Natural History

Monthly Archive: December Natu

Into the Heart of Borneo - A Month on Mulu Mountain & LIVE Google Hangout

Posted: May 24, 2013 - 12:16 , by royal
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Entomologist Chris Darling looks at the mountain during sunset.

ROM Biodiversity researchers studying insects, fungi, and mammals have been discovering new species in the heart of Borneo, in Gunung Mulu National Park, throughout the month of May....

My journey with Sir David Attenborough

Posted: January 21, 2013 - 10:00 , by ROM
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Sir David Attenborough with Jean-Bernard Caron at the Walcott Quarry (Burgess Shale)

Sir David Attenborough has been filming Nature all his life. In 2009, at the age of 83, he traveled the world again to discover how Life began and diversified into the myriad of organisms that form the basis of today's biodiversity. The result of this journey is the beautiful documentary, "First Life," that won three Emmy Awards in 2011. The new ROM Gallery of Early Life anticipated to open by the end of 2014 will feature some of the key fossils shown in the documentary, many of those will come from our own ROM collections! 

The origin of animals represents a turning point in Life history. About half a billion years ago all the major animal groups that are still around us today appear in the fossil record. One of the best sites in the world to study this key interval in Life history is the 505 million year old Burgess Shale in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. As an expert of the Burgess Shale biota, I was invited to accompany Sir David Attenborough to the field. Here are few snapshots from the Burgess Shale I took during this specific trip.

Arctic Adventures with Dr. Doug Currie

Posted: November 22, 2012 - 10:38 , by royal
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Meet Senior Curator of Entomology (that's insects!) Doug Currie on Saturday November 25th, 11am - 4pm and learn about his work with your favourite bug: yes, the balck fly!

On the Shoulders of Giants – Phil Currie at the ROM on Oct. 7th

Posted: October 4, 2012 - 12:10 , by royal
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First introduced to dinosaurs through a plastic toy in a cerealbox, renowned palaeontologist Philip J. Currie embarked on a life-long journey to study these creatures of the past.

Life in the ROM DNA Lab

Posted: October 3, 2012 - 12:30 , by royal
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By Oliver Haddrath, Ornithology Technician

DNA testing over the last 30 years has revolutionized many different fields ranging from health care to law enforcement to the study of human civilization and natural history.  The ROM was quick to adopt techniques such as DNA sequencing and genetic fingerprinting as powerful tools to help study its collections.

ROM Mycologists in the field

Posted: September 24, 2012 - 13:20 , by royal
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Posting by Kirstin Bourne

Mushroom season has only just started and already ROM mycologists have been out in the field conducting research and searching for new specimens to add to the museum collection. Last week I got the chance to join Jean-Marc Moncalvo, the ROM’s Senior Curator of Mycology, along with Ph.D. Candidate Santiago Sanchez and Josie Carding, a summer intern in the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity for a few days of foraging and camping in Ontario’s Awenda Provincial Park.

Exclusive Interview with World Renowned Palaeontologist Paul Sereno

Posted: September 14, 2012 - 21:10 , by royal
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ROM: Hi Paul, we are thrilled that you are coming to speak at the ROM this Sunday and we would love it if you could answer a couple of questions in advance as we prepare for your arrival. I understand you studied art and biology at Northern Illinois University. How did you go from that to becoming one of the world’s most famous palaeontologists?

Curiosity Makes Tracks on Mars

Posted: September 13, 2012 - 10:44 , by royal
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Posting by Brendt Hyde, Mineralogy Techncian

Pronghorns and Prickly Pears and Bison…oh my! Thoughts on Grasslands National Park

Posted: September 11, 2012 - 17:48 , by Nicole Richards

Submitted by Alexander Muth, winner of the Find the Baby Bison Contest

Alexander loving the view from the top of 70 mile Butte

We’re back.  We all had a great trip out west. It’s hard to pick out highlights, as it all seems like highlights to me.

Go West Young Man, and take a ROM Employee with you

Posted: September 6, 2012 - 10:47 , by Nicole Richards

I’ve just come back from Grasslands National Park with the Grand Prize Winner of the Find the Baby Bison contest, Alexander Muth. I’m the lucky ROM employee chosen to accompany him and his family on the trip (actually no luck involved at all, it was an arm wrestling competition and I’m stronger than I look).