DocentDoings

This story was sent to you by: Chuck -------------------- Ancestors may have left Africa earlier than thought -------------------- Tools suggest humans may have wandered far from Africa as early as 125,000 years ago, 60,000 years sooner than previously believed. By Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times January 28 2011 Some unlikely tools unearthed near the Persian Gulf show that our ancestors may have migrated far out of Africa as early as 125,000 years ago — about 60,000 years earlier than was previously believed. The complete article can be viewed at: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-out-of-africa-20110128,0,6750225.story Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com

Dear Chuck, You may want to add this tale to the docent blog. Last Thursday I brought in a whale vertebrae that my adult son had found while running on the beach in Long Beach. He and my husband determined that it was a vertebrae, probably lumbar, and my son wanted to know which whale it might be from. He thought the docents might like it for a cart once it was identified. Dr. Barnes looked at it and surprised me by saying it was from a fin whale or larger whale, that it was a lumbar vertebrae, and that it was "prehistoric," at least 1,000 years old. At that moment I had an "Antique Roadshow Moment," totally surprised. Dr. Barnes saw fossilization in the bone. We took it to Jim Dines to determine if it was entirely fossilized, testing it with fire. The answer was that it was not and so the 12 to 14 pound vertebrae now resides in the Mammalian collection as a reference item. My son was happy to donate it and I am pleased to have been the conduit. I have

The following four videos were taken on Wednesday, January 5, 2011. To view, click on the arrows and double click on rolling ball until video starts. For the digitally challenged docents, these are not pictures, they are videos which means you have to start the video by clicking on the lower right arrow and perhaps clicking several times on the ball above the arrow to start the video. You will see some dots flashing and will have to wait several seconds for the video to begin. Keep doing this procedure until the video starts. Karen Wise Presentation - Part 1 Karen Wise Presentation - Part 2 Karen Wise Presentation - Part 3 Karen Wise - Part 4 President Jane Pisano, January 6, 2010: President Pisano answers questions: Courtney and Lila on North Campus (several videos): Picture-chart listing the elements of being a docent (double click to enlarge picture):

These stories were sent to you by: Chuck Story 1: Neanderthals liked their veggies, too -------------------- Often considered pure meat eaters, a new analysis of Neanderthal teeth shows that the species also ate plants and even cooked them. The finding challenges the idea that limited food sources caused their extinction. By Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times December 31 2010, 5:33 PM PST Neanderthals ate plants — and even cooked them — just as their human cousins did, according to a new analysis of Neanderthal teeth. The complete article can be viewed at: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-neanderthals-20110101,0,573797.story Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com Story 2: DNA tests confirm a previously unknown hominid species -------------------- The species probably diverged from the Neanderthal line 350,000 years ago. Researchers believe they ranged widely throughout East Asia and interbred with humans in the South Pacific. By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Tim