today at smithsonian: aboriginal art

Australian Aboriginal art, one of the world’s most vibrant continuing traditions, is now achieving global recognition. Contemporary society has taken a great interest in the art of the Yolngu people, once-obscure hunter-gatherers from Arnhem Land. Yolngu’s varied artistic expressions, include body painting, sand sculptures, painted skulls, hollow log coffins, and art forms that anticipated Western art’s expressionism or performance art. Aboriginal art can only be understood when it is integrated with sequences of action and as performance genres.

today at smithsonian: alexander calder

A new exhibit at National Portrait Gallery: Best known for his abstract mobiles and stabiles, Alexander Calder (1898-1976) was also a prolific portraitist. Throughout his career Calder portrayed entertainment, sports, and art-world figures, including Josephine Baker, Jimmy Durante, Babe Ruth, and Charles Lindbergh, as well as colleagu...es Marion Greenwood, Fernand Léger, and Saul Steinberg, to name a few.

Typically, Calder worked in the unorthodox medium of wire, a flexible linear material, which he shaped into three-dimensional portraits of considerable character and nuance. Suspended from the wall or ceiling, the portraits are free to move; because of this mobility, they seem—like their subjects—to have a life of their own.

today at smithsonian: new tiger

The National Zoo’s great cat program has recently expanded with the arrival of 2 1/2-year-old female Sumatran tiger, Damai, who is now out of quarantine and spending time outside in her exhibit where visitors can see her. The National Zoo plans to bring a male tiger in to breed with Damai later this year, as recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for Sumatran tigers, which matches animals across the country to ensure genetic diversity in the population.

“Every time we get a new animal, it’s a learning experience for us because each animal is different,” said Leigh Pitsko, a tiger keeper at the Zoo. “We can already tell that Damai is a great tiger. She’s sweet, very calm and curious about everything going on around her. Visitors will really enjoy watching her and learning about her species.”

Damai’s genetics are not well represented among tigers in human care in North America, and she is therefore a highly valued animal within the SSP. The SSP opted to send her to the National Zoo because of its success in breeding Sumatran tigers and other cats, such as cheetahs and lions.

today at smithsonian: art show at NASM

For almost half a century, artists participating in the NASA art program have been documenting the extraordinary adventure of spaceflight in ways that no camera could match. They have enjoyed special access to some epic moments and offered their unique perspectives on what they have witnessed. At NASA’s invitation, artists have captured the faces and personalities of the men and women who have flown in space, and introduced us to the other members of the team as well — the anonymous scientists, engineers, technicians, managers, secretaries, and thousands of others who performed the myriad tasks required to operate a space program. Other artists were attracted by the bunkers, gantries, radio dishes, and the towering Vehicle Assembly Building of the Kennedy Space Center, or were struck by the co-existence of the space-age architecture of the Cape with the beaches, swamps, birds, and animals that surround the space-age facility.

The NASA art collection, shared now by the space agency and the National Air and Space Museum, is far greater than the sum of its parts. It stands as a reminder of pioneering years of the early Space Age and an inspiration for those who will continue our long journey into the universe. The exhibition includes some 70 paintings, drawings, photographs, and pieces of sculpture by such artists as Annie Leibovitz, Nam June Paik, Robert Rauschenberg, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, and Jamie Wyeth.
For almost half a century, artists participating in the NASA art program have been documenting the extraordinary adventure of spaceflight in ways that no camera could match. They have enjoyed special access to some epic moments and offered their unique perspectives on what they have witnessed. At NASA’s invitation, artists have captured the faces and personalities of the men and women who have flown in space, and introduced us to the other members of the team as well — the anonymous scientists, engineers, technicians, managers, secretaries, and thousands of others who performed the myriad tasks required to operate a space program. Other artists were attracted by the bunkers, gantries, radio dishes, and the towering Vehicle Assembly Building of the Kennedy Space Center, or were struck by the co-existence of the space-age architecture of the Cape with the beaches, swamps, birds, and animals that surround the space-age facility.

The NASA art collection, shared now by the space agency and the National Air and Space Museum, is far greater than the sum of its parts. It stands as a reminder of pioneering years of the early Space Age and an inspiration for those who will continue our long journey into the universe. The exhibition includes some 70 paintings, drawings, photographs, and pieces of sculpture by such artists as Annie Leibovitz, Nam June Paik, Robert Rauschenberg, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, and Jamie Wyeth.

smithsonian today: say cheese, trees!

today at smithsonian: Leafsnap, the first plant identification mobile application, allows users to identify tree species by taking a photograph of the tree’s leaves. It also provides high-resolution photographs and information about the tree’s flowers, fruit, seeds and bark. More info: http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/computer-science-and-biology-come-together-make-tree-identification-snap

today at smithsonian: cheetah babies in dec 2010

Many years of research are celebrated in the birth of two cheetah cubs at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute—the Zoo facility in Front Royal, Virginia.

The cubs were born to two separate females; the first to five-year-old Amani on December 6, the second to nine-year-old Zazi on December 16. Cheetahs that give birth to only one cub, called a singleton, cannot produce enough milk to keep the cub alive. Typically, females in the wild will let a single cub die, after which they will enter estrus and breed again to theoretically produce a larger litter. So scientists at SCBI resorted to an alternative technique. The cub born to Amani, a first-time mother, was hand-raised for 13 days before being placed with Zazi, creating a litter of two that will likely help stimulate milk production from Zazi. Researchers have observed both cubs nursing from Zazi.

“When we realized that Amani had a singleton, we removed the cub to hand rear it,” said Adrienne Crosier, SCBI cheetah biologist. “So when Zazi gave birth, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to give both cubs a chance at survival as one litter under her care without any additional interference by us. Only a few institutions in North American have ever successfully cross-fostered cheetah cubs and this is a first for SCBI.”

Amani’s cub showed abnormal cranial tremors when pulled for hand rearing. Initially veterinarians thought the tremors were associated with the cub’s hypothermia, but they became concerned when the tremors did not resolve despite the cubs’ seemingly normal growth and appetite. With the possibility of a lethal congenital brain disorder or developmental defect, the cub underwent some tests and advanced diagnostic imaging in the form of magnetic resonance imaging. The MRI results did not show a developmental brain disorder, and the severity and frequency of the tremors slowly improved. At that point, SCBI staff determined they could incorporate the cub into the foster family. They will continue to monitor the cub closely for any indications that his health could be compromised.

Both cubs were sired by two-year-old brothers that arrived at SCBI in April 2010. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan, which pairs cheetahs across the country in order to maintain genetic diversity in the population, will likely consider the two genetically valuable, Crosier said. Eventually, they will be transferred to other breeding facilities.
These births are especially significant, as cheetah births in zoos across the country have dwindled over the past five years, worrying animal care managers about the sustainability of the North American population in human care.

Approximately 35 percent of female cheetahs in the SSP are older, and researchers have found that after eight years of age they do not reproduce well. SCBI is trying to address the dearth of cheetah cubs through a number of research projects, including one project that looks at the reproductive potential of females as they age. SCBI scientists are also studying whether they can harvest eggs from an older female, fertilize them and then transfer them to a younger surrogate female.

“We are proud to help find a solution to maintaining a sustainable captive cheetah population,” said Steve Monfort, director of SCBI. “This is only our first year of having breeding pairs at SCBI, so it’s really exciting that we have produced two cubs. The more that we understand about our cheetahs, the more we can do for those in human care throughout North America and for those in the wild.”

Cheetah cubs in human care have about a 20 percent mortality rate (compared to up to 70 percent in the wild in east Africa), and animal care staff will continue to monitor the two cubs closely in the coming weeks and months. Thirty-three cheetah cubs (including the cubs born at SCBI this month) have been born in North America this year and have survived. With the new arrivals, the Zoo’s two facilities now care for 13 cheetahs.

Although SCBI is not open to the public, three cheetahs from SCBI were recently moved to the Zoo’s Washington facility, where visitors can see them in their outdoor habitat. Two litters of cheetahs have been born at the Zoo’s Washington facility since 2004, including one by Zazi, the cheetah now rearing the two cubs at SCBI.

Historically, about 95 percent of all cheetah cubs in the SSP have been produced in off-exhibit breeding centers. This includes five centers, including SCBI, that make up the Conservation Centers for Species Survival (C2S2), a group that collectively manages more than 25,000 acres of land devoted to the survival of threatened species with special needs (including those requiring large land areas, natural group sizes and minimal public disturbance). All five groups maintain a cheetah breeding facility as part of their long-term commitment to cheetah breeding and research. Collectively, these five centers manage more than 40 percent of the SSP population, and each C2S2 institution has produced cheetah litters this year.

As the result of human conflict, hunting and habitat loss, there are only an estimated 7,500 to 10,000 cheetahs left in the wild. The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers cheetahs a vulnerable species.

This work was made possible, in part, through the generous contributions of William P. McClure, William H. Donner Foundation, CGH Technologies, Ohrstrom Foundation, Nick Arundel and Magalen O. Bryant.

today at smithsonian: giant squid

giant squid eye

Giant squid have the largest eyes in the animal kingdom—at up to 10 inches in diameter, they are the size of a dinner plate. These massive organs allow giant squid to detect objects in the lightless depths where most other
animals would see nothing.

The giant squid is among the largest invertebrates on Earth—with lengths measuring nearly 60 feet. Giant squid can descend to 6,500 feet and are known to be aggressive hunters.

The eyes, on either side of the head, each contain a hard lens. An image is focused by changing the position of the lens, as in a camera or telescope, rather than changing the shape of the lens, as in the human eye.

This item is one of 137 million artifacts, works of art and specimens in the Smithsonian’s collection. It is not currently on display.

More information at http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life-ecosystems/giant-squid

today at smithsonian: from artists' personal collections

Ina Ginsburg, by Andy Warhol from his private collection

The National Portrait Gallery is showing "Capital Portraits," shedding light on some of the city's most fascinating public figures, as well as the artists who immortalized them.

Each piece is largely personal, yet the story behind its creation reveals greater social context for the time period in which it was created. "Our reason for selecting things was both the artistic merit and for the interesting stories that they told about the coming together of the sitter and the artist."

http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/capital/

today at smithsonian: clouded leopard

At a facility in Front Royal, Va., Smithsonian National Zoo experts are using cutting-edge techniques to prevent extinction of endangered species.
Five-week-old clouded leopard cubs are getting their nourishment from zookeeper Jessica Kordell as part of a hand-rearing experiment. At the National Zoo's conservation biology institute in Front Royal, researchers are finding new breeding methods for endangered species like leopards.
The leopard cubs look cuddly now, but when they’re grown up, the males especially will become aggressive. That aggression is part of natural breeding. Males, 60 pounds heavier than females, become so aggressive when mating, they end up killing their mate 65 percent of the time.
That is one problem threatening the livelihood of this rare species. Zoos are very concerned about putting adults together, scared that they might lose an animal.

“What if the young animals are put together, sort of pair-bonded early on in the stage, would that minimize the aggression?” reproductive physiologist Budhan Pukazhenthi asks.
In this setting, the Zoo is matching the males and females at about 6 months, hoping they will grow gentler as they grow up together.
The institute is also trying to find new ways to rear cheetah cubs. When cheetahs give birth to just one cub, they don't produce enough milk to keep the baby alive. Keepers use cross-fostering to put a baby with new mom Zazi, a gutsy move.

Hand rearing is an option, but it can have negative consequences in the future. "Hand-raised (cubs) just have human communication, they don't have any cheetah socialization, so they're not very good breeders in the future," said Lacey Braun, the lead cheetah keeper.
These innovative techniques are keeping scarce species alive, at least in captivity.

The zoo keeper’s work isn't limited to cats: elephants, birds, even amphibians are researched to keep the species from extinction.

today at smithsonian: a clever jellyfish

The turritopsis nutricula species of jellyfish may be the only animal in the world to have truly discovered the fountain of youth.

Since it is capable of cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again, there may be no natural limit to its life span. Scientists say the hydrozoan jellyfish is the only known animal that can repeatedly turn back the hands of time and revert to its polyp state (its first stage of life).

The key lies in a process called transdifferentiation, where one type of cell is transformed into another type of cell. Some animals can undergo limited transdifferentiation and regenerate organs, such as salamanders,which can regrow limbs. Turritopsi nutricula, on the other hand, can regenerate its entire body over and over again. Researchers are studying the jellyfish to discover how it is able to reverse its aging process.

Because they are able to bypass death, the number of individuals is spiking. They're now found in oceans around the globe rather than just in their native Caribbean waters. "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion," says Dr. Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute.

Bryan Nelson is a regular contributor to Mother Nature Network, where a version of this post originally appeared.

today at smithsonian

Not to get your hopes up prematurely, but the National Zoo just issued a statement saying that its female giant panda Mei Xiang, is showing signs that she might be pregnant. The 12-year-old panda was artificially inseminated on January 29 and 30, and since then zoo scientists have been closely monitoring her pregnancy-hormone levels. The latest spike is Mei Xiang's second progesterone rise, meaning another tiny Butterstick could arrive in 40 to 50 days, or, you know, not.

The tricky thing with giant pandas is that they can show signs of being pregnant even when they're not. It's called pseudo-pregnancy, and pandas can look and act pregnant without ever actually having conceived. That's why every year around this time, Washingtonians wait with bated breath to see if another baby panda is in the works. Unfortunately in recent years, the odds have been against us.

Zoo scientists are conducting weekly hormone analyses on Mei Xiang's urine samples, according to the statement. They're also doing ultrasounds to look for a fetus. So far, none has been detected, though it might still be too early: Panda fetuses don't develop until the final weeks of gestation.