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2008 news archive


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A new human evolution exhibit in the Valley Life Sciences Building highlights Berkeley's contributions to the field A new human evolution exhibit in the Valley Life Sciences Building highlights Berkeley's contributions to the field
November 21, 2008
A second-floor corridor in the Valley Life Sciences Building houses a new human evolution exhibit that includes skeletons, a video presentation, and a recreation of a famous Ethiopian field site. The display, co-sponsored by UCMP and the Human Evolution Research Center, was created by Tim White and a team of graduate students and post-docs, and is dedicated to the memory of F. Clark Howell. Read more about the exhibit at The Berkeleyan.
Barnosky publishes on the relationship between human and non-human megafauna biomass and extinction Barnosky publishes on the relationship between human and non-human megafauna biomass and extinction
November 19, 2008
Tony Barnosky's recent work appeared in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and has since been discussed in the popular media. He points out shifts in balance between the human and non-human megafauna biomass, the energy needed to support this biomass, and how a man-made surge in biomass could lead to a crash. Read more about it at the Stones, Bones 'n Things National Geographic blog.
<i>Dive Into Your Imagination</i> highlights the work of Roy Caldwell Dive Into Your Imagination highlights the work of Roy Caldwell
September 24, 2008
Roy Caldwell discusses his science, his concerns for our oceans, and the importance of museum collections on the Dive Into Your Imagination website in their Cool Scientists You Should Know series. Dive Into Your Imagination is a website for children to encourage them to learn more about our oceans and the people who study them.
UCMP Tour for Homecoming! UCMP Tour for Homecoming!
September 10, 2008
UCMP Assistant Director Mark Goodwin will be offering a behind-the-sciences tour of the UCMP in association with Cal's Homecoming on Friday, October 3rd, from 11:00 AM to noon. Just meet at the T. rex.
UCMP receives a gift for COPUS UCMP receives a gift for COPUS
August 8, 2008
UCMP is pleased to announce the receipt of a $50,000 gift from The Whitman Institute to support regional and national efforts in the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) project. For more information about COPUS, UCMP's involvement, and how you can participate, visit the COPUS website.
Understanding Evolution in Turkish Understanding Evolution in Turkish
August 4, 2008
UCMP's Understanding Evolution website is now available in Turkish! The translated site is the result of a collaboration between Understanding Evolution and colleagues at the Biomedical Engineering Institute of Bogazici University in Istanbul.
Padian receives the 2008 Western Evolutionary Biologist of the Year award Padian receives the 2008 Western Evolutionary Biologist of the Year award
May 30, 2008
Congratulations are due to Kevin Padian, who received the 2008 Western Evolutionary Biologist of the Year award at the Western Evolutionary Biology meeting (WEB*2) held at UC Irvine this month. The Webby is awarded annually by the Network for Experimental Research on Evolution to an individual from the west of North America (including western Canada and Mexico) who has contributed significantly to the scientific study of biological evolution.
UCMP student awards
May 28, 2008
UCMP is pleased to announce the following student awards for 2008: Maya deVries and Joey Pakes each received a UCMP Graduate Student Research Grant; Erin Meyer and Molly Wright received the D.K. Palmer award; and Stephanie Bush received the Remington-Kellogg award. All awards are in support of individual graduate student research. In addition, UCMP congratulates Brian Swartz who is currently visiting Darwin College at Cambridge, where he is doing more work on the animals involved in the transition of vertebrate to land. For additional student awards see the latest UCMP Newsletter.
Caldwell finds that stomatopods can perceive circularly polarized light Caldwell finds that stomatopods can perceive circularly polarized light
March 25, 2008
Some stomatopods can detect and analyze circularly polarized light according to research by UCMP's Roy Caldwell and collaborators published in the recent Current Biology. No other animal is known to be able to perceive this sort of light. These stomatopods can actually distinguish between left-handed and right-handed circular polarization. The discovery has been widely reported, including by Wired and Science News.
Pyramids, forams, and Red Sea reefs: Field notes from Lorraine Casazza, part 2 Pyramids, forams, and Red Sea reefs: Field notes from Lorraine Casazza, part 2
March 24, 2008
Grad student Lorraine Casazza's Egyptian adventure continues as she collects Nummilites and endures sandstorms in the Valley of the Whales.
UCMP alum Malcolm McKenna dies at age 77 UCMP alum Malcolm McKenna dies at age 77
March 12, 2008
Malcolm McKenna, a retired curator of vertebrate paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History and alumnus of UCMP, died on March 3, 2008, in Boulder, Colorado, according to the obituary in The New York Times (March 10, 2008).
Padian talks Darwin in <i>Nature</i> Padian talks Darwin in Nature
February 8, 2008
UCMP curator and professor of integrative biology Kevin Padian reflects on what constitutes Darwin's enduring greatness in this week's Nature. You can also hear Padian speaking about Darwin in the February 7 edition of the Nature podcast.
Lee and Werning find that dinosaurs reached reproductive maturity during adolescence Lee and Werning find that dinosaurs reached reproductive maturity during adolescence
January 16, 2008
Dinosaurs reached reproductive maturity well before they stopped growing according to research by UCMP grad student Sarah Werning and recent UCMP Ph.D. recipient Andrew H. Lee published in the latest Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. By looking at many thin slices of dinosaur bone Werning and Lee were able to find individuals with calcium-rich deposits that accumulated prior to egg-laying. The fact that these individuals were still adolescents is an important piece of information for understanding the lives of dinosaurs. Read more about it at the UC Berkeley NewsCenter and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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