Anthropology 101
As Cuvier could correctly describe a whole animal by the contemplation of a single bone, so the observer who has thoroughly understood one link in a series of incidents should be able to accurately state all the other ones, both before and after. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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I do this. Not ashamed.
Yeah, I totally do this too.
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March 12, 2012
After a month of deliberation and planning, the Zoo has finally approved my request. I needed to agree to certain conditions, but my research project will finally be underway. I had to agree to:
1) not disturb visitors
2) clearly identify myself as a researcher by a sign
3) acknowledge the Zoo in my paper
4) hand them a copy of my final research paper
5) do a program for staff and docents upon the completion of my research
I will be doing non-intrusive, observational research with two White-Cheecked Gibbons (Nomascus concolor). I will be focusing on affiliative behaviors. This includes: grooming, proximity, and mating behaviors. In order to assess proximity, I will be using Hinde’s Index.
I met with one of the directors of the Zoo and got my final word of approval and set out the the Gibbon habitat. There is construction going on at the Zoo. With each eruption of the jack-hammer, the male gibbon (name to come) would run across to the opposite end of the habitat. For most of the afternoon, the two gibbons spent their time in a box, with one slide cut out, that is placed at the very top of their outside habitat. Each time the jack-hammer rang out, the male ran out of the box and across the habitat. The female (name to come) was not as bothered. As the male would run out and across, the female would just watch from inside the box. The jack-hammer did not startle her or make her uncomfortable. Every now and then the female would get up and look outside the box, but then return to sitting.
After about a half hour, the jack-hammer stopped. Now, the two gibbons moved freely around their habitat. On average the gibbons stayed about 1 meter away from each other. For a few seconds, the female initiated copulation. From what I have heard from the Zoo, the gibbons do not have sex. The male will not copulate with the female. However, the female continues to initiate copulation with her “sexy dance” (according to the zoo).
I am looking forward to continuing my research tomorrow. I will be observing the gibbons Wednesday and Thursday afternoon and Friday mornings.
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Crochet skull ear warmers complete!!! @gbaxter711 #crochet #headband #skull (Taken with instagram)
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I feel like this is an incredibly true statement
(Source: thepursuitaesthetic)
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Amazing. I would buy this.
(Source: dirtyacid)
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Australopithecine hand on top of a human hand.
(Source: vexenstraug)
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Just another day at the Body Farm (UTK)
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First day of Forensic Taphonomy 7/24/11
I guess today I will start my blog entries on Forensic Taphonomy. Forensic Taphonomy is the study of what happens to a body after it dies. This covers decomposition, chemical changes, physical changes, animal activity, insect activity, and bacterial development. Anything that happens to a body after death is covered in this field of study.
I met my roommate today. He came in very late tonight. I don’t remember his name, or where he’s from. He is, however, a cop. Not that I do anything illegal, but it is still a little unnerving to have a cop living in the bedroom next-door to mine. He seems like a very nice guy. I have really lucked out with roommates here in Tennessee.
Tomorrow begins the lab portion of this course. It’s my understanding that we are spending two days in the lab (I assume Monday and Tuesday) and then three days in the field (I assume Wednesday through Friday). Unlike when I was in Poland, “in the field” means on the Body Farm.
I am getting really nervous to get to the field. I have never seen a decomposing body before, and from what I have heard, the movies don’t do it justice. Some people are worried about the smell. I feel like I can handle the smell. I clean up after my Saint Bernard, I think I can handle the smell of a decomposing body. I don’t think I will be able to handle to actual corpse. Decomposition makes the body look weird and distorted. Then there is the skin slippage, and I’m making myself nauseous.
Tonight was the Meet and Greet dinner at The SunSpot. Every Sunday there is a trivia night here. Tonight I was on Team Lone Wolf, with Julia, Erina, Amber, Amy, and David. I should mention that there are about 25 people in this course. 4 of the are guys including me. Anyway, we kicked ass at trivia night. Team Lone Wolf now has a $50 gift certificate to The SunSpot. Tomorrow night is 2 Dollar Tuesday - all draft beer is $2. Wednesday night is Wine Wednesdays - all bottles are half price. Since we are all anthropologists, naturally we are going to spend this money on discount booze.
Tomorrow I have to get up and be ready to leave at 7:45am again. After a week of going out late and waking up early, I don’t foresee this being easy.
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CT Scans from the American Museum of Natural HIstory
Here is an article from the NY Times, discussing a new exhibit, called Picturing Science, featuring CT scans from the Microscopy and Imaging Facility on the 5th floor. During my spring internship I worked in the Microscopy and Imaging Facility. I helped on some of these scans. This exhibit is on display through June 2012.
Here is the main article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/science/12museum.html?scp=2&sq=american%20museum%20of%20natural%20history&st=cse
Here is the picture slide show: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/07/11/science/12Museum.html?scp=3&sq=American%20Museum%20of%20Natural%20History&st=cse
I helped out on the Tibetan bronze statues.
The coolest (I think), is the Armadillo Lizard Skin. This was scanned before I got to the museum, for a graduate student named Ed Stanley. I got to know this guy a little bit. He was great, very smart. He spent weeks working on this scan, using the 3D rendering program to color in the bony plates of this lizard. He is using this data to get his Ph.D in Comparative Biology.
As an anthropologist I study human culture in all its forms. This blog is dedicated to the journaling of my studies. My main focus is human osteology, the study of bones. 