paula

sabloffCristin samper and adriana

Casasst. lucie County Cultural

affairs Councilsimon and Nancy sidamon-

eristoffPhoebe snow foundationPatricia s. swaneyrichard and Barbara

umbdenstockterry l. Whitworth, Ph.Dsusan r. Wirths

$500-$1,999Dr. Jesse ausubelletcher B. BarnesMs. ardath M. CadeCalvin Cafritz investmentsCenter for Biological

DiversityChevron CorporationCisco systems, inc.Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer CodyNorman CohnDr. Bruce B. Collette

Dr. rita r. Colwell and Dr. Jack H. Colwell

the Dammann fund, inc.eugene J. Detmer, Jr.Mr. James f. Dicke iiCharles and Valerie Dikerelizabeth Duggal taghipour

and alain taghipourDr. Jonathan finkMs. Marie HaradonMrs. Helen louise HatfieldMrs. Catherine f. Herbststeven and Jane HochMr. and Mrs. David s. JerniganJudith K. Jones, M.D.Derry and Charlene

Kabcenellthe Korea foundationBetsy and David lawerMr. and Mrs. roger K. lewisMarine stewardship

CouncilMs. alexandra eliot

MarshallMineralogical society of the

District of ColumbiaMr. Paul Neelyoregon Natural Desert

association inc.Pennsylvania state

universityPaul and les risserJohn Daniel rogersDonald and theiline

scheumannrockwell and Marna

schnabel foundationJerry and Joyce sachseleanor G. sextonthe sims/Maes foundationWestern Watersheds

Project inc.

We are grateful for gifts of all sizes, although space constraints only allow us to list donors of $500 and above. For more information on how you can support the Museum, please visit: mnh.si.edu/support

MuSeuM SuPPorTerS

Jonathan Singer, Botanica Magnifica

Puffin by Danny Green, 2009 Windland Smith Rice International Awards, Natures Best Photography

Natures Best photography exhibitions at the Museum present the winning images from the Windland smith rice international awards. the annual competition, hosted by Natures Best Photography magazine, celebrates the talent of amateur and professional nature photographers worldwide and presents the beauty and magnificence of our natural world.


Board & Staff Members

The eduCaTion CenTer in late 2012, visitors will be able to participate in interactive, hands-on experiences in the museums new education Center. in this 10,000-square-foot technologically advanced space, visitors can work with inspiring experts, real objects from the museums collections, and high-tech equipment to explore their own connections to the natural and cultural world. in the center, theyll experience science in a whole new way: as alive, fun, relevant, andtheirs.

The deeP TiMe iniTiaTiveUnderstanding how earths geological and biological systems have operated over its 4.6-billion-year history will help us predict future changes and develop strategies to mitigate harmful long-term effects. the centerpiece of the deep time initiative will be an innovative 36,000-square-foot exhibition that will feature newly mounted dinosaurs and ice age mammals, interactive lessons about earth processes, and conversations with scientists and educators. these will be integrated with a

multifaceted online presence and anchored in ongoing research by smithsonian scientists. a possible interpretation of the space is shown here.

global genoMe iniTiaTivethe diversity of life on this planet supports human life and holds great potential for new technologies in medicine, agriculture, environmental management, national security, and other vital areas. But every day, global biodiversity decreases because of habitat loss, climate change, and other human-induced impacts. the museum proposes to establish and lead a global consortium of institutions dedicated to the collection and preservation of the planetary genomethe genetic information encoded within the diverse life forms of the biospherean urgent initiative essential to our future wellbeing.

reCovering voiCeS iniTiaTiveit is estimated that as many as 90% of the worlds more than 6,000 known languages will disappear or be on the brink of extinction by 2100. rising to this challenge, recovering Voices will establish a learning archive of endangered languages and knowledge systems using the ethnological and natural history collections and other documentary resources of the museum and the smithsonian to collaborate with communities to address this global crisis.

launChing a neW verSion oF The enCyCloPedia oF liFeto achieve the ambitious goal of one million species pages within two years, eol needs the active participation of citizen scientists, nature enthusiasts, students, and even government agencies. to engage these vital audiences, the museum will debut an enhanced version of eol in mid-2011. Powerful new application programming interfaces and community tools will empower users to populate hundreds of thousands of species pages with meaningful content.

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looKing

aHead


SPeCial

eVeNts

the Museums unparalleled collections and monumental architecture provide an ideal setting for after-hours special events. Corporations and organizations making an unrestricted contribution to the Museum may cosponsor a special event in celebration of their gift. event guests can enjoy cocktails or dinner in the grand four-story rotunda and take advantage of the Museums many exhibition halls, such as the Sant ocean hall, Kenneth e. behring Family hall of Mammals, and the Janet annenberg hooker hall of geology, gems, and Minerals. mnh.si.edu/specialevents

Donald E. Hurlbert

Bill Fitz-Patric

k


James Di Loreto


Special Events

Looking Ahead

10th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20560-0135

mnh.si.edu

CoverMessageThe Museum @ 100What Does It Mean to Be Human?Human Diversity and Cultural Change SectionDiscovery and Understanding of Life's Diversity SectionFormation and Evolution of Earth and Simila