"Top 10 Collections"

#10: Botswana: Will the Cheetah Catch the Impala?

kwilliams — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 22:33:44 GMT

#10: Botswana: Will the Cheetah Catch the Impala?

The Kalahari Desert is located in southwest Botswana, Africa. There are only a few permanent sources of water, yet it supports amazing numbers of animals. Among them are cheetahs and impalas, as can be seen in this diorama. The cheetah is built for speed, with long slender legs for lengthy strides and a long tail to help balance; it can reach speeds of up to 60 mph. The impala can high-jump 10 feet and broad-jump more than 30 feet. This diorama can be seen among the Wildlife Exhibits. The dioramas are curated by John Demboski, Curator of Vertebrate Zoology, Kirk Johnson, Vice President of Research & Collections and Chief Curator, and Kris Haglund, Chair of Bailey Library & Archives & Archivist.

Department of Zoology

#9: Mars Exploration Rover: Robot Geologist on Mars

kwilliams — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 22:26:57 GMT

#9: Mars Exploration Rover: Robot Geologist on Mars

This is a full scale model of a Mars Exploration Rover (MER). Two identical rovers, named Spirit and Opportunity, left Earth in June and July 2003 and landed on Mars in January 2004. Each MER was designed to conduct geologic investigations and send pictures and reports back to Earth for up to 90 days. Amazingly, the Rovers are still functioning today. The MER model can be seen just outside the Space Odyssey exhibit hall. The curator of this exhibit is Steve Lee, Curator of Space Sciences.

Department of Space Sciences

#8: Totem Poles

kwilliams — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:53:21 GMT

#8: Totem Poles

These cedar poles are from the Northwest Coast. The carved figures on the monuments represent the supernatural beings that befriended a family’s ancestors, recording its history and identity. These totem poles are on display in the North American Indian Cultures Hall. The curator of this collection is Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Curator of Anthropology.

Department of Anthropology

#7 Crinoid Slab: Life in Paleozoic Seas

kwilliams — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:31:28 GMT

#7 Crinoid Slab: Life in Paleozoic Seas

These crinoids, sometimes called sea lilies, are around 350 million years old. Crinoids are related to starfish and sand dollars; they use their feather-like arms to filter plankton from seawater. This slab was collected from Indiana in 1975. It is exceptionally preserved and the fossils were exposed using small air-powered tools. The Crinoid Slab can be seen in Prehistoric Journey. The curator of this specimen is Kirk Johnson, Vice President of Research & Collections and Chief Curator.

Department of Earth Sciences

#6: Konovalenko Carvings: Gem Carvings of Russian Folklife

kwilliams — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:21:42 GMT

#6: Konovalenko Carvings: Gem Carvings of Russian Folklife

These intricate and humorous carvings by master carver Vasily Konovalenko capture scenes from Russian folk life. They are composed from a palette of colorful gemstones and other mineral and rock materials in the Fabergé tradition. This carving, called "In the Sultry Afternoon I," uses sapphire for the eyes and ruby for the watermelon. These captivating carvings can be found in the Konovalenko display area on Level 3 of the Museum. The curator of this collection is Paul Morgan, Department Chair of Earth Sciences & Curator of Geology.

Department of Earth Sciences

#5: Stegosaurus

kwilliams — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:09:58 GMT

#5: Stegosaurus

In 1992, a nearly complete Stegosaurus was discovered near Canyon City by scientists from the Museum. A cast of this fossil can be seen through the viewing window in the Earth Sciences Lab at the end of the Prehistoric Journey exhibit. It was a significant discovery because it showed patches of armor on the neck for the first time. Other new information from this specimen, such as the position of the tail spikes and the arrangement of the back plates was used in the remounting of the skeleton in this photograph, which is located in Prehistoric Journey. The curator of this specimen is Ken Carpenter, Chief Preparator & Curator of Lower Vertebrate Paleontology

Department of Earth Sciences

#4: West Indian Manatees

kwilliams — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:07:24 GMT

#4: West Indian Manatees

West Indian Manatees live in the shallow spring-fed waters of Kings Bay, at the headwaters of Florida’s Crystal Rivers. An endangered species, the West Indian Manatee had been hunted for its meat, oil, skin and bone, which was used as ivory. They are now protected in Florida. Because they are endangered the Museum did not collect specimens for display; instead they are constructed from fiberglass. This diorama can be seen among the Wildlife Exhibits. The dioramas are curated by John Demboski, Curator of Vertebrate Zoology, Kirk Johnson, Vice President of Research & Collections and Chief Curator, and Kris Haglund, Chair of Bailey Library & Archives & Archivist.

Department of Zoology

#3: Folsom Spear Point

kwilliams — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:03:01 GMT

#3: Folsom Spear Point

The discovery of this projectile point, made on a Museum excavation in 1927, completely turned around our understanding of the prehistory of North America. The projectile was embedded between the ribs of an early form of bison that lived some 10,500 years ago. The discovery of these items together proved that humans were in North America earlier than previously thought. This artifact can be seen in Prehistoric Journey. The curator of this artifact is Steve Holen, Curator of Archaeology.

Department of Earth Sciences
Department of Anthropology

#2: The Alma King: Rhodochrosite

kwilliams — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:52:52 GMT

#2: The Alma King: Rhodochrosite

This is the best specimen of the Colorado State Mineral ever found and one of the most spectacular miner specimens ever collected. It was found in Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Colorado in 1992 and was donated to the Museum by the Adolph Coors Foundation. The 6-inch red crystal formed on the wall of a narrow cavity with crystals of quartz, sphalerite, fluorite, calcite, and chalcopyrite. The Alma King is on display in the Coors Gem & Mineral Hall. The curator of this unique specimen is Paul Morgan, Department Chair of Earth Sciences & Curator of Geology.

Department of Earth Sciences

#1: Diane’s Pocket: Aquamarine Crystals

kwilliams — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:39:56 GMT

#1: Diane’s Pocket: Aquamarine Crystals

This group of aquamarine crystals is part of a stunning specimen of the Colorado State Gem. It was discovered in 2004 in a rock cavity, or vug, in the Sawatch Range of Colorado’s Rockies. These crystals were generously donated to the Museum by Bruce & Cody Oreck in 2006 and are on display in the Coors Gem & Mineral Hall. The curator of this spectacular specimen is Paul Morgan, Department Chair of Earth Sciences & Curator of Geology.

Department of Earth Sciences