EXTREME MAMMALS
New exhibit on show at the California Academy of Sciences until September 12
SAN FRANCISCO.- Every family has its share of extreme characters, and ours is no exception. For evidence, look no further than the newest exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences. Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time showcases some of our most intriguing relatives, from the speedy to the sloth-like, the towering to the tiny, even the venomous and the armor-clad. Featuring spectacular fossils and reconstructions alongside recent specimens and live animals, the exhibit explores the surprising and often extraordinary world of extinct and living mammals. A whale that could walk? A bat the size of a bumble bee? Mothers who are pregnant for almost two years... or just 12 days? Extreme Mammals will allow visitors to meet this colorful cast of characters, discover their place in the family tree, and learn why humans are perhaps the most extreme mammals of all. The exhibit opens on April 3, 2010 and runs through September 12, 2010.
During a trip through the world of  Extreme Mammals, visitors will learn how mammals evolved, how scientists define this group (would you have guessed one of the defining traits is the ability to eat and breathe at the same time?), and how some of the most extreme adaptations in the mammalian family support survival and reproduction. Highlights of the exhibition include taxidermy specimens-from the egg-laying platypus to the recently extinct Tasmanian wolf-as well as fleshed-out models of spectacular extinct forms, such as Ambulocetus, a "walking whale." Visitors will encounter an entire skeleton of the giant hoofed plant-eater Uintatherium, with its dagger-like teeth and multiple horns; the skeletal model of Puijila darwini, a newly discovered extinct "walking seal" from the High Arctic with webbed feet instead of flippers; a life-size model of Indricotherium, the largest land mammal that ever lived; one of the oldest fossilized bats ever found; and an impressive diorama featuring the warm swamps and forests that flourished on Ellesmere Island, located in the High Arctic, about 50 million years ago.
Another mammal featured in the exhibit, Homo sapiens, may look more familiar, but this big-brained, bipedal mammal has evolved several extreme features. "We don't often think of ourselves as extreme mammals, since we don't have long horns or venomous spurs," said Dr. Zeresenay Alemseged, Curator of Anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences. "However, we are without a doubt one of the most extreme mammals that evolution has produced. Our brain-to-body weight ratio is higher than any other mammal on Earth, and our ability to make and use complex tools sets us apart from all other life forms. That trait has enabled us to occupy virtually all parts of our planet and even explore others." Dr. Alemseged's research, including his discovery of the oldest and most complete known hominin child, will be featured in a video display in the exhibit.