News Archive
Apr 15, 2024
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Join us as Erin Westeen, PhD Candidate, ESPM, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "Lessons from sky islands: ecomorphology and resource partitioning across levels of biological organization in spiny lizards."
Apr 11, 2024
Cal Day! Saturday April 13
Join conservation scientist and MVZ alum Dr. Tiffany Yap, artist Meital Smith, and MVZ graduate student Kannon Pearson as they discuss how Tiffany's experiences at Cal influenced her career path and how Tiffany and Meital's young adult graphic novel, "Tales of the Urban Wild: A Puma's Journey," highlights the importance of science and art in inclusive conservation storytelling. Saturday April 13 at 12pm in 2063 Valley Life Sciences
Apr 05, 2024
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Join us as David P. Mindell, Ph.D., Affiliated Researcher Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. Former Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan; Former Dean and Curator, California Academy of Sciences discusses, "The Network of Life: A New View of Evolution."
Mar 28, 2024
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Join us as Dr. Nancy Chen, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Rochester discusses, "The complex consequences of dispersal in a fragmented landscape."
Mar 21, 2024
MVZ Newsletter Spring 2024
In the latest edition of the MVZ newsletter learn about Postdoctoral Fellow Phred Benham’s new genomic analysis of Savannah sparrows.
Mar 15, 2024
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Join us as Malin Pinsky, Associate Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz discusses, "Climate change responses across realms and biological scales."
Mar 14, 2024
BIG GIVE TODAY!
Berkeley’s 24-hour online fundraiser to support students, faculty, and research is on now! Please consider making your donation to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology before 9 p.m. P.S.T.
Mar 13, 2024
BIG GIVE is back this Thursday, March 14!
During Big Give — UC Berkeley's 24-hour fundraising blitz — join the UC Berkeley Community in celebrating and supporting the innovative work of our students, faculty, and research. Be a part of the Big Give by donating to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology on March 14, 2024.
Mar 07, 2024
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Join us as Danielle Perryman, PhD Candidate Environmental Science, Policy & Management, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "Small Mammal Niche Shifts in Response to Climate and Ecosystem Change in the Mojave Desert Region of California."
Mar 04, 2024
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Join us as Dr. Kory Evans, Assistant Professor of BioSciences, Rice University discusses, "Evolutionary Mosaics & The Interplay Between Innovation and Integration."
Feb 26, 2024
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Join us as Dr. Robert Fisher, Conservation Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey’s Western Ecological Research Center discusses, "An eagle's eye view of conservation successes in southern California, with next steps towards 30 X 30."
Feb 16, 2024
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Join us as Dan Minor, Ph.D., Professor, Departments of Biochemistry & Biophysics, and Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco discusses, "How to survive a toxic environment: Lessons from poison birds and frogs."
Feb 13, 2024
MVZ Newsletter Winter 2024
In the latest edition of the MVZ newsletter learn about how gene regulation in house mice helps species thrive in new climates, vision in neotropical frogs and the Steller Jay’s genome.
Feb 02, 2024
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Join us as Walter D. Koenig, Ph.D, Visiting Fellow, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Graduate School Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Research Zoologist Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley discusses, "The very strange world of the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker."
Jan 25, 2024
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, January 31
Join us as Professor Alan Wilson, Royal Veterinary College, discusses, "Predator and prey in the African Savanna: from biomechanics to tactics."
Jan 17, 2024
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, January 24
Join us as David Marques, Curator of Vertebrates, Natural History Museum Basel, discusses, "Old genetic variation: key to rapid adaptation and speciation?"
Dec 14, 2023
Happy Holidays
The MVZ front office will be closed December 15 - January 8. If you need access to the museum please contact the appropriate staff curator. Have a wonderful break!
Dec 01, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, December 6
Join us as Tyler Douglas, PhD Candidate, Tarvin Lab, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley, discusses, "Evolving toxic fruit flies."
Nov 27, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, November 29
Join us as Dr. Rafe M. Brown, Curator-in-charge, Herpetology Division, KU Biodiversity Institute and Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Kansas, discusses, "The Island Archipelago Admixture Accelerator: species-pump, -sink, or no such thing?"
Nov 09, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, November 15
Join us as Kennedy Agwamba, PhD Candidate, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley, discusses, "The demographic history of the Western European house mouse, Mus musculus domesticus."
Nov 03, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, November 8
Join us as Sam Reiter, Assistant Professor, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, discusses, "Wake-like skin patterning and neural activity during octopus sleep."
Oct 27, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, November 1
Join us as Jack Tseng, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrative Biology and Assistant Curator, Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, discusses, "Jaws of a kind: the biomechanical consequences of being mammal."
Oct 23, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 25
Join us as Ben Karin, NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Wang Lab, University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley discusses, "The Biogeography and Elevational Diversification of Sulawesi’s Sphenomorphine Skinks."
Oct 18, 2023
Newsletter Features MVZ 40under40!
We are pleased to introduce the first eight awardees from MVZ’s 40under40 list! This new list highlights 40 alumni of the MVZ who are each under 40 years of age and have made substantial contributions in their chosen career. A call for nominations went out to the MVZ community this summer and nominees were chosen by a vote of the MVZ faculty and staff. Each of the winners will be featured in our upcoming newsletters. We hope the list will serve to acknowledge and promote the work and careers of MVZ's younger alumni! Congratulations to the winners!
Oct 16, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 18
Join us as Silvia Pavan, Professor and Curator of Vertebrate Museum, Cal Poly Humboldt discusses, "Fieldwork exploration and collections-based research to unveil diversity and evolutionary history of American small mammals."
Oct 05, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 11
Join us as Jerry Emory, Writer, Communications Consultant and Conservationist discusses, "George Meléndez Wright, Joseph Grinnell, and Science in the National Parks."
Sep 28, 2023
Meet the MVZ – September Edition Highlights Newest Members
In the latest issue of “Meet the MVZ” learn about the seven newest members of the MVZ Community; Charles Tralka, Veronarindra Ramananjato, Isaac Linn, Anusha Bishop, and Jennifer Hoeflich.
Sep 21, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, September 27
Join us as Kwasi Wrensford, PhD Candidate, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "Behavioral Responses to Climate Change in Chipmunks of the Sierra Nevada."
Sep 19, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, September 20
Join us as Sean Harrington, Senior Research Scientist at Wyoming INBRE Data Science Core discusses, "Population genomic responses of North American snakes to past and present climatic variation."
Sep 13, 2023
MVZ Herp Group 5pm PDT Monday, September 18Join us as Sean Harrington, Senior Research Scientist at Wyoming INBRE Data Science Core discusses, "Drivers of genetic structure in the common kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula) species complex."
Sep 11, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, September 13
Join us as Diana Aguilar-Gómez, PhD, Computational Biology Program, UC Berkeley discusses, "Evolution and genetic basis of the strawberry poison frog, Oophaga pumilio, coloration and diversification."
Aug 23, 2023
Update on MVZ Seminar Videos for Fall 2023
The MVZ and the University of California-Berkeley are committed to making their websites and other online content accessible to all individuals. MVZ Lunch Seminar recordings fall within the scope of the Consent Decree with the US Department of Justice. Thus, all videos posted since December 2, 2022, must have edited Closed Captions. We are working through our backlog of videos but have removed Spring 2023 talks until they are compliant. MVZ Seminar Lunch videos for Fall 2023 will be posted on the museum’s YouTube channel only after compliant captions are available. Realtime zoom access will continue to be available for your convenience. Please join us!
Apr 24, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 26
Join us as Emma Steigerwald, PhD Candidate, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "Glaciers retreat, frogs advance: the evolutionary ecology of climate-driven range shift in Andean amphibians."
Apr 13, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 19
Join us as Jackie L. Childers, PhD Candidate, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "The Evolution of Nest Architecture in Weaver Birds (Ploceidae)."
Apr 07, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 12
Join us as Professor Emily Taylor, PhD, Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, Director discusses, "Using Technology to Understand Rattlesnake Behavior."
Apr 03, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 5
Join us as Professor W. Chris Funk, Department of Biology, Colorado State University discusses, "A frog tale about a tailed frog: Why an evolutionary perspective matters for predicting sensitivity to increasing temperatures."
Mar 17, 2023
Symposium in Honor of William (Bill) Lidicker, Wednesday March 22
On Wednesday, March 22 from 12:00 - 4:30 pm the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology is hosting a symposium to honor and celebrate the many contributions of William (Bill) Lidicker to mammalogy and science more generally. This symposium is open to all and will be in the Grinnell-Miller Library, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Valley Life Sciences Building.
Mar 10, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 15
Join us as Lauren O’Connell, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology, Stanford University discusses, "Ecological tuning of behavior and physiology in poison frogs."
**Please note this seminar will NOT be recorded**
Mar 09, 2023
UC Berkeley BIG GIVE TODAY!
UC Berkeley’s 24-hour online fundraiser to support students, faculty, and research is on now! Please consider making your donation to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology before 9 p.m. P.S.T.
Mar 09, 2023
UC Berkeley BIG GIVE TODAY!CAL’S BIG GIVE TODAY! Berkeley’s 24-hour online fundraiser to support students, faculty, and research is on now! Please consider making your donation to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology before 9 p.m. P.S.T.
Mar 08, 2023
BIG GIVE is back this Thursday, March 9!
During Big Give — UC Berkeley's 24-hour fundraising blitz — join the UC Berkeley Community in celebrating and supporting the innovative work of our students, faculty, and research. Be a part of the Big Give by donating to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology on March 9, 2023.
Mar 01, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 8
Join us as Professor Scott Nunes, Department of Biology, University of San Francisco discusses, "Multiple functions of juvenile play: A ground squirrel's perspective."
Feb 23, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 1
Join us as E. Anne Chambers, Ph.D., Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management, University of California, Berkeley discusses, "Harnessing genomics to characterize and conserve biodiversity."
Feb 21, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 22
Join us as Ken A. Thompson, Postdoctoral Scholar, Biology, Stanford discusses, "The Ecology of Hybrid Incompatibilities."
Feb 09, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 15
Join us as Joanna Kelley, Associate Professor, Physical & Biological Sciences Division, UC Santa Cruz discusses, "Genomic basis of adaptation to extreme environments."
Feb 06, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 8
Join us as Dr. Brad Shaffer Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLA discusses, "Large-scale field experiments to test landscape genomic inferences in the California tiger salamander system."
Jan 27, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 1
Join us as Allison Q. Byrne, Postdoc, RIBBiTR Biology Integration Institute, Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management discusses, "Piecing together the amphibian pandemic."
Jan 20, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, January 25
Join us as Dr. M. Fernanda Palominos, Postdoc, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "From Devo to Evo: Identifying the function of novel genes in craniofacial specialization."
Jan 17, 2023
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, January 18
Join us as Chris Kozak, PhD, Assistant Project Scientist
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, and the California Conservation Genomics Project discusses, "The surprising radiations of Heliconiini butterflies."
Nov 03, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, November 9
Join us for series of updates on the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology's research for the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP).
Oct 27, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, November 2
Join us as Dr. Sarah Fitzpatrick, Assistant Professor, Michigan State University discusses "Harnessing genetic rescue for the conservation of small populations."
Oct 20, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 26
Join us as Genevieve G. Mount, PhD, NSF Postdoc, Tarvin Lab, University of California Berkeley discusses "Phylogenetics and Phrogs - methods, morphology, and conservation."
Oct 13, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 19
Join us as Dr. Erik Enbody, Postdoc, UC Santa Cruz discusses "Complete community genome sequencing in Galápagos finches: large effect loci for key ecological traits and their evolutionary histories."
Oct 07, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 12
Join us as Dr. Umilaela Arifin, Postdoc McGuire Lab, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology UC Berkeley discusses "Life in the fast flow: Phylogenetic systematics, diversity, and biogeography of Asian ranids with gastromyzophorous tadpoles."
Sep 29, 2022
Science at Cal Lecture Series Features MVZ's Dr. Tarvin
The Science at Cal lecture series presents MVZ's Dr. Rebecca (Becca) Tarvin discussing why and how animals evolve to be both toxic and toxin resistant, including her research on how some poison frogs avoid poisoning themselves. Event is at 11am on Saturday October 8 and requires eventbrite registration.
Sep 22, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, September 28
Join us as Dr. Nikki Lee, Postdoc Lacey Lab, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology UC Berkeley discusses "The role of reward and dopamine signaling in prairie vole peer relationships."
Sep 15, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar 12pm PDT Wednesday, September 21
Join us as Dr. Christopher J. Schell, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management discusses "The hunger games: Exploring the mechanistic links among diet, behavior, and physiology in coyotes."
Sep 06, 2022
Science Accessibility
Machine learning using artificial intelligence has improved computer translation over the past decade, but scientific articles employing specialized jargon are still a challenge for machine translation. MVZ Assistant Professor Dr. Rebecca Tarvin and graduate students Emma Steigerwald and Valeria Ramírez-Castañeda’s recent paper in BioScience argues that scientists should prioritize translating articles into multiple languages to provide an equitable landscape for budding scientists worldwide.
Jul 20, 2022
MVZ Newsletter Summer 2022
The latest issue of the MVZ Newsletter is out now featuring “Adaptive Variation Provides Bridge to Novel Ecological Specialists” from former MVZ graduate student Dr. Emilie Richards and Assistant Professor Chis Martin and “Effect of Historic Geological and Oceanographic Conditions on Lesser Sunda Flying Lizards” from Professor Jim McGuire's lab and much more!
Apr 21, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 27
Join us on Zoom as Shannon O'Brien PhD Candidate, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "Unearthing Sociality: What radio collars, hair dye, and poop have taught us about highland tuco-tucos."
Apr 13, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom and in the GML 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 20
Join us as Emilie Richards PhD Candidate, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "I get by with a little help from my friends: adaptive genetic exchange contributes to rapid diversification and the evolution of novelty in Cyprinodon pupfish."
Apr 07, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom and in the GML 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 13
Join us as Dr. Mallory Ballinger, Postdoc, Department of Biology, Utah State University discusses, "Genetic and environmental contributions to adaptive evolution in house mice."
Mar 31, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom and in the GML 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 6
Join us as Corinne Heyning Laverty, Research Associate and Fellow, Los Angeles County Natural History Museum discusses, "North America's Galapagos: The Historic Channel Islands Biological Survey."
Mar 24, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom and in the GML 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 30
Join us as Dr. Michi Tobler, Professor, Division of Biology, Kansas State University discusses, "Extreme Environments, Natural Complexity and the Predictability of Evolution."
Mar 16, 2022
MVZ Newsletter Spring 2022
The latest issue of the MVZ Newsletter is out now featuring “Losing Amphibian Diversity Also Means Losing Poison Diversity” from Assistant Professor Rebecca Tarvin and Graduate Student Kannon Pearson and “High Elevation Adaption in Wild House Mice” from Professor Michael Nachman's lab and much more!
Mar 11, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom and in the GML 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 16
Join us as Michelle St. John, PhD Candidate, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "The cascading effects of novelty: How adaptation to a novel niche affects behavior, morphology, and genomics."
Mar 10, 2022
CAL’S BIG GIVE TODAY!
UC Berkeley’s 24-hour online fundraiser to support students, faculty, and research is on now! Please consider making your donation to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology before 9 p.m. P.S.T.
Mar 10, 2022
CAL’S BIG GIVE TODAY!
UC Berkeley’s 24-hour online fundraiser to support students, faculty, and research is on now! Please consider making your donation to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology before 9 p.m. P.S.T.
Mar 10, 2022
CAL’S BIG GIVE TODAY!
UC Berkeley’s 24-hour online fundraiser to support students, faculty, and research is on now! Please consider making your donation to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology before 9 p.m. P.S.T.
Mar 10, 2022
CAL’S BIG GIVE TODAY!
UC Berkeley’s 24-hour online fundraiser to support students, faculty, and research is on now! Please consider making your donation to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology before 9 p.m. P.S.T.
Mar 09, 2022
BIG GIVE is back this Thursday, March 10!
During Big Give — UC Berkeley's 24-hour fundraising blitz — join the UC Berkeley Community in celebrating and supporting the innovative work of our students, faculty, and research. Be a part of the Big Give by donating to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology on March 10, 2022.
Mar 09, 2022
BIG GIVE is back this Thursday, March 10!
During Big Give — UC Berkeley's 24-hour fundraising blitz — join the UC Berkeley Community in celebrating and supporting the innovative work of our students, faculty, and research. Be a part of the Big Give by donating to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology on March 10, 2022.
Mar 03, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom and in the GML 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 9
Join us as Kinsey Brock, NSF Postdoc, ESPM, Wang Lab, UC Berkeley discusses, "Evolution of color polymorphism in the island wall lizards."
Feb 24, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom and in the GML 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 2
Join us as Dr. Martha M. Muñoz, Assistant Curator of Vertebrate Zoology, Assistant Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University discusses, "'Hidden’ dimensions of adaptive radiation in reptiles and amphibians."
Feb 17, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom and in the GML 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 23
Join us as Dr. Suzanne Alonzo, Professor, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department, Institute of Marine Sciences, UC Santa Cruz discusses, "Social interactions can generate sexual selection on brains and behavior: Insights from the ocellated wrasse."
Feb 10, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 16
Join us as Dr. Manfred Gahr, Director MPI of Ornithology, Munich Center for Neurosciences, LMU München discusses, "Hormone dependence of bird song."
Feb 03, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom and in the GML 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 9
Join us as Inga E. Conti-Jerpe, Ph.D., NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "Niche partitioning across nutritional symbioses: tradeoffs and consequences."
Jan 27, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom and in the GML 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 2
Join us as Dr. Michael Turelli, Professor Ecology and Evolution, UC Davis discusses, "Why is Wolbachia-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility so common?"
Jan 21, 2022
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, January 26
Join us as Dr. Annaliese Beery, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley discusses, "Selectivity and Sociality: what the nature of a group says about the mechanisms that maintain it."
Jan 13, 2022
Some birds sing the same song for hundreds of thousands of years
Many of the birds that awaken us each morning learn their melodious songs the same way that humans learn a dialect — from parents and neighbors. But to most biologists, learning songs through mimicry is an uncertain and error-prone process, resulting in slow but inevitable change in song over the years. A new study published in Proceedings B by Professor Rauri Bowie and former students Jay McEntee and Josh Peñalba, documents songs in East African sunbirds that have remained nearly unchanged for more than 500,000 years, and perhaps for as long as 1 million years, making the songs nearly indistinguishable from those of relatives from which they’ve long been separated.
Dec 06, 2021
MVZ Newsletter Winter 2021
The latest issue of the MVZ Newsletter is out now featuring "How do Bird Songs Evolve Over Time?," from Professor Rauri Bowie, Jay McEntee and Josh Peñalba and "The Extreme Lifespan of the Pacific Rock Fish" from Alexander Stubbs and Juliana Vianna and much more!
Nov 29, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, December 1
Join us as Dr. Kathryn Clancy, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign discusses, "Course corrections in addressing sexual harassment in science."
Nov 15, 2021
Meet the MVZ – Visiting Scholars Edition
Part of the MVZ community we missed during the last year and a half were our visiting scholars. In the November issue of “Meet the MVZ” learn about researchers Michael Turelli (UC Davis) and Juan P. Amaya (Investigador del CENIIT-UNLaR) who joined us this fall.
Oct 28, 2021
Meet the MVZ – October Edition Highlights Newest Members
In the latest issue of “Meet the MVZ” learn about the seven newest members of the MVZ Community; Simon Scarpetta, Genevieve Mount, Yocelyn Gutierrez, Inga Conti-Jerpe, Feña Palominos, Kannon Pearson and Michelle DaVila.
Oct 21, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 27
Join us as Simon Scarpetta, Postdoc at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "Effects of phylogenetic uncertainty on fossil interpretation: case studies in alligator lizards and iguanian lizards."
Oct 14, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 20
Join us as Austin Patton, Postdoc at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "Navigating the micro- to macroevolutionary divide in radiations large and small."
Oct 07, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 13
Join us as Dr. Onja Razafindratsima, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrative Biology, UC Berkeley discusses, "Lemur seed dispersal in Madagascar's rainforests."
Sep 30, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 6
Join us as Yocelyn Gutiérrez Guerrero Postdoc at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "Tracking two evolutionary tales: Genomic changes in nectarivorous vertebrates and environmental adaptation in wild house mice populations in North and South America"
Sep 22, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, September 29
Join us as Dr. Chris Martin, Assistant Professor and Curator of Ichthyology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley discusses, "10 Things I Thought I Knew About Novelty: A Decade of Taming the Pupfish"
Sep 08, 2021
MVZ Newsletter Fall 2021
The latest issue of the MVZ Newsletter is out now featuring "Why Are Species’ Traits Weak Predictors of Range Shifts?," from MVZ Affiliated Faculty Steve Beissinger and Former MVZ Postdoc Eric Riddell, an update on the Global Women in Herpetology Project from MVZ Postdoc Umi Arifin and much more!
Aug 25, 2021
Apply Now! Undergraduate Positions in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
The MVZ is currently taking applications for 11 URAPs (Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program) positions. Projects include: bird preparation, archives, amphibians and curatorial apprentice. Applications are due August 30, 2021.
Jun 14, 2021
Understanding the Ancient Origins of Adaptive Radiation
MVZ Graduate Student Emilie Richard’s latest paper in PNAS investigates the origins and stages of vertebrate adaptive radiation, by reconstructing the spatial and temporal histories of genetic variants underlying major phenotypic axes of diversification from the genomes of 202 Caribbean pupfishes. The results provided clear support for two longstanding hypotheses about adaptive radiation and demonstrated how ancient alleles maintained for millennia in distinct environmental refugia can be assembled into new adaptive combinations.
Jun 03, 2021
MVZ Newsletter Summer 2021
The latest issue of the MVZ Newsletter is out now featuring "Tracing the Genetic Divergence of the Sunda ratsnake," from Professor Jim McGuire and "The genomics of rapid climatic adaptation and parallel evolution in North American house mice" from MVZ Director and Professor Michael Nachman and much more!
May 24, 2021
High genomic diversity is good news for California Condor
Despite having been driven nearly to extinction, the California Condor has finally made a come back through conservation legislation and captive breeding programs. "Genome-wide diversity in the California condor tracks its prehistoric abundance and decline", offers a new analysis by MVZ's Curator of Birds Rauri Bowie, MVZ affiliates David Mindell and Jeff Wall. They show that California Condors have a high degree of genetic diversity that bodes well for their long-term survival. The study is part of a collaboration between the MVZ and UC San Francisco scientists seeking to analyze the genomes of condors, and is part of Professor Bowie's research on living and extinct vultures with Graduate Student Mackenzie Kirchner-Smith. Read more here: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(21)00548-0)
Apr 29, 2021
David Wake 1936-2021
It is with sadness that I share the news that our beloved colleague and friend, David Wake, passed away this morning, surrounded by his family. A native of South Dakota, Dave earned his Ph.D. at the University of Southern California where he met his wife, Marvalee. He began his career at the University of Chicago, and then joined the faculty of UC Berkeley in 1968. He was the Director of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology for 27 years (1971-1998). He served as President of the Society for the Study of Evolution, the American Society of Naturalists, and the American Society of Zoologists. Dave was a towering figure in evolutionary biology and herpetology and trained generations of students, including many leaders in the field today. Dave was a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and was recognized by many awards. His deep wisdom, gentle demeanor, and friendship were an inspiration to all. We will miss him deeply. A perspective on Dave’s life and numerous contributions is available online as a PDF. Donations in Dave's memory can be made to the David and Marvalee Wake Fund for student research or to support AmphibiaWeb.
Michael Nachman, MVZ Director
Apr 28, 2021
Where have all the vultures gone? MVZ’s Mackenzie Kirchner-Smith Investigates
Today, 14 of the world’s 23 vulture species are threatened with extinction, particularly in Africa and Asia. In California, the California condor, categorized as “extinct in the wild” in 1987, remains critically endangered. Mackenzie said, “In recent California history, for a time we were down to a single scavenger — the turkey vulture. And that’s a huge shift from having five different scavenging birds at one time.” Mackenzie is investigating how vultures differ from other raptors by focusing their overall skull morphology.
Apr 23, 2021
MVZ Affiliated Faculty Dr. Bree Rosenblum featured in BBC film “Endangered”
MVZ Affiliated Faculty Dr. Bree Rosenblum’s work on amphibian conservation is one of the seven segments featured in the new BBC film “Endangered,” streaming on Discovery+. "It was incredibly heartening to see the deep caring and commitment that went into making this film. Everyone—from film directors to the research staff to the camera crew—are all ecologists and conservationists at heart," said Rosenblum. "This film is about more than a global network of scientists. It’s about the possibility of transformation in our collective relationship to planet Earth.”
Apr 15, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 21
Join us as Dr. Katie Peichel, Evolutionary Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern discusses, "Replaying the tape of life: how predictable is evolution?"
Apr 08, 2021
Pandemic Pivots: COVID-19 One Year Later
In the April issue of “Meet the MVZ” learn about how students and faculty have adjusted and refocused one year after lock-down.
Apr 05, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, April 7
Join us as Suzanne McGaugh, Associate Professor Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota discusses "Little Blind Cavefish Yield Big Evolutionary Insights."
Mar 29, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 31
Join us as Dr. Talisin Hammond, Researcher in Recovery Ecology, San Diego Zoo Global discusses "Conservation translocations for the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog in southern California."
Mar 23, 2021
Women in Natural History Trading Cards
The MVZ is pleased to share Women in Natural History Trading Card #2! This second card in the series highlights Louise Kellogg! Kellogg was Annie Alexander’s partner in life and science. She explored the west from Alaska to Baja California for more than half a century. New digital cards will be released over the next few weeks, along with updates to the history section of the website. We hope to offer printed versions of the cards once we return to campus. To learn more about the project check out URAP Cheyenne Bridge’s blog.
Mar 17, 2021
Celebrating the History of the MVZ!
The MVZ is excited to announce the creation of a series of trading cards featuring prominent women in the history of the museum. The first card highlights MVZ founder Annie Alexander! New digital cards will be released over the next few weeks, along with updates to the history section of the website. We hope to offer printed versions of the cards once we return to campus. To learn more about the project check out URAP Cheyenne Bridge’s blog.
Mar 12, 2021
Celebrating Women's History Month
As part of Women’s History Month and UC Berkeley’s annual Big Give fundraiser the MVZ is excited to share profiles of female graduate students at the museum.
Mar 11, 2021
Cal's BIG GIVE TODAY!
Berkeley’s 24-hour online fundraiser to support students, faculty, and research is on now! Please consider making your donation to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology before 9 p.m. P.S.T.
Mar 10, 2021
BIG GIVE is back this Thursday, March 11!
During Big Give — UC Berkeley's 24-hour fundraising blitz — join the UC Berkeley Community in celebrating and supporting the innovative work of our students, faculty, and research. Be a part of the Big Give by donating to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology on March 11, 2021.
Mar 08, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 10
Join us as Mark Westneat, Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago discusses "Phylogenetics and Evolutionary Biomechanics of Coral Reef Fishes."
Mar 04, 2021
Intersection of Archives and Natural History
MVZ’s Informatics and Archives Manager Michelle Koo was interviewed for the Society of American Archivists "ArchivesAware" blog last month about the intersection of archives and natural history. The blog which features the perspectives of archival audiences – scholars, journalists, filmmakers, artists, activists, and more – for whom archives have been an important part of their life and work. Thank you Michelle, for all you do to preserve the history of the MVZ!
Mar 01, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, March 3
Join us as Dr. Miguel Vences of the Zoological Institute of the Technical University Braunschweig discusses "From exploring Madagascar's herpetofauna towards next-generation taxonomy: High-throughput perspectives to accelerate the inventory of life."
The MVZ Seminar will use the same zoom link for the entire semester. Please remember to mute yourself when you join the talk. There will be a moderated Q&A after the talk. Please note that UC Berkeley policy requires all participants to be registered on Zoom to access with either a free account or their Berkeley account. For more information on how to access your UCB zoom account visit https://berkeley.zoom.us/
Feb 24, 2021
MVZ’s Dr. Barbara Stein Featured in #HerScienceSparkledMine
This month Dr. Barbara Stein is being celebrated as part of the Asociación Española de Ecología Terrestre (AEET) video series on women in science. From 1985-2000, Dr. Stein was Curatorial Associate and Researcher at the MVZ. Biogeographer Dr. Rob Anderson discusses her numerous contributions in the video, “She created a data source that inspired a renaissance in biogeography.”
Feb 16, 2021
MVZ Students Join Inaugural Class of Berkeley SciComm Fellows
MVZ Graduate Students Kwasi Wrensford and Lawrence Wang have been selected as part of the inaugural class of Berkeley SciComm Fellows. Individuals were selected for their passion for science communication, their commitment to help build a community of practitioners at UC Berkeley, and their desire to apply science communication skills to their future careers, spanning academia, policy, outreach, and more.
Feb 11, 2021
New Study Shows in a Desert, Burrowers Fare Better than Birds
MVZ faculty James L Patton and Steve Beissinger and MVZ alumnus Eric Riddell’s recently published study uses data from Joseph Grinnell’s original surveys to measure climate related changes in bird and small mammal communities.
Feb 05, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 10
Join us as Joshua V. Peñalba of the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, discusses "Comparative speciation genomics in Australian avian suture zones."
The MVZ Seminar will use the same zoom link for the entire semester. Please remember to mute yourself when you join the talk. There will be a moderated Q&A after the talk. Please note that UC Berkeley policy requires all participants to be registered on Zoom to access with either a free account or their Berkeley account. For more information on how to access your UCB zoom account visit https://berkeley.zoom.us/
Feb 01, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, February 3
Join us as Dr. Emily DuVal, Associate Professor of Biological Science at Florida State University, discusses "The trouble with traits: surprises from a long-term study of mate choice and their implications for the study of sexual selection."
The MVZ Seminar will use the same zoom link for the entire semester. Please remember to mute yourself when you join the talk. There will be a moderated Q&A after the talk. Please note that UC Berkeley policy requires all participants to be registered on Zoom to access with either a free account or their Berkeley account. For more information on how to access your UCB zoom account visit https://berkeley.zoom.us/
Jan 25, 2021
MVZ Lunch Seminar Returns Wednesday January 27 on Zoom
Please join us on zoom for the first MVZ lunch of the spring semester. Dan Wenny, Lead Biologist, San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, will be discussing "Gape width in fruit-eating birds and a brief introduction to Coyote Creek Field Station."
The MVZ Seminar will use the same zoom link for the entire semester. Please remember to mute yourself when you join the talk. There will be a moderated Q&A after the talk. Please note that UC Berkeley policy requires all participants to be registered on Zoom to access with either a free account or their Berkeley account. For more information on how to access your UCB zoom account visit https://berkeley.zoom.us/
Jan 19, 2021
Apply Now! Undergraduate Positions in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
The MVZ is currently taking applications for five URAPs (Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program) positions. Projects include: science communications and outreach, Indonesian skink research, vole and shrew genomics, curatorial and prep lab apprentice. Applications are due January 25, 2021.
Jan 07, 2021
MVZ Staff and Students make masks and over 1,500 gallons of hand sanitizer
MVZ Graduate Student Cynthia Wang-Claypool and Staff Curator-EGL Manager Lydia Smith helped make 17,000 masks and 1,560 gallons of liquid hand sanitizer for the Common Humanity Collective. The Common Humanity Collective was developed to coordinate the campus’ mutual aid response to COVID-19. In April of 2020, with funding from the Integrative Biology community, production of hand sanitizer began in the VLSB. Staff Curator-EGL Manager Lydia Smith said, “Thank you again to all the many donors who provided either personal money or unrestricted research funds to get the project going…...We could not have gotten up and running so quickly (within the first month of shelter in place!) without your generous support.”
Jan 04, 2021
Happy New Year's!
Welcome to the New Year! While we wish everyone a safe and healthy new year, we remind everyone that this spring semester's activities will continue to follow UC Berkeley Health Guidelines. This means that many curatorial activities are curtailed and limited. Fear not! MVZ Lunch Seminars will continue remotely! Please our schedule of speakers for the spring which will be updated regularly. We look forward to seeing you all soon!
Dec 03, 2020
Meet the MVZ - December Community Highlight
In the December issue of “Meet the MVZ” learn about second year PhD student Valeria Ramírez-Castañeda and her efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the sciences. Valeria is in Dr. Rebecca Tarvin’s Lab and was recently published in the PLOS ONE Journal.
Nov 30, 2020
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, December 2
Join us as Louisiana State University Professor and Curator of Ichthyology, Prosanta Chakrabarty discusses "Evolution in the Age of COVID: Fun, Fieldwork and Fake News."
The MVZ Seminar will use the same zoom link for the entire semester. Please remember to mute yourself when you join the talk. There will be a moderated Q&A after the talk. Please note that UC Berkeley policy requires all participants to be registered on Zoom to access with either a free account or their Berkeley account. For more information on how to access your UCB zoom account visit https://berkeley.zoom.us/
Nov 19, 2020
New Large-Scale Bird Genome Project Yields Insight into Evolution of Genomic Diversity
Last week the Bird 10,000 Genome Project (B10K) announced the release and analysis of genomes representing 92 percent of all bird families. B10K is an initiative to sequence the genomes of all living bird species. MVZ Professor and Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles Jim McGuire contributed significantly to the project. In the study, published in Nature, the B10K achieved its family phase milestone by releasing genomic resources for 363 bird species including 267 new bird genomes and illustrating how comparative analyses of these genomic resources help us understand the evolution of birds.
Nov 16, 2020
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, November 18
Join us as UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Professor Brad Shaffer discusses "The California Conservation Genomics Project."
The MVZ Seminar will use the same zoom link for the entire semester. Please remember to mute yourself when you join the talk. There will be a moderated Q&A after the talk. Please note that UC Berkeley policy requires all participants to be registered on Zoom to access with either a free account or their Berkeley account. For more information on how to access your UCB zoom account visit https://berkeley.zoom.us/
Nov 12, 2020
Newly Described Genus of Rodents Named after MVZ Legend James Patton
Discovered in the Choco region of Ecuador, Pattonimus ecominga and Pattonimus musseri were determined through morphology and molecular evidence to be a previously unknown genus. The generic name (a noun in the nominative singular) is derived from the surname Patton and the Latin noun mus (mouse, rat). The name honors the figure and legacy of James L. Patton, Emeritus Curator of Mammals and Professor of Integrative Biology, at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley. The paper’s authors cite Patton as an inspiration to “generations of mammalogists, through his adventurous field-trips and not so memorable shipwrecks, outstanding scientific contributions and supervision and mentoring of numerous students around the world.”
Oct 28, 2020
Mammal Mania!
MVZ Curator and Professor Emeritus James L. Patton and UC Davis Professor Douglas A. Kelt recently published, A Manual of the Mammalia, a user-friendly handbook for students learning to identify higher mammal taxa and a uniquely comprehensive, up-to-date reference for mammalogists and mammal-lovers from across the globe. The book contains beautiful photographs of MVZ specimens.
Oct 19, 2020
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 21
Join us as University of Florida Associate Curator of Herpetology David Blackburn discusses "Digital Specimens and the Future of Natural History Collections."
The MVZ Seminar will use the same zoom link for the entire semester. Please remember to mute yourself when you join the talk. There will be a moderated Q&A after the talk. Please note that UC Berkeley policy requires all participants to be registered on Zoom to access with either a free account or their Berkeley account. For more information on how to access your UCB zoom account visit https://berkeley.zoom.us/
Oct 15, 2020
Is English the lingua franca of science? Not for everyone.
Valeria Ramírez-Castañeda, an MVZ graduate student from Colombia discusses with Berkeley News how English can facilitate discussion of science across borders but also exclude people from non-English speaking countries — in particular, the global south. English limits entry into the the world of science and limits public access to scientific results, even when they pertain to a person’s own country.
Oct 08, 2020
Meet the Newest Members of the MVZ Community
The MVZ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group presents the “Meet the MVZ” newsletter! “Meet the MVZ” introduces the graduate students, affiliates, and postdocs that have joined our community over the past year.
Oct 02, 2020
MVZ Lunch Seminar on Zoom 12pm PDT Wednesday, October 7
Join us as Assistant Professor Shane Campbell-Staton, Ph.D of UCLA discusses "Evolution in the Anthropocene: Understanding adaptation to human-mediated change."
The MVZ Seminar will use the same zoom link for the entire semester. Please remember to mute yourself when you join the talk. There will be a moderated Q&A after the talk. Please note that UC Berkeley policy requires all participants to be registered on Zoom to access with either a free account or their Berkeley account. For more information on how to access your UCB zoom account visit https://berkeley.zoom.us/
Sep 28, 2020
MVZ Lunch Seminar Returns Wednesday September 30 on Zoom
Please join us on zoom for the first MVZ lunch of the fall semester. Assistant Professor Jaime Chaves, of San Francisco State University, will be discussing "Novel approaches to understanding the adaptive radiation of Darwin's finches."
The MVZ Seminar will use the same zoom link for the entire semester. Please remember to mute yourself when you join the talk. There will be a moderated Q&A after the talk. Please note that UC Berkeley policy requires all participants to be registered on Zoom to access with either a free account or their Berkeley account. For more information on how to access your UCB zoom account visit https://berkeley.zoom.us/
Aug 17, 2020
Pinning down penguin diversity using genomes
Despite the recognizable, well-known public image of penguins, their evolutionary history has not been resolved until now. MVZ Curator Rauri Bowie and former Visiting Scholar Juliana Vianna (Pontifical Catholic University, Santiago, Chile) led an international team to gather samples of 18 penguin species from museum specimens and live animals from around the world to sequence their genomes. Their analysis reveals that the origins of the modern groups of penguins diversified about 22 million years ago on the coasts of Australia/ New Zealand, not Antarctica as previously thought, among other new insights (Vianna et al 2020).
Their study lays the foundation for future penguin work into their unique adaptations, potential new species and hopefully a better understanding for conservation. Listen to a quick highlight from NPR
Jun 07, 2020
Anti-racism statement from the MVZ faculty and staff
We are profoundly dismayed and saddened over the recent events roiling our country. The death of George Floyd is the most recent example of a long series of senseless deaths of Black Americans. We are united in pledging to take anti-racist actions and help change the systemic racism that allowed these needless deaths and have held back generations of Black Americans.
We join Chancellor Carol Christ and many others on the Berkeley campus in condemning this violence and standing against racism in its many forms. We encourage you to read the Chancellor’s recent message, which also includes links to resources during these difficult times: https://news.berkeley.edu/2020/05/29/a-message-from-campus-leaders-standing-together/
We recognize that our society is not one in which we can all live safely and equitably. At the MVZ, we plan to take specific steps to educate our faculty, staff, and students on how to create a more inclusive environment (such as bystander intervention training and/or allyship workshops). In the coming weeks, we will also solicit suggestions from our community members for input on which actionable steps would most improve our workplace climate; please wait for further communication. The MVZ is committed to fostering a community that is supportive, inclusive, and respectful of all individuals.
MVZ Faculty and Staff
Mar 17, 2020
COVID-19 update from MVZThe first priority of the MVZ is to ensure the health and safety of its faculty, staff, students and supporters amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. We are currently under a "shelter-in-place" order from Alameda County, and as such we will not be holding any events (MVZ Lunch seminars, social hours, or CalDay) until further notice. This includes collection activities such as hosting visitors or responding to any loan requests. We are working remotely to the fullest extent possible and maintaining the collections with the minimal level of essential staff. We will follow the Alameda County Public Health Department updates and recommendations along with UC Berkeley's coronavirus rules. Stay tuned for updates, and stay healthy!
Jan 31, 2020
Jim Patton interviews Dave Wake for the Emeriti Legacy Project
Two of MVZ's former directors, and probably safe to say 'living legends', are captured in the Emeriti Legacy Project's oral history, in which Jim Patton interviews David Wake about his recollections on his history with the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, the history of biology at UC Berkeley, including the (former) zoology and integrative biology departments, and his research. Watch directly on YouTube here or visit the Emeriti Legacy Project website. We have a link on our history page. Thanks, Dave and Jim!
May 14, 2019
MVZ Retreat to Hastings Natural History Reservation
Last week faculty, staff and students from the MVZ visited the Hastings Natural History Reservation in the Carmel Valley. Attendees explored, trapped animals and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.
Mar 15, 2019
BIG THANKS!!
A big thank you to all who supported the MVZ during this event! Check BigGive.berkeley.edu to see the final results across the Berkeley campus.
Feb 14, 2019
Campaign for Campanile Cams Can Deliver!
Once a poster child for the Endangered Species Act, the Peregrine Falcon has recovered spectacularly across North America. Only two Peregrine pairs nested in California at the DDT-caused population low in 1970, and some 400+ pairs are estimated to flourish in California today. The historic MVZ egg and nest collection was one of the collections used to show that DDT caused eggshell thinning in Peregrine Falcons. Peregrines were first known to nest on the UC Berkeley Campanile in 2017, and again in 2018. These newcomers to the campus caused great excitement in the community. In 2019, MVZ worked with several departments from UC Berkeley and a team of partners (East Bay Regional Park District, Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, Institute for Wildlife Studies) to launch a successful crowdfunding campaign and installed two webcams for falcon viewing on the Campanile. Crowdfunding donors were asked to submit names for the male and female: "Annie" and "Grinnell" (MVZ's founder and first Director) were the selected winners. Follow the Cal Falcons and webcams at https://www.facebook.com/CalFalconCam.
Jan 19, 2019
Alexander Stubbs' latest paper is making noise
MVZ graduate student Alexander Stubbs and Dr. Fernando Montealegre-Zapata of the University of Lincoln in the U.K. recently presented their analysis of the recording of the mysterious sounds that have plagued US diplomats at the Cuban Embassy. Starting in 2016, diplomats started reporting a variety of ailments from tinnitus to cognitive difficulties; a recording was released of the possible cause, which caused speculations of sonic attacks. Instead, Stubbs and Montealegre-Zapata found the acoustic patterns of the released recordings matched the loud calls of the Indies short-tailed cricket (Anurogryllus celerinictus), even accounting for the recording methods. Since then, their findings have been reported by the New York Times and the Guardian among others.
A preprint of their study is posted on the online repository bioRxive.
Jan 07, 2019
MVZ Front Office Manager opening
Please see our open position for the Front Office Manager! We are seeking an amazing individual who wants to be in the thick of action here at the MVZ and our community. Please pass on to qualified individuals.
Dec 17, 2018
MVZ Newsletter - December 2018
December 2018 Newsletter now available featuring "Adaptation in a Novel Environment," "Genetic Decline in the Tuco Tuco," podcast pick - "At Berkeley, nobody stuffs a bird like Carla Cicero" and much more!
Nov 16, 2018
New Resident Director at Hastings
Please welcome Jen Hunter, the new Resident Director at Hastings Natural History Reservation. We are very excited for Jen to join the MVZ Community! Read official announcement here
Oct 12, 2018
Help get up Close and Personal with UC’s Nesting Peregrine Falcons!
We're crowdfunding a dedicated webcam system for UC's Campanile Peregrines. We need your help to advance our understanding of the world's fastest birds which have started to make the Campanile their home. In 2017, a pair of falcons hatched and raised two nestlings – later named after Berkeley’s motto in a campus-wide competition – Fiat and Lux. In 2018 we installed a permanent nest shelf on the Campanile for the falcons, which paid off when they successfully raised 3 nestlings! The 2018 nestlings were named in a campus-wide competition after three elements discovered at UC Berkeley, Berkelium, Californium and Lawrencium. All three juveniles learned to fly quickly and eventually left campus, with Lawrencium, the juvenile female, seen in the fall of 2018 at the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory in the Marin Headlands!
Sep 28, 2018
MVZ Welcomes Two New Curators! Chris Martin & Rebecca Tarvin
The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology is very happy to announce the outcome of our recent faculty search in Vertebrate Evolutionary Biology. On July 1, 2019, we will welcome two new MVZ Assistant Curators and IB Assistant Professors: Christopher Martin (left) and Rebecca Tarvin (right).
Thanks to everyone who participated in this very exciting search!
Sep 24, 2018
MVZ Newsletter - September 2018
September 2018 Newsletter is now available featuring: Grinnell Resurvey Project, Climate Change and Birds, Invasive Bullfrogs, MVZ Alum, Jessica Castillo Vardaro, Video pick - KQED Deep Look "How Elephants Listen" and much more!
Aug 28, 2018
Apply Now! Resident Director, Hasting Natural History ReservationThe MVZ is searching for a new Resident Director for Hastings Natural History Reservation Apply by September 11, 2018 to ensure full consideration by the committee. Applications will continue to be accepted until September 28th, 2018, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled. The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley, is seeking applications for a Resident Director for the Hastings Natural History Reservation. This position is in the Academic Coordinator 2 Series, Steps 1-10. The position is full-time (100% appointment); salary is commensurate with experience. Hastings is a 2500-acre field station located in the Carmel Valley of Monterey County, CA. As part of the University of California Natural Reserve System (https://ucnrs.org), Hastings serves as an internationally recognized center for field research and field-based educational activities. Additional information regarding Hastings is available at http://hastingsreserve.org
Read more
Responsibilities:
The Resident Director will oversee all day-to-day aspects of the operations at Hastings, including maintenance and development of the physical facilities, coordination of visitor activities, and management of financial resources. In addition, the Resident Director is expected to engage in significant public outreach efforts such as (1) interacting with local land trusts, NGOs, and government agencies to promote understanding of the Reservation and (2) encouraging use of Hastings for workshops, symposia, and small conferences that are consistent with the research and education goals of the Reservation. The Resident Director will also play an active role in fundraising to support the Reservation, including preparing competitive grant proposals and interfacing with campus fundraising efforts. The Resident Director will supervise the activities of the Reserve Steward and will work closely with the Faculty Director at the MVZ to shape the research and educational goals of the Reservation.
Minimum/Basic Qualifications required at the time of application:
A Bachelors’ degree (or equivalent international degree) is required at the time of application
Preferred Qualifications:
A graduate degree (M.S or Ph.D. in biology or equivalent international degree) is strongly desired, ideally with an emphasis in ecology, conservation, or ecosystem management. Experience with contractors and maintenance of physical facilities is preferred.
Salary: This is a full-time position. Salary is commensurate with experience.
How to apply:
To apply, please go to the following link: http://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/apply/JPF01832 Applicants should submit the following materials:
The cover letter should address both the applicant’s qualifications and their vision for Hastings within the context of the academic and research missions of the MVZ and the NRS. All letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (e.g., dossier service or career center) to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality available at http://apo.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html prior to submitting their letters. Application materials should be uploaded to https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/apply.
This position will be open until filled. The anticipated start date is 10/01/2018. Questions regarding the nature of the position should be addressed to the Faculty Director, Eileen Lacey (ealacey@berkeley.edu). Questions regarding the application process and online submission of documents should be addressed to Malaysha Nolan (m.mnolan@berkeley.edu).
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.
Aug 22, 2018
Undergrad Opportunities in the Berkeley Natural History Museums
Information Session--Learn about the six Berkeley Natural History Museums and the undergraduate opportunities they offer.
Thursday, 23 August
5:00-6:00pm
1101 Valley Life Sciences Building
(base of the T-rex)
Aug 16, 2018
Apply Now! Undergrad Positions in the Museum of Vertebrate ZoologyFor credit (1-3 units) and volunteer (0 unit) positions are available in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ) here on the UC Berkeley campus. MVZ positions are listed through the University Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP).
- Museum and curatorial practices
- Specimen preparation
- Archival preservation and exhibits
- Informatics and GIS
- Communication and Outreach
- Research
May 14, 2018
Thank You Cal Day Visitors, Contributors, and Volunteers!!
Another successful Cal Day at the MVZ! Our final visitor count for the museum was 2532!
Cal Day is the one day each year that our museum comes together to share our research and collections with the public resulting in one of the most popular events on campus.
We are extremely grateful for all the hard work of the MVZ faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate, and undergraduate students in generating exhibit content for the gallery. In addition, our Cal Day volunteers did a fantastic job engaging the public and ensuring that visitors were interacting with the displays and educational activities in a meaningful way.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to Cal Day 2018!
See MVZ Cal Day in photos here
See MVZ Gallery time lapse: Cal Day set-up through clean-up here
Apr 20, 2018
Cal Day - MVZ Open House! Saturday, April 21, 2018
Come to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology on Cal Day, UC Berkeley's open house and the one day each year that we are open to the public. The museum will be open 9am - 4pm and will host AmphibiaWeb, a Reptile Dissection demonstration, and Eco-Origami.
3101 Valley Life Sciences Building (VLSB) and in the VLSB Courtyard.
Apr 12, 2018
MVZ Newsletter - April 2018
April 2018 Newsletter is now available featuring: Cal Day, Inner Workings of a Museum, Earless Frogs in the Andes, Coevolution in Bee Hummingbirds, Diversification of Microbiota, MVZ Grads on "The Graduates Radio" and much more!
Mar 12, 2018
MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate: Rayna Bell MVZ Lunch Seminar - Tues 13 March, 12:30-1:30pm
Please join us for MVZ Lunch Seminar this Tuesday, 13 March at 12:30 pm to hear a talk by our final MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate. 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Grinnell-Miller Library
Dr. Rayna Bell, Research Zoologist and Curator, National Museum of Natural History. "Bridges, rafts, and phenotypic diversification in the Gulf of Guinea archipelago"
Abstract:
Island faunas have inspired evolutionary biologists for centuries and I am especially captivated by the enigmatic history of amphibians on islands. Over the last ten years I have been studying amphibian diversification in the Gulf of Guinea archipelago, a chain of islands off the coast of Central Africa that is composed of one land-bridge island (Bioko) and three oceanic islands (Príncipe, São Tomé, and Annobón). In this talk I integrate genomic, behavioral, ecological and morphological data to investigate the colonization history and diversification of the archipelago’s amphibian fauna.
Mar 09, 2018
THANK YOU!!!
Thank you to everyone who supported the MVZ and participated during Cal’s Big Give! Check BigGive.berkeley.edu to see final results across the Berkeley campus.
Mar 05, 2018
CAL’S BIG GIVE TODAY!
Berkeley’s 24-hour online fundraiser to support students, faculty, and research is on now!
Please consider making your donation to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology before 9 p.m. P.S.T.
Mar 05, 2018
MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate: Rebecca Tarvin MVZ Lunch Seminar - Tues 6 March, 12:30-1:30pm
Please join us for MVZ Lunch Seminar this Tuesday, 6 March at 12:30 pm to hear a talk by our fifth MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate.
3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Grinnell-Miller Library – please let the receptionist know you are there for the MVZ lunch seminar
Dr. Rebecca Tarvin Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas, Austin. "A glimpse into the evolution of aposematism through Epipedobates poison frogs"
Abstract:
Evolutionary origins of novel, complex phenotypes are at the heart of Earth's biodiversity. Poison frogs are a model system for the study of complex phenotypes, as the aposematic syndrome, a suite of traits including anti-predator defenses and dazzling coloration, has evolved at least three times within this 310-species clade. The youngest clade of aposematic poison frogs, Epipedobates, is greatly understudied despite its potential to provide insight into origins of chemical defenses and polymorphic warning signals. In this talk I will explore fine-scale variation in these traits and what they can reveal about the evolutionary processes driving the extreme phenotypic diversity we observe in poison frogs and other aposematic organisms.
See our full seminar schedule here.
Feb 22, 2018
MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate: Kevin Rowe MVZ Lunch Seminar - Wed. 28 February, 12-1pm
Please join us for MVZ Lunch Seminar this Wednesday, 28 February at 12 pm to hear a talk by our fourth MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate.
3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Grinnell-Miller Library – please let the receptionist know you are there for the MVZ lunch seminar
Dr. Kevin Rowe, Senior Curator of Mammals, Museums Victoria. "Conserve the Collector: Natural history collections and historical change"
Abstract:
In 1910, Grinnell famously foreshadowed the value of collections for the student of the future to understand historical change. However, writing in Science in 1915, Grinnell cautioned against the demise of the collector and reminded the scientific community that “as a rule, all collecting adds sooner or later to scientific knowledge.” Collections are more valuable than ever for understanding the responses of species over historical time, but collecting new specimens is in far greater decline than Grinnell anticipated. Using examples from my own collections-based research, including the Grinnell Resurvey in California, threatened species in Australia, and emerging infectious diseases in Indonesia, I will show how collections provide insights into the dynamics of mammal communities in response to changing climates and anthropogenic pressures. I also will discuss my approach to building new collections including the management of data from field to database and the preparation of specimens to maximise their research value across a range of disciplines.
See our full seminar schedule here.
Feb 12, 2018
MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate: Christopher Martin MVZ Lunch Seminar - Wed. 14 February, 12-1pm
Please join us for MVZ Lunch Seminar this Wednesday, 14 February at 12 pm to hear a talk by our third MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate.
3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Grinnell-Miller Library – please let the receptionist know you are there for the MVZ lunch seminar
Dr. Christopher Martin, Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "The cryptic origins of evolutionary novelty: from genotype to fitness landscape"
Abstract:
One of the most poorly understood evolutionary processes is the evolution of novelty. How do new species colonize novel ecological niches or begin to use existing structures for novel functions? This talk will explore the complex origins of trophic specialists in a case study for the evolution of novelty in action: scale-eating and molluscivory in Caribbean pupfishes. The answer lies at the intersection of ecological opportunity, performance, complex fitness landscapes, and diverse sources of genetic variation.
See our full seminar schedule here.
Feb 07, 2018
MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate: Matthew Fujita MVZ Lunch Seminar - Wed. 7 February, 12-1pm
Please join us for MVZ Lunch Seminar today Wednesday, 7 February at 12 pm to hear a talk by our second MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate.
3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Grinnell-Miller Library – please let the receptionist know you are there for the MVZ lunch seminar
Dr. Matthew Fujita Assistant Professor and Assistant Curator, University of Texas, Arlington. "Biodiversity and Natural History Research in the Genomics Era"
Abstract:
Natural history research is inherently integrative and continues to benefit from advances in data collection technologies and analytical approaches. Today I will talk about how my lab leverages genomics to address questions in biodiversity science, including the systematics of West and Central African reptiles and amphibians and the evolution of frog vision systems. The integration of organismal, field, genomic, and computational approaches has been a guiding ethos in my lab and will continue to provide a foundation as we seek to understand the mechanisms generating the incredible biodiversity of reptiles and amphibians.
See our full seminar schedule here.
Jan 30, 2018
MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate: Michael Harvey MVZ Lunch Seminar - Wed. 31 January, 12-1pm
Please join us for MVZ Lunch Seminar this Wednesday, 31 January at 12 pm to hear a talk by our first MVZ/IB Faculty Candidate.
3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Grinnell-Miller Library – please let the receptionist know you are there for the MVZ lunch seminar
Dr. Michael Harvey, NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Michigan. "Ecology as a driver of evolutionary diversity within Amazonian bird species"
Abstract:
Species often differ in the degree of phenotypic and genetic diversity observed across their geographic distributions. The geography and landscape history of the region in which they occur is partly responsible, but broad ecological traits of species may also help determine intraspecific diversity. Here, I examine the link between one ecological trait, habitat, and intraspecific diversity using 20 pairs of closely related Amazonian bird species in which one member of the pair occurs primarily in floodplain forest and the other in upland forest. I use standardized geographic sampling across the Amazon Basin and data from the same set of 2,416 genomic markers, both of which permit the comparison of diversity measures across species. I find that species of upland forest have greater genetic diversity and divergence across the landscape than species of floodplain forest. Mechanisms acting at both ecological (e.g., dispersal) and evolutionary (e.g., crown age of populations) timescales appear to be responsible for the trait-dependent disparity in diversity. I conclude that species ecology in the form of habitat association determines intraspecific diversity and suggest that differences in diversity between floodplain and upland avifaunas in the Amazon may be driven by differences in the demographic and evolutionary processes at work in the two habitats. Finally, I outline a recent focus in my Amazonian research program on characterizing the speciation process in a single area representing a suture zone between many pairs of divergent populations – the headwaters of the Amazon River in Peru. Replicate population pairs at different stages of divergence can provide a window on the entire speciation process. I am characterizing not only population differentiation, but also the changing architecture of genome divergence, rates of phenotypic differentiation, and rates of behavioral divergence across lineages in this system. I can then evaluate which axes of divergence are most relevant to speciation using estimates of reproductive isolation from genomic data and mate-recognition experiments.
See our full seminar schedule here.
Jan 29, 2018
Deadline Extended - Apply Now! Undergraduate Positions in the MVZThe application deadline for the following URAP projects has been extended until Friday February 2nd, 3 PM
Curatorial Apprentice (Carol Spencer, Staff Curator): Exploring Biodiversity, Curation, and Specimen Preparation in Natural History Collections at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
- HERP CURATORIAL
- BIRD CURATORIAL
- MAMMAL CURATORIAL
- TAG TYING AND BONE NUMBERING
- PEST DETECTIVE
- SPECIMEN PREPARATION LAB ASSISTANT
Jan 17, 2018
Apply Now! Undergrad Positions in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology***Spring 2018 application deadline is Tuesday, January 23rd at 8:00 AM***
For credit (1-3 units) and volunteer (0 unit) positions are available in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ) here on the UC Berkeley campus.
MVZ positions are listed through the University Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP).
- Museum and curatorial practices
- Specimen preparation
- Archival preservation and exhibits
- Informatics and GIS
- Communication and Outreach
- Research
Dec 15, 2017
MVZ Newsletter - December 2017
December 2017 Newsletter is now available. Wishing everyone a wonderful winter break and a very Happy New Year!
Dec 01, 2017
Mutualism in museums: A model for engaging undergraduates in biodiversity scienceA truly MVZ effort is out on PLOS! "Mutualism in museums: A model for engaging undergraduates in biodiversity science” describes how much the MVZ depends on our undergraduates and what our students gain in the process. Spearheaded by former undergraduate Anna Hiller, she’s now a graduate student at Louisiana State University pursuing a PhD in evolutionary biology. This paper is dedicated to the students- past, present and future- who make this all possible.
Sep 19, 2017
Spotted vs. Barred: Investigating Hybrid Owls in the West
MVZ graduate student Zach Hanna is featured with Jack Dumbacher (Curator, California Academy of Sciences). Northern spotted owls are endangered and scientists are rushing to learn more about the species to help protect them against potential threats.
View the video here
Sep 07, 2017
Apply Now! Asst Professor/Asst Curator - Vertebrate Evolutionary BiologyThe Department of Integrative Biology and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley invite applications for a full time (50% IB, 50% MVZ) tenure-track position in vertebrate evolutionary biology at the Assistant Professor/Assistant Curator level. Potential start date is July 1, 2018. Applications must be received by December 1, 2017. More information and link to apply here
Sep 05, 2017
Teaching Natural History of the Vertebrates: Celebrating a Hundred Year Legacy at UC BerkeleySeptember 8-10, 2017
The MVZ is commemorating over a century of teaching the Natural History of the Vertebrates course at UC Berkeley and celebrating the importance of natural history in education. Registration for the reunion events has closed, instead please feel free to join our symposium on Saturday, September 9 from 8:00am-5:30pm in 2050 VLSB. Symposium Program
Sep 01, 2017
Deadline Extended - Apply Now! Undergraduate Positions in the MVZThe application deadline for the following URAP projects has been extended until Friday September 8th, 3 PM
Michelle Koo, Staff Curator
(1) Biodiversity Informatics and GIS Apprenticeship at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
(2) Communication/ Outreach apprenticeship
Carol Spencer, Staff Curator
(1) Curatorial Apprentice: Exploring Biodiversity, Curation, and Specimen Preparation in Natural History Collections at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
David Wake, Professor
(1) AmphibiaWeb: An Informatics System for Amphibian Conservation Biology
Aug 17, 2017
Apply Now! Undergraduate Positions in the Museum of Vertebrate ZoologyFor credit (1-3 units) and volunteer (0 unit) positions are available to UC Berkeley undergraduates in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. MVZ positions are listed through the University Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP). Deadline to apply is Tuesday, August 29th at 8:00 AM
Hope to see you in the MVZ!
- Museum and curatorial practices
- Specimen preparation
- Archival preservation and digitization of historical documents, photos, objects
- Informatics and GIS
- Communication and Outreach
- Research
Aug 01, 2017
Teaching Natural History of the Vertebrates: Celebrating a Hundred Year Legacy at UC Berkeley. September 8-10, 2017Please join us in commemorating over a century of teaching the Natural History of the Vertebrates course at UC Berkeley and in celebrating the importance of natural history in education. Hosted by the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, this reunion event is a chance to reconnect with classmates and instructors, and hear from speakers who have been inspired by the course and the field of natural history.
Registration Required - Deadline: August 8, 2017
Please visit our website for more details!
https://naturalhistory.berkeley.edu/
Click here for our Facebook event
May 18, 2017
Research at Hastings featured in new BBC program on Animal Behavior!
Eric Walters from Old Dominion University and researcher at Hasting Natural History Reservation will be featured in a new BBC program on animal behavior called "Animals Behaving Badly" that will air in September. The segment will document the complex interaction and battle for acorns between the woodpeckers who store the acorns in granary trees and the squirrels and jays. Read More Here
Apr 25, 2017
Thank You Cal Day Visitors, Contributors, and Volunteers!!
Another successful Cal Day at the MVZ! Our final visitor count for the museum was 2158! Cal Day is the one day each year that our museum comes together to share our research and collections with the public resulting in one of the most popular events on campus. We are extremely grateful for all the hard work of the MVZ faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate, and undergraduate students in generating exhibit content for the gallery. In addition, our 95 Cal Day volunteers did a fantastic job engaging the public and ensuring that visitors were interacting with the displays and educational activities in a meaningful way.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to Cal Day 2017!
See MVZ Cal Day in photos here
See MVZ Gallery time lapse: Cal Day set-up through clean-up here
Apr 06, 2017
Cal Day - MVZ Open House! Saturday, April 22, 2017Cal Day, UC Berkeley's open house and the one day each year that we are open to the public. We will be open 9am - 4pm and will host several events throughout the day including: Animal Origami, Reptile Dissection demo, Hands on DNA extraction demo and more...
Jan 12, 2017
Beautiful new website for Hastings Natural History Reserve
Fresh for the new year, the Hastings Natural History Reserve's website has a new look and new content. From Vince Voegeli, Resident Director: "If you've not visited hastingsreserve.org in a while, please have a look and let us know what you think of the new website. Hopefully you'll find it easier to navigate and find what you need to know! Thanks go out to Dana Holdt for the design and the majority of the work getting this up and running, as well as everyone else who contributed to the final product!"
Nov 21, 2016
White Sand Lizards
MVZ affiliated faculty Erica Bree Rosenblum and colleagues are featured in the NSF news story "Lizard species diverging to survive: Rapid evolution in action at White Sands National Monument." This research is supported by an NSF CAREER Award: "An Integrative Approach to Understanding and Communicating Evolution in Action."
Nov 18, 2016
THANK YOU!!!
Thank you to everyone who supported the MVZ and participated during Cal’s Big Give! Check BigGive.berkeley.edu to see final results across the Berkeley campus.
Nov 17, 2016
CAL’S BIG GIVE TODAY
Berkeley’s 24-hour online fundraiser to support students, faculty, and research is on now! Please consider making your donation to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology before 9 p.m. P.S.T.
Sep 29, 2016
MVZ Alumn Featured in Cal Futures Newsletter
MVZ Alumn, Rocky Gutiérrez (Ph.D. '77) and his wife Kaye, were recently featured in the Fall 2016 issue of the Cal Futures newsletter for their generous gift establishing a new fellowship to support MVZ graduate students from traditionally underrepresented minorities. We are very grateful for this gift! In the article Rocky talks about his experience in the MVZ as well as his research and conservation efforts with the spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest.
Sep 14, 2016
Orientation for New MVZ Undergrads and Volunteers Wed. Sept. 28, 5-6:30pmWe will be holding a mandatory orientation for all new MVZ undergrads and volunteers on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 5:00-6:30pm in the MVZ Grinnell-Miller Library (3101 VLSB).Please RSVP for this event by Monday, Sept. 26***Please be on time - MVZ doors will lock at 5:10pm***
Aug 25, 2016
Grinnell Resurvey Project in the News
In the University of California News article "100 years of national parks, 100 years of climate change data" national parks, natural history collections like those of the MVZ, and studies such as our Grinnell Resurvey Project are highlighted as important components of understanding global climate change.
Read the UCOP article HERE.
The project has additionally been featured in Science Notes 2016 with an interview with MVZ Curator and Emeritus Professor Jim Patton, an audio conversation with MVZ Archivist Christina Fidler, and a narrated slide show.
Read the Science Notes article HERE.
Jul 08, 2016
MVZ Grad Student Publication Featured in Berkeley News
A recent publication by MVZ graduate student, Alexander Stubbs and co-author Christopher Stubbs (Harvard) titled, "Spectral discrimination in color blind animals via chromatic aberration and pupil shape" was featured in Berkeley News this week. The PNAS article presents a mechanism by which "color-blind" animals may be able to distinguish colors using cephalopods as a specific example. You can read the Berekeley New article, "Weird pupils let octopuses see their colorful gardens" here. Direct link to the PNAS article is here.
May 20, 2016
Graduate Student Tali Hammond featured in the Economist
In the article, "Time and Motion Study" Tali explains how technology can make zoologists more productive. Read the full article HERE.
Apr 28, 2016
Another Successful Cal Day!Another successful Cal Day under our belts! Our final visitor count for the gallery was 2884, which is 249 more people than last year! Each year, our museum comes together to deliver one of the most popular events on campus. It is the one day each year that we can share our museum with the public and clearly the UC Berkeley and Bay Area communities are very interested in what the MVZ has to offer.
We are extremely grateful for all the hard work of the MVZ faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate, and undergraduate students in generating exhibit content for the gallery. In addition, our 99 Cal Day volunteers did a fantastic job engaging the public and ensuring that visitors were interacting with the displays and educational activities in a meaningful way. Thank you to everyone who contributed to Cal Day 2016!
Apr 19, 2016
David Wake honored as 2016-17 “Emeritus of the Year”
The UC Berkeley Emeriti Association has announced the winner of its annual Distinguished Emeritus of the Year, honoring MVZ's David Wake, a professor emeritus of integrative biology, professor of the graduate school, and former director and current curator of herpetology at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. While Professor Wake is well known for his work on the biology and evolution of the salamander and broadly for his contributions on vertebrate evolutionary biology, we know him as one of our longest serving directors (26 years), founder of AmphibiaWeb and champion of salamanders (pictured here with Marvalee Wake). Congratulations!
Mar 11, 2016
MVZ Cal Day Saturday, April 16
Come to the MVZ on Cal Day, UC Berkeley's open house and the one day each year that we are open to the public. We will be open 9am - 4pm and will host several events throughout the day including: Reptile Dissection demonstrations, Hands on DNA extraction demonstration, Specimen Identification (VLSB Courtyard), Face Painting and more...
Feb 10, 2016
Now Hiring: Work-Study Students for Archives Student Assistant Position
Job Title: Student Assistant
Description: The Museum of Vertebrae Zoology Archives is seeking a student to assist with ingesting, maintaining , and enhancing media and metadata related to the museum's historic photo collection. Student will also assist in scanning and image manipulation as well as assisting with other general archival functions including paging and reference support.
Qualifications: Ability to perform detailed -oriented tasks with irreplaceable material and data. Ability to work on computers. Other required experience includes working with spreadsheets and familiarity with image and file manipulation applications and methods. Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma and 2 years of college required.
Eligibility: You must be a UC Berkeley student that has been awarded Federal Work-Study as part of your 2015-2016 Financial Aid Package
Feb 03, 2016
New Undergrad and Volunteer Orientation--Thurs. Feb 25, 5:00-6:30pmWe will be holding a mandatory orientation for all new MVZ undergrads and volunteers on Thursday, February 25, 5:00-6:30pm in the MVZ Grinnell-Miller Library (GML – 3101 VLSB). We will cover the business of being an undergrad/volunteer in the MVZ and go on a tour of the museum. RSVP HERE by Mon. Feb 22 ***Please be on time - MVZ doors will lock at 5:10pm***
Jan 20, 2016
Undergraduate Opportunities in the MVZ
Gain hands-on experience in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology! There's something for everyone! Highlights include apprentice positions in Curatorial/Collections, Prep Lab, Archives, Communication/Outreach, and in faculty led research labs. Click here to find out more about Undergraduate Opportunities at the MVZ. To Apply: Complete an MVZ Undergraduate Application (if you have not done so previously) and Submit a URAP Application
Nov 20, 2015
THANK YOU!!!
Biggest Thanks to everyone who supported the MVZ and participated in Cal’s second Big Give! Check BigGive.berkeley.edu to see final results across the Berkeley campus.
Nov 18, 2015
CAL’S BIG GIVE TODAY!
Berkeley’s 24-hour online fundraiser to support students, faculty, and research is on now! Please consider making your donation to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology today before 9 p.m. P.S.T.
Nov 06, 2015
BIG GIVE Think Bigger! Nov. 19, 2015
Berkeley's 24-hour online fundraising blitz to support students, faculty, and research, and keeping Cal the #1 public university in the world is back. Be a part of the Big Give by donating to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology on November 19, 2015. To learn more about the Big Give, please visit the Big Give website.
Oct 14, 2015
Ricklefs Receives Grinnell Medal Award
The MVZ was excited to welcome Dr. Robert Ricklefs, Curator's Professor of Biology, University of Missouri, last week on October 8 and 9. Dr. Ricklefs is the recipient of the 2015 UC Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Joseph Grinnell Award and gave a special seminar on "Intrinsic dynamics of the regional community." Dr. Ricklefs was awarded the Joseph Grinnell Medal by the faculty of the MVZ in recognition of his commitment to natural history research and his fundamental empirical and conceptual contributions to ecology and evolution. Congratulations Dr. Robert Ricklefs!
Oct 05, 2015
Rosemary and Peter Grant visit the MVZ!
The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology was very excited to host Drs. Rosemary and Peter Grant this past week on September 30 and October 1, 2015. The Grants were the MVZ graduate student invited speakers and they were very generous with their time giving two seminar presentations for our community at both the MVZ Lunch Seminar on Wednesday and the IB seminar on Thursday. Rosemary (left) and Peter Grant (right) picture here with MVZ Graduate Student host, Noelle Bittner (center). Photo by Chuck Crumly
Sep 23, 2015
Rosemary and Peter Grant "In Search of the Causes of Evolution"The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology is excited to host our student invited speakers, Rosemary and Peter Grant! They will give a Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Integrative Biology joint seminar titled, "In Search of the Causes of Evolution". Thursday, October 1, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. 2040 Valley Life Sciences Building
Sep 17, 2015
New Undergrad and Volunteer Orientation - RSVP HEREWe will be holding a mandatory orientation for all new MVZ undergrads and volunteers on Tuesday, September 29, 5:00-6:30pm in the MVZ Grinnell-Miller Library (GML – 3101 VLSB). We will cover the business of being an undergrad/volunteer in the MVZ and go on an extensive tour of the museum.
Aug 03, 2015
Scientists urge ban on salamander imports to fend off new fungus
A moratorium on US salamander imports may be the best defense against the deadly salamander chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), which is poised to devastate North American amphibian biodiversity. Yet, the US Fish & Wildlife Service has not acted to ban imports of salamanders to the US, pending more studies of this recently discovered pathogen. A growing chorus of advocates for a temporary ban includes a new Science Policy Forum report (Yap et al 2015), which presents a salamander vulnerability model showing the regions most at stake.
MVZ authors of the new Science paper include Tiffany Yap (MVZ visiting graduate student), Michelle Koo (MVZ Staff Curator), David Wake (MVZ Faculty Curator, Professor Emeritus), and Vance Vredenburg (MVZ Affiliated Researcher) Photo by Tiffany Yap
Aug 03, 2015
Natural Reserve System Hosts 50th Anniversary Celebration
After 50 years of educating students, training future scientists, and answering questions about the earth, the NRS is holding an anniversary celebration. The UC Natural Reserve System Fair will feature experts and researchers from across the reserve system. Enjoy music, food, and prizes while learning about the world's largest university administered reserve system. The event is free and open to the public. Details: Tuesday, August 11, 2015, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., 5th Floor Terrace, 1111 Franklin St. Oakland.
Jul 27, 2015
Mendel: The Legacy “The Well-Tempered Genotype”
A global celebration of Mendel's Legacy, put on by the Mendel Museum in the Czech Republic, occurred on Mon., July 20, 2015. The MVZ hosted a live feed of the celebration which included a live concert, speeches, and an animated representation of Mendel's work, "The Well-Tempered Genotype," accompanied by an orchestral composition performed by the Brno Philharmonic. If you were unable to attend or stay for the entire presentation, you can view the ceremonial speeches and the audio-visual portion of the event on their website (www.mendelthelegacy.com). The video link is approximately one hour in total and includes ceremonial speeches by Sir Paul Nurse, Vicki Chandler, Drew Berry (animator), and Duncan Hendy (composer). "The Well-Tempered Genotype" was projected on the walls of the Mendel Museum and begins at approximately 40:00.
Jul 13, 2015
Mendel: The Legacy “The Well-Tempered Genotype”In celebration of both Mendel’s birthday and the beginning of genetics, the MVZ will offer a viewing of “The Well-Tempered Genotype,” an audio-visual representation of Mendel’s legacy with animation by Drew Berry, accompanied by the music of Duncan Hendy, and performed by the Brno Philharmonic. Monday, 20 July 2015, 12:10pm, Grinnell-Miller Library (3101 VLSB) Mendel: The Legacy is part of a global celebration organized by the Mendel Museum of Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic.
Apr 22, 2015
Another Successful Cal Day at the MVZ
Another successful Cal Day has come and gone! Our final visitor count for the gallery was 2635, which is 350 more people than last year! Each year, the MVZ comes together to deliver the most popular show on campus. It is the one day each year that we can share our museum with the public and they have come to know and love us for it. We are extremely grateful for all the hard work put in by MVZ faculty, staff, postdocs & students in generating exhibit content for the gallery. In addition, our Cal Day volunteers did a fantastic job engaging the public and ensuring that visitors were interacting with the displays in a meaningful way. Thank you to everyone who contributed to Cal Day 2015!
Apr 14, 2015
Cal Day 2015 at the MVZ!
The MVZ is opening its doors THIS Saturday, April 18, 9 am - 4 pm for Cal Day! See what we have planned for Cal Day inside the museum and in the VLSB courtyard.
Apr 09, 2015
Berkeley Among the Top 10 College MuseumsThe 50 Most Amazing College Museums were ranked by CollegeRank "University of California, Berkeley -- with six natural history museums at the Northern California campus -- is the only school in the West to break into the top 10." says the LA Times. The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology is one of the six Berkeley Natural History Museums along with UC Museum of Paleontology, University & Jepson Herbarium, Essig Museum of Entomology, Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology, and the UC Botanical Gardens.
Apr 02, 2015
Cal Day - Sat. April 18, 9 am - 4 pm **Volunteers Needed**
Cal Day is coming and we need your help! Cal Day is UC Berkeley's open house and it is the one day each year that the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology opens its doors to the public. The MVZ receives well over 2,000 visitors each year, so it's a great opportunity for us to communicate the importance of our museum to the broader community! Every Cal Day, we showcase dozens of displays, interesting specimens, and a variety of activities and lectures. This year Cal Day is on Saturday, April 18, 9:00am - 4:00pm and we need your help to staff the museum on this very special day. Please sign-up to volunteer now using this online form! Expertise in an area is not required, there's all kinds of fun activities you can help with that don't require expertise, and for the ones that do, they'll come with "cheat sheets." Food will be provided for volunteers, and if you work the whole day (7 hours or more), you get a free t-shirt!
Mar 31, 2015
Science for Parks, Parks for Science Summit at UC Berkeley
"Science for Parks, Parks for Science" summit brings many visitors to the MVZ, including keynote speaker EO Wilson and Governor Jerry Brown.
Mar 20, 2015
Science for Parks, Parks for Science: The Next CenturyMarch 25-27, 2015
Convening science leaders to launch a Second Century of stewardship for parks, 100 years after the birth of the National Park Service idea at Berkeley. This two and a half day summit at UC Berkeley, one of the world's premier research institutions, will feature a keynote speech on the mission of parks by Edward O. Wilson, plus 16 plenary lectures or panels by leading natural, physical, and social scientists. There is still time to register!
Feb 12, 2015
MVZ on Facebook
Check out the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology on Facebook and "Like" our page to follow MVZ news and announcements! https://www.facebook.com/museumofvertebratezoology
Jan 15, 2015
Undergraduate Opportunities in the MVZ-Information Session Wednesday, January 21, 5-6pm at the MVZ (3101 VLSB)
Gain hands-on experience in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. There's something for everyone (including starter positions with no experience necessary). Highlights include apprentice positions in Curatorial/Collections, Prep Lab, GIS/Informatics, and in faculty led research labs. Click here to view all MVZ URAPs
Attend our Information Session where you can learn more, meet project supervisors, and hear from current and recently graduated MVZ students. Please meet outside the museum doors by 5:00pm. Light refreshments provided.
Click here to find out more about MVZ Undergraduate Opportunities
Jan 06, 2015
MVZ Research Spotlight: Sulawesi frog gives birth to live young
MVZ Faculty Curator of Herpetology Jim McGuire made a ground breaking discovery while on a recent research trip to the remote Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
He became the first to obtain direct proof that the fanged frog Limnonectes larvaepartus gives birth to live tadpoles rather than laying eggs. In an interview with UC Berkeley News Center, McGuire explained that L. larvaepartus "is one of only 10 or 12 species that has evolved internal fertilization, and of those, it is the only one that gives birth to tadpoles as opposed to froglets or laying fertilized eggs. Though this species was discovered several decades ago, its unusual reproductive mode had never before been observed.
Listen to the story on NPR. Read the full article on PLOS One. Male (left), female (right), tadpole at ca. stage 25 (bottom) L. larvaepartus. (Photo courtesy of Jim McGuire)
Dec 16, 2014
Joseph Grinnell Medal 2015 Recipient: Dr. Robert Ricklefs
Ecologist and ornithologist Dr. Robert Ricklefs was awarded the prestigious 2015 Joseph Grinnell Medal of the U.C. Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.
This award is given every five years to a senior scientist who exemplifies a commitment to natural history research and is making fundamental empirical and conceptual contributions to ecology and evolution. The award was established in 1983 and named after Joseph Grinnell, the founding director of the U.C. Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Past recipients include George A. Bartholomew, James H. Brown, David B. Wake, Peter and Rosemary Grant, and Michael J. Ryan.
Robert Ricklefs is a Curator and Professor of Biology at the University of Missouri and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He has dedicated his career to understanding the origin, maintenance, and significance of diversity in nature. He has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of biogeography, especially of oceanic islands, the evolution and ecology of life history variation, and disease ecology.
Ricklefs has been a forceful advocate for the importance of natural history observation and thinking. He is the author of several seminal textbooks and over 300 peer-reviewed articles. Through his work, Ricklefs has played an important role in shaping both popular culture and scientific thought.
Learn more about Robert Ricklefs. Image courtesy of Susanne Renner
Dec 03, 2014
BIG THANKS
A very Big Thanks to everyone who participated in the Big Give on November 20, 2014! UC Berkeley raised $5.3 million from 7,336 donors. Thank you for being part of UC Berkeley history!
Nov 17, 2014
BIG GIVE One Day. Make it Big. 11.20.2014
Berkeley's first 24-hour online fundraising campaign to support students, faculty, and research, keeping Cal the #1 public university in the world. Be a part of the Big Give by donating to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology on November 20, 2014. To learn more about the Big Give, please visit the Big Give website.
Nov 13, 2014
Calling All MVZ Alumni
We want to hear from you! Where are you now, and what have you been up to since you left the MVZ? We would love to hear from all our MVZ alumns. Please complete THIS FORM to tell us what you have been up to and to make sure we have your most current contact information. Hope to hear from you soon!
Oct 27, 2014
Call for Abstracts! Science for Parks, Parks for Science: The Next Century
100 years after the historic meetings that helped launch the National Park Service (NPS), scientists, managers and practitioners will re-convene at UC Berkeley to launch a Second Century of stewardship for the parks. E. O. Wilson will be the keynote speaker at the March 2015 Summit. Summit Dates: March 25-27, 2015. Abstract Submissions: Due November 1st
Sep 25, 2014
My, What a Unique Face You Have!
MVZ researchers Michael Nachman and Michael Sheehan found that evolution has led humans to have unique and easily recognizable faces, more so than in other species. Unlike other body parts, face parts are not predictable. "You mix and match," Sheehan jokes, "like Mister Potato Head." Read more about it in this month's National Geographic News The full article, "Morphological and population genomic evidence that human faces have evolved to signal individual identity" can be found in Nature Communications 5, Article number: 4800, doi:10.1038/ncomms5800, 16 September 2014
Sep 24, 2014
Call for Nominations: Joseph Grinnell Medal
The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley solicits nominations for the Joseph Grinnell Medal. This award is given every five years to a senior scientist who exemplifies a commitment to natural history research and is making fundamental empirical and conceptual contributions to ecology and evolution. The award was established in 1983 and named after Joseph Grinnell, the founding director of the UC Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Past recipients include George A. Bartholomew, James H. Brown, David B. Wake, Peter and Rosemary Grant, and Michael J. Ryan. Nominations should include a CV and supporting letter and should be sent to Michael Nachman, Director MVZ (mnachman@berkeley.edu), by October 1, 2014.
Sep 05, 2014
EXTENDED DEADLINE: URAPs in the Museum of Vertebrate ZoologyThe deadline to apply for Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) positions in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology has been extended to Friday, September 12 at 3:00pm!
The following URAP projects have been re-opened and are accepting applications:
- AmphibiaWeb: An Informatics System for Amphibian Conservation Biology (David Wake)
- Curatorial Apprentice: Exploring Biodiversity, Curation, and Specimen Preparation in Natural History Collections (Carol Spencer - various projects)
- Archival Apprenticeship (Christina Fidler)
- Biogeography, Phylogeograph, and Evolution of Reptiles and Amphibian (Jim McGuire - various projects) - NEW
To apply, complete the following by Friday, September 12:
Aug 19, 2014
Undergraduate Opportunities in the MVZ Information Session: Wednesday, August 27, 5-6pm at the MVZ (3101 VLSB)
Gain hands-on experience in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. With over 30 URAP and volunteer positions available, there's something for everyone (including starter positions with no experience necessary). Apprentice positions available in Curatorial/Collections, Prep Lab, Archives, GIS/Informatics, AmphibiaWeb, and in faculty led research labs.
Click here to view all MVZ URAPs
Attend our Information Session where you can learn more, meet project supervisors, and hear from current and recently graduated MVZ students. Please meet outside the museum doors by 5:00pm. Refreshments provided.
Click here to find out more about MVZ Undergraduate Opportunities
Jul 03, 2014
Yosemite: A Storied LandscapeThe MVZ is currently being featured in the California Historical Society's exhibit Yosemite: A Storied Landscape, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Yosemite Grant. The exhibit, which runs from June 29, 2014 to January 25, 2015, includes a California Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) skin from the MVZ Mammal collection, one of the last Grizzly bears found in Yosemite, and Joseph Grinnell's survey of the Yosemite transect as part of the Grinnell Resurvey Project.
Jun 02, 2014
Congratulations Graduates!
The MVZ graduated four new PhDs this Spring: Dr. Beth Wommack, Dr. Elaine Vo, and Dr. Andrew Rush from the Bowie Lab, and Dr. Yu Zeng from the D. Wake & Dudley labs. We also had 41 MVZ undergraduates earn their Bachelor's degrees! We wish you all the best on your new and exciting adventures. Pictured here (left to right), MVZ Undergrads Melissa Morales, Anna Hiller, and Irene Chang.
May 05, 2014
Tune into THE GRADUATES, a radio show by and about UC Berkeley's graduate students!
This week's installment of THE GRADUATES on May 6th features Phillip Skipwith, MVZ Grad Student in the McGuire Lab, and his herpetological endeavors. The Graduates is the talk show where UC Berkeley graduates students talk about their work here on campus. Hosted by KALX DJ and graduate student Tesla Monson (IB), The Graduates airs every other Tuesday from 9am-9:30am. Catch up with past episodes-- free to listen and download on iTunes!
Apr 11, 2014
Cal Day -- Saturday, April 12th 2014
Come by the MVZ from 9am-4pm Saturday, April 12th for loads of fun. It's Cal Day, and the entire Berkeley campus opens its doors to the public. Meet scientists, play games, try your hand at scientific illustration or origami, see a puppet show or a science game show. Everything's free!
Feb 21, 2014
MVZ Administrative Assistant Opening
MVZ is seeking a dynamic person to join our community! We are now accepting applications for a Front Office Assistant (III). Please read more here or on the UC Berkeley Job website. Go to http://jobs.berkeley.edu, click on "Job Listings" followed by "External Applicants", and then search for job number 17447.
Feb 04, 2014
Free Special Lecture
Dr. Harry Greene, renowned biologist, author, and former MVZ curator presents "Snakes and primates, an 80 million year-long dialog -- with digressions about late 20th century MVZ" on Saturday, February 8th. Free behind the scenes tour and mingling with scientists at 3pm in 3101 VLSB, and lecture begins at 4pm in 2040 VLSB.
Nov 27, 2013
Art in the MVZ Display
Visit us from 8am-3pm on December 11th to see an "Art in the MVZ" display. Art pieces have been created by MVZ staff, students, researchers, and friends. The MVZ will have t-shirts and three different beautiful posters available for purchase too! A few other art items may be available for purchase. All donations will go to MVZ Education and Outreach.
Oct 09, 2013
Oct 26th: Free Public Lecture & Tours
Join us in the VLSB to celebrate research connections between UC Berkeley and Yosemite National Park. October 26th from 5pm-8:30pm. Dr. Jim Patton will be giving a talk, there will be refreshments, displays and behind the scenes tours of the UC Berkeley Natural History Museums!
Sep 24, 2013
Robert C. Stebbins March 31, 1915- September 23, 2013
We are sad to announce the passing of Bob Stebbins, a friend, colleague, Curator and Professor Emeritus at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley. He was 98 years old and his impact on us professionally and personally go far beyond the field of herpetology. Bob also touched those who only know him through the archival legacy he left as articulated in a blog posting. Click on the title for Berkeley News Center's obituary. Most recently he was honored with the naming of a new species of legless lizard, Anniella stebbinsi, one of four new species from California. An excerpt from his oral history is viewable on the MVZ channel where he speaks about life and death.
Aug 22, 2013
Apply to our URAP positions!
UC Berkeley students: Get that lab or research experience you've been looking for! With over 50 URAP positions available, there's something for everyone at the MVZ. Assist in research on global change biology, learn the vertebrate skeletal system, share your love for science with a broader audience through education and outreach, work with original hand-written notes from over 100 years ago -- there are abundant possibilities, and not just for bio majors! Look for the URAPs listed under Carol Spencer, David Wake, Michelle Koo, Eileen Lacey, and Rauri Bowie.
Jul 25, 2013
MVZ Silent Auction: August 1st
Help support science education and our undergraduate program -- and get a free behind the scenes tour of the MVZ! We're hosting a "Weird and Wonderful" Silent Auction on Thursday, August 1st from 6-8pm. RSVP here and invite your friends!
Jul 19, 2013
MVZ Archives opportunities and updates
Through the Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program this past spring, Berkeley undergraduates had the opportunity to work directly with the historic field notes housed in the archives of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. From digitizing field notebooks to capturing the higher geographies found within their pages, these apprentices played an integral role in the MVZ Archives’ mission to increase access to its rich historical materials. Read first-hand accounts of the students’ projects and experiences over on the MVZ Archives blog! If you are a MLIS student, gain valuable professional experience in the archival field through a paid internship at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology! We are seeking interns for the upcoming Fall 2013 and Spring 2014. Please see our blog for more information.
May 17, 2013
Congratulations and Graduations
The MVZ has had an excellent semester and gives three cheers for Theresa Grieco, Sonal Singhal, and Sarah Werning -- MVZ students receiving their PhDs this Spring. We also congratulate MVZ grad students Zach Hanna, Charlotte Jennings, Jay McEntee, Andrew Rush, and Yu Zeng for receiving Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Awards for this past year!
Apr 11, 2013
MVZ Opens its Doors for Cal Day
This April 20th: Visit the only opportunity this year for people of all ages to peek behind the doors of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. Learn all about California's incredible natural diversity and interact with zoologists! See beautiful original art inspired by nature. Hunt for treasures of the natural world. Have your face painted, make art, & get your Science@Cal Passport stamped! Discover something new at MVZ! Full Schedule of Events here.
Mar 12, 2013
Rauri Bowie receives Distinguished Teaching Award
Congratulations to MVZ Curator and IB Professor Rauri Bowie for receiving the 2013 Distinguished Teaching Award, Berkeley campus' most prestigious award for excellence in teaching. Rauri joins the illustrious ranks of previous MVZ awardees of the Distinguished Teaching Award, Eileen Lacey, Frank Pitelka, Harry Greene and Jim Patton. The public Distinguished Teaching Award Ceremony will occur Wednesday, April 24, at 5 p.m. in the Zellerbach Playhouse. Come join us to honor Rauri!
Mar 01, 2013
MVZ Archivist on The Grinnell Method for the Field Book ProjectChristina Fidler, MVZ Archivist, was the guest writer on the Smithsonian's Field Book Project blog, covering the Grinnell Method as well as our own Archival project. She alludes to the order and structure of Grinnellian field notes as key to the our goals of integrating specimen and observational notes together. Read more about the ongoing Archival project on our blog.
Feb 22, 2013
Mark Stromberg writes about Hastings in a New Book
Read an intimate portrait of the Carmel River watershed, Passion for Place, by the people who know it best, including recently retired Resident Director of Hastings Natural History Reserve, Mark Stromberg. He contributed a chapter on Finch Creek with original artwork of the landscape and creatures of Hastings. Spring events are planned in and around the Carmel River this year!
Jan 30, 2013
Seeking Archives Interns!Seeking MLIS students who are looking for professional experience working in a worldclass archives with our Museum Archivist to help secure and make accessible our archival material. The collection spans the 20th century and continues with modern accessions, including field notes, images and other material from natural history research. Openings available now for the Spring and Summer.
Jan 17, 2013
Berkeley Undergrads -- Get Involved!Calling all UC Berkeley undergraduates! If you'd like to get involved in the museum, please fill out an MVZ Undergraduate Application. Get units by signing up for a URAP -- the deadline has been extended to February 7th. Apply your love for animals, science, writing, history, maps, computer science, art, archival studies, and/or education in a museum setting!
Email Monica with questions at mjalbe@berkeley.edu
Dec 21, 2012
Molecular Ecology Prize Awarded to Craig Moritz
Congratulations to our former director for garnering the 2012 Molecular Ecology Prize! Molecular Ecology writes "(the prize) was awarded to Professor Craig Moritz of the Australian National University for his transformative research in evolutionary conservation science and biogeography across multiple continents." Read a biography of Craig and his contributions to molecular ecology in the latest issue of Molecular Ecology.
Oct 26, 2012
The dangerous march of the Newts
The early October rains in Berkeley have brought out the amorous male Newts and thus exposed them to the dangers of traffic since South Park Drive in Tilden won't be closed until November. Simply closing the roads early likely won't happen as the Park District concedes the needs of commuters outweighs the newts' mating needs. Read more in the Berkeleyside about what MVZ's David Wake, a local resident has to say.
Oct 10, 2012
David Wake awarded Academy Fellows Medal
Congratulations to David B. Wake for receiving the California Academy of Sciences’ highest honor, the Academy Fellows Medal, which is nominated by colleagues and appointed by the Board of Trustees. ??Since 1964, the medal has been awarded to especially prominent scientists who have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to their specific field(s) of science. David Wake joins other MVZ curators to be awarded this honor; Marvalee Wake was the medalist in 2010, Frank Pitelka in 1997, Robert Stebbins in 1991, and Tracy Storer in 1968.
Aug 16, 2012
URAP positions now open!We're looking for enthusiastic students with interests in either the Prep Lab or one of the Informatics projects. Now is also the time to sign up for Advanced Prep Lab if you have a little experience and want to delve elbow deeper into specimen preparation.
Here's some tips: for beginners to MVZ or curatorial work, read more here; for Advanced Prep Lab, this is your link. If you are more technically adept and want the museum experience working with data, web design, coding, mapping, etc, find out more here. This year we are also looking for students to contribute to the Keck Engine. Open to majors of all kinds.
Jul 30, 2012
7,000 amphibian species in the world!
The total number of amphibian species reached 7,000 today. The 7,000th known amphibian is a new glassfrog from Peru, Centrolene sabini, discovered at high elevations in Manu National Park, Peru, by Alessandro Catenazzi, MVZ Post-doc Rudolf von May and colleagues (Zootaxa 2012). Glassfrogs have increased from 65 in 1985 to 152 known today, illustrating the paradoxical phenomenon of amphibian discovery during a time of decline for amphibians. In June 2012, IUCN reported 41% of amphibian species at risk of extinction. Yet, the number of known species has increased dramatically, from 4,013 in 1985 to 7,000. Enjoy AmphibiaWeb's new song in celebration of the 7,000th species!
Jul 23, 2012
A century of bird community turnover on campus
Previous MVZ honors student Allison Shultz (now a grad student at Harvard) used the historical records housed in the MVZ to investigate how the bird community on campus has changed over the past 93 years. The results are published in The Condor, and show considerable community turnover in each of three time periods (1913-18, 1938-39, 2006-07), but the total number of species has not decreased. In the past year, Rauri Bowie has had a lot of public inquiries wanting to know if crows and ravens have increased in the East Bay. Bowie replies that their data suggests that they have increased relative to historical levels, but interestingly they appear to not have adversely affect the diversity of bird species present on campus. Read more at the UC News Center.
Jul 13, 2012
Read MVZ Archive's new blog!The MVZ Archive now has a blog, which will feature stories uncovered during our CLIR-funded work as well as progress reports as we tackle the challenge of cataloging and integrating our rich archives with the specimen collections. Read all about it here!
Jun 11, 2012
Approaching a state shift in Earth’s biosphere
Congratulations to Tony Barnosky and all the authors on their Nature paper entitled "Approaching a state shift in Earth's biosphere". This is the product of the 1st BiGCB Annual Symposium on Biodiversity theory to inform global change strategies, held in December 2010, and has been widely cited in the press (e.g. New York Times, BBC). The commissioned artwork is by MVZ alumna Cheng (Lily) Li.
May 18, 2012
Museum Archivist Opening
To support MVZ's CLIR grant that will catalog and integrate our archives with the collections and library standards, we are seeking a Museum Archivist (closes June 18, 2012). See here for job and application details.
May 04, 2012
Job Opportunities The Berkeley Initiative in Global Change Biology (BiGCB) at the University of California, Berkeley, is seeking to fill several positions for the W.M. Keck Foundation Funded Project entitled Informatics Engine for Understanding Biotic Response to Global Change. This is an exemplar MVZ Informatics project that is highly collaborative, aims to mobilize natural history data resources and ultimately will help advance research. See more information about these positions.
Aug 14, 2007
Emeritus Professor George Barlow has passed away.The MVZ is saddened to announce the death of Professor George Barlow at the age of 78. Barlow, a professor with the Integrative Biology department and Research Ethologist at the MVZ, focused on animal behavior and evolutionary biology in his work and was highly renowned for his expertise in fish biology. From the time he was young, Barlow showed a deep passion for all things aquatic, from collecting hermit crabs on the beach as a child to playing water polo and surfing as an undergrad at UCLA, to joining the Coast Guard during the Korean War and eventually becoming one of the world's most prominent figures in ichthyology. He was devoted to his work and loved teaching, as well as travel, gardening, music, and all animals. George Barlow is survived by his wife, Gerta, their three daughters, and six grandchildren. He will be missed.
A memorial service is planned for Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. at the Alumni House at UC Berkeley. For more information on this or a pending memorial fund that would support student research, contact bickabarlow@sbcglobal.net.
Apr 03, 2007
Dr. Eileen Lacey receives Distinguished Teaching AwardWe are delighted to announce that Dr. Eileen Lacey, Associate Professor (Department of Integrative Biology) and Curator of Mammals (MVZ) has received a Distinguished Teaching Award, the highest honor bestowed by UC Berkeley in recognition of excellence in instruction. This award reflects the deep commitment given by Eileen to her students, both graduate and undergraduate, and it is gratifying to see this recognized by the campus. This is the fourth such award bestowed on MVZ/IB Faculty in recent decades - other recipients were Frank Pitelka, Harry Greene and Jim Patton.
Nov 07, 2006
Grinnell Resurvey Project and the Lassen Transect Survey are featured in the New York TimesA century of biodiversity is examined and compared in the area of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Read what MVZ scientists, Jim Patton and John Perrine are finding, and how it may relate to our changing world.
Mar 07, 2006
John Wieczorek wins prestigious bioinformatics award
The MVZ is elated to announce that John Wieczorek has received the 2006 Ebbe Nielsen Prize, presented by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). This prestigious award recognizes John's leadership and seminal contributions in the field of biodiversity informatics, including his role in development of DiGIR and distributed data networks (e.g., MaNIS, HerpNET, and ORNIS.). John will use his prize to expand these projects to Brazil, Argentina, Madagascar and Russia. The Prize will be awarded on 5 April 2006 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Nov 21, 2005
News from Sierra Leone features Ted PapenfussTed Papenfuss has worked closely with the U.S. Embassy in Sierra Leone to donate textbooks to the Biological Sciences Department of Njala University. His efforts and scientific collaborations are highlighted in this news article.
Oct 21, 2005
Job Opening: Bioinformatics/GIS ScientistThe Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley is a national leader in the development and application of biodiversity informatics to museum-based science (see mvz.berkeley.edu/Informatics.html) and is making increasing use of GIS technology in its research, education and outreach. To further develop this initiative, we are now seeking a GIS scientist with relevant expertise and enthusiasm for promoting the use of georeferenced museum data in conservation and research on vertebrate biogeography, ecology and evolution. The appointee will be located within the MVZ, contribute to the museum’s research effort and interact with a strong existing biodiversity informatics group in the MVZ and the Berkeley Natural History Museums (bnhm.berkeley.edu/about/informatics.php). The position will be for one year beginning approximately January 1, 2006, with reappointment contingent upon funding availability, at the Assistant or Associate Specialist level (annual salary ranges: $36,816-$42,180 or $45,948-$55,320, respectively), depending on qualifications and experience. Substantial experience in GIS methods, including modeling and GIS-related programming is essential, as is interest in museum-based bioinformatics research and enthusiasm for training and collaborative research.
Applications should include a CV and brief statement addressing the duties and selection criteria and describing a vision for how informatics and GIS can further the mission of the museum. These, together with names of 3 references, should be submitted to Jeanne G. Kassis (Position #200), Berkeley Natural History Museums, 3101 Valley Life Science Building, UC Berkeley, CA 94720 by November 21, 2005. Further information about this position can be obtained from the MVZ web site (mvz.berkeley.edu/Job_Listings.php), or by contacting Craig Moritz (craigm@berkeley.edu). The University of California, Berkeley, is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to excellence through diversity.
Oct 21, 2005
Job Opening: Supervisor of Evolutionary Genomics LaboratoryThe Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley has a long history of incorporating molecular information into studies of vertebrate evolution, behavior and ecology, and is expanding its application of genomics to these areas. To lead our multi-user molecular laboratory (see mvz.berkeley.edu/Evol_Gen_Lab.html) and to further develop our capabilities in this area, we seek a scientist with appropriate research expertise and strong commitment to managing and providing leadership to this facility. The appointee will be responsible to the Director of the MVZ for efficient operation of the lab, further development of its technical abilities, including collaborative or independent research as appropriate, and provision of training to students and staff. As some sections of the facility also support instruction, the appointee will also be responsible to the Chair of Integrative Biology for logistic support to relevant classes. The position will be for one year beginning approximately January 1, 2006, with reappointment contingent upon funding availability, at the Assistant or Associate Specialist level (annual salary ranges: $36,816-$42,180 or $45,948-$55,320, respectively), depending on qualifications and experience. Substantial and relevant experience in evolutionary genomics, experience in laboratory management and advanced interpersonal skills are essential, as is interest in museum-based research and enthusiasm for training and collaborative research.
Applications should include a CV and brief statement addressing the duties and selection criteria and describing a vision for how modern evolutionary genomics can further the mission of the museum. These, together with names of 3 references, should be submitted to Jeanne G. Kassis (Position #100), Berkeley Natural History Museums, 3101 Valley Life Science Building, UC Berkeley, CA 94720 by November 21, 2005. Further information about this position can be obtained from the MVZ web site (mvz.berkeley.edu/Job_Listings.php), or by contacting Craig Moritz (craigm@berkeley.edu). The University of California, Berkeley, is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to excellence through diversity.
Aug 30, 2005
MVZ graduate student wins award at ABS meetingCongratulations to Alan Krakauer, who received an Honorable Mention in the Allee competition for best student paper at the 2005 Animal Behavior Society Annual Meetings! Alan's work on Wild Turkey's was recently published in Nature.
Aug 30, 2005
New publication celebrating the career of James L. PattonA volume of original research papers celebrating the career of James L. Patton has just been released by the University of California Press. The volume, entitled "Mammalian Diversification: From Chromosomes to Phylogeography (A Celebration of the Career of James L. Patton)," is available online. Softbound copies also can be purchased from the UC Press. Now Jim can finally, really retire!
Aug 10, 2005
Emeritus Curator Seth Benson dies at age 100
The MVZ sadly announces the passing of Dr. Seth Benson, who served as Curator of Mammals for 40 years. He collected 13,095 specimens for the MVZ, and retired in 1969. Perhaps his most famous publication is a monograph on concealing coloration in desert mice. He recently celebrated his 100th birthday, which some MVZers were honored to attend. Seth Benson was a legend, and his death marks the passing of an era.
Apr 12, 2005
Art and Science: Profile of Robert C. StebbinsEmeritus Professor and MVZ Curator Robert C. Stebbins was recently profiled in the Los Angeles Times about his lifelong career as an artist, scientist, and naturalist. At age 90, Stebbins is still remarkably active. In addition to his recently published Third Edition of the Peterson Field Guide to Western Repiles and Amphibians, he just finished a book geared toward engaging children in natural history.
Mar 15, 2005
MVZ graduate student publishes in NatureMVZ student Alan Krakauer's recent paper in Nature provides genetic evidence for the evolution of cooperative behavior in mating in Wild Turkeys. His research was conducted at the Hastings Natural History Reservation in Carmel Valley, California.
Mar 14, 2005
Latest issue of Hastings NewsletterThe August 2004-February 2005 issue of the Hastings Newsletter is available. Read about the latest research and other activity at Hastings!
Feb 07, 2005
Reflections on History of Field Ornithology in CaliforniaThe January/February 2005 issue of Birding (published by American Birding Association) has an article by W. David Shuford on the impact of Annie Alexander, Joseph Grinnell, and MVZ colleagues on ornithological study in California. The article emphasizes the importance of Alexander's "passion, vision, single-minded dedication, and financial backing" in promoting the "Grinnell Revolution," which culminated in the classic 1944 publication on the Distribution of the Birds of California (published after Grinnell's death).
Jan 10, 2005
Georeferencing Takes a Big Step Forward with BioGeoMancer FundingThe Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded a team of institutions, led by the UC Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, a $1.6 million grant to build an online automated georeferencing tool. The tool, referred to as BioGeoMancer, addresses the crucial need of natural history museums to assign accurate and verifiable coordinates to over 2 billion specimens worldwide that contain text location data but no spatial coordinates. Coupling the geographic scope of specimens with the rich historical record of natural history museum collections yields a source of data of enormous significance, useful in conservation planning, reserve selection, and examining the potential effects of climate change on biodiversity.
Sep 15, 2004
Clutch piracy revealed as novel mating strategy in the European common frogThe European common frog has been studied for centuries, since Linnaeus first classified it in the 18th century. Yet no one had noticed an intriguing mating behavior never before seen in an amphibian that fertilizes its eggs externally. Spanish researcher David Vieites, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the MVZ, has found that, because of an overabundance of males, male frogs often pirate an egg clutch after it's laid and fertilize it again. As many as four males can fertilize a single clutch.
Sep 10, 2004
Another MVZ student wins best student paper awardCongratulations! to Alan Krakauer for winning the Nellie Johnson Baroody Award at the 2004 meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union in Quebec City, Canada. Alan's talk was on "kin selection and the evolution of cooperation in Wild Turkeys." When receiving the award, Alan was praised for giving an excellent paper without any slides - the powerpoint projector died right at the start. Alan also celebrated his 30th birthday at the meeting!
Sep 10, 2004
NSF-funded bird database project makes the news in NatureThe MVZ, in collaboration with the University of Kansas and 28 other institutions, recently received funding for a 5-year project to build a distributed database network of bird collections ("ORNIS") and to develop a suite of online tools for improving collections data through georeferencing and error-checking. The significance of this project was highlighted in the 2 Sept 2004 issue of Nature.
Jul 30, 2004
MVZ Vertebrate Inventory in Yosemite National ParkThis summer, scientists from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are continuing their efforts to revisit Joseph Grinnell's vertebrate survey sites in Yosemite National Park. The original surveys, conducted from 1914 to 1920, collected more than 4,000 specimens. Preliminary results suggest that the distribution of several species has changed. This broad survey of Yosemite National Park wildlife is made possible through a cooperative effort with MVZ, USGS and the National Park Service's Inventory and Monitoring Program.
Jul 14, 2004
Eileen Lacy elected to board of directors for American Society of MammalogistsDr. Eileen Lacy (Associate professor, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology) was recently re-elected to the board of directors for The American Society of Mammalogists. As a member of the board, she is recognized as an exceptionally active and talented mammalogist as well as an active member of The Society.
Jun 29, 2004
Congratulations to several MVZ students for awards received for presentations at society meetings!Erica Rosenblum: Best Student Paper, Division of Systematics and Evolutionary Biology, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2004 Annual Meeting.
Tom Devitt: Stoye Award, Best Student Oral Presentation, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, 2004 Annual Meeting.
Adam Leache: SSAR Award for Best Student Paper, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 2004 Annual Meeting.
Emily DuVal: Warder Clyde Allee Award for Best Student Paper, Animal Behavior Society, 2004 Annual Meeting.
Karen Nutt: A. Brazier Howell Award and Student Honorarium Plenary Session Presentation, American Society of Mammalogists, 2004 Annual Meeting.
Jun 06, 2004
MVZ Students Scoop Conference PrizesThree students from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology have been awarded prestigious awards at recent meetings of professional societies. At the Herpetology & Ichthyology meetings last week, Adam Leache won the SSAR Seibert Award for Best Student Presentation in the Systematics category [Secondary contact between two putative species of Sceloporus lizards in Arizona: Multidisciplinary analyses and systematic implications] and Tom Devitt won the Stoye Award from ASIH for his paper entitled "Geographic Variation, Speciation, and Hybridization in the Western Lyresnake (Trimorphodon biscutatus): Implications for North and Middle American Aridland Biogeography". Somewhat earlier, Erica Rosenblum won the Best Paper Award in the Systematic & Evolutionary Biology section of the Society for Integrative & Comparative Biology for her talk on "Reptile Color Variation and Mc1r". Our congratulations to all.
May 17, 2004
MVZ research on frogs and trout featured in the UC Berkeley newsA UC Berkeley press release (12 May 2004) featured research by MVZ post-doc Vance Vredenburg and colleagues on the impact of introduced trout on native frog populations in the high Sierras. See article for more information.
Apr 27, 2004
The Grinnell Resurvey ProjectMVZ curators and students are in their second year of a major project to resurvey the fauna at historical sites visited by Joseph Grinnell (first Director of the Museum) and colleagues in the early 1900s. The goal is to complete this project by the Museum's Centenary in 2008. Field work during 2003, and continuing into 2004, concentrated on Yosemite National Park and its environs. Future efforts will spread the sampling across California.
Apr 27, 2004
MVZ held the most successful Cal Day ever!
Cal Day was held on 17 April 2004, and this year was the most successful ever for the MVZ. Over 1800 visitors came to look at our specimen displays and live animals (salamanders, toads and frogs, snakes, turtles, finches, rabbits, and tuco tucos). A treasure hunt sponsored by the Berkeley Natural History Museum drew in a lot of children looking for answers to questions about egg-laying mammals and alligators vs. crocodiles. The 1000th visitor received a free t-shirt and got a personal tour with her family.
Apr 15, 2004
David B. Wake honored as a 2004 Berkeley Faculty Research LecturerDr. David Wake delivered the second and last of this years' Faculty Research Lectures, "How Animal Lineages Diversify: Implications for Evolutionary and Conservation Biology", on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 at 5 PM at the Berkeley Art Museum Theater, 2621 Durant Avenue. His research was featured in the 8 April 2004 issue of The Berkeleyan.
Apr 14, 2004
PitelkaFest Memoriam: Reception, symposium, and dinner in memory of Dr. Frank PitelkaThe MVZ held a reception and symposium from 9-10 April 2004 in memory of Dr. Frank Pitelka, who passed away 10 October 2003. It was an opportunity for Frank's former colleagues and students to meet, reminisce, and exchange information.
Apr 13, 2004
MVZ students succeed in fellowship and grant competitions!Congratulations to Matt Fujita, who has just been awarded an NSF Predoctoral Fellowship. Matt is a first-year Ph.D. student in Jimmy McGuire's lab, where he is exploring molecular evolution in multiple lineages of herps. Before joining the MVZ, Matt was at UC Davis, where he completed his undergraduate degree and worked with Brad Schaeffer as a post graduate research assistant.
Congratulations also to Dan Levitis, who received an Honorable Mention in the same competition. Dan is a first-year Ph.D. student who is co-sponsored by Walt Koenig and Craig Moritz. Dan, who completed his undergraduate studies at Bennington College, is interested in avian ecology and evolution and will be spending the summer in the South Pacific studying the evolution of toxicity in pitohuis.
Congratulations also to Lauryn Benedict, who was recently awarded an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant for her study "Adaptive functions of California Towhee (Pipilo crissalis) duet song." Lauryn's Ph.D. research is being conducted at the MVZ's Hastings Reservation. Lauryn is currently in the third year of her graduate studies and is co-sponsored by Walt Koenig and Eileen Lacey.
Congratulations also to Bill Monahan, who has just been awarded an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant for his studies of the population genetics of House Sparrows. Bill's Ph.D. research, which is co-sponsored by Walt Koenig and Craig Moritz, uses analyses of modern and historical tissue samples to examine the genetic consequences of human introductions of House Sparrows to North America. Bill is currently in the third year of the doctoral program, having completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Denver.
Finally, congratulations to Samuel Diaz-Munoz, who has been awarded a Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship. Sam, who is in Eileen Lacey's lab, is currently in his first year of the PhD program. Sam's research interest is mammalian social behavior, and he plans to spend the summer in Panama conducting preliminary studies of alloparental care in tamarins.
Apr 05, 2004
Featured article on biodiversity informatics at the MVZ and Berkeley Natural History MuseumsThe 1 April 2004 issue of Geospatial Solutions contains a feature on "Bone rooms, bird bodies, and biodiversity informatics" at the MVZ and Berkeley Natural History Museums. The article highlights the value of natural history collections for biodiversity and geospatial research, and summarizes ongoing, collaborative initiatives in museum bioinformatics. Geospatial Solutions is a trade magazine for GIS professionals.
Mar 25, 2004
Dr. Robert Stebbins wins 2004 Dasmann AwardDr. Robert C. Stebbins, Emeritus Professor and Curator in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, was given the Raymond F. Dasmann Award for the Professional of the Year at the 2004 meeting of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society. This prestigious award is presented to professionals who have made an outstanding contribution to wildlife resources management and understanding in California, Nevada, Hawaii or Guam. Congratulations, Bob!
Feb 24, 2004
Finding Nemo: MVZ researcher Adam Summers makes the news in NatureThe 19 February 2004 issue of Nature has an article on "behind the scenes" research that helped make the movie Finding Nemo a success. This article highlights the diverse ways in which our collections and research may be used.
Feb 10, 2004
Job Opening: Staff Research Associate Level IIThe MVZ and the new Center of Integrative Genomics (CIG) are hiring a research associate to work in the MVZ's Evolutionary Genetics Laboratory.
The new hire will help to build connections between the CIG's computational and experimental genomics group and the MVZ's vertebrate evolution group. Initial priorities are: 1) to advance expertise in genomic and cDNA library construction, screening (standard vectors, BAC's, fosmids, etc.) and sequence analysis and assembly, 2) to help optimize high-throughput sequencing and genotyping.
The appointee will work directly on selected projects, train and supervise students and others working in the labs, and also optimize and write protocol for use throughout the lab group.
Qualifications: Minimum Master's of Science degree or equivalent lab and research experience. Ability to supervise and train researchers in relevant methods. Laboratory experience in molecular biology is essential. Experience in the application of SNP or haplotype analysis, and colony-probing would be an advantage. Relevant background in computational genomics and molecular evolution is desirable.
Applicants may apply on-line at http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/hrjobs.htm. Please reference Job #001015.
Jan 18, 2004
Dr. Oliver Payne Pearson died 4 March 2003Dr. Oliver Payne Pearson, former Director (1967-1971) and Curator of Mammals as well as Professor Emeritus of Zoology, passed away 4 March 2003 at the age of 87. Paynie's family has developed a memorial web page and welcomes stories, thoughts, and/or photos from friends and associates.
Jan 18, 2004
Dr. Ned Keith Johnson died 11 June 2003Dr. Ned Keith Johnson, Curator of Birds and Professor of Integrative Biology, passed away 11 June 2003 at age 70 after a long struggle with cancer. Ned was scheduled to retire at the end of June 2003. He began his career at the University in 1956, when he started his Ph.D training under the guidance of Alden H. Miller. A tribute to Ned's life was held on 20-21 Sept 2003.
Jan 18, 2004
Frank Alois Pitelka died 10 October 2003Frank Alois Pitelka, Professor Emeritus of Zoology and former Curator of Birds (1949-1963), passed away 10 October 2003 at the age of 87 from complications of cancer. Franks also served for many years as Associate Director of the Museum, with primary responsibility for the Hastings Natural History Reservation in Carmel Valley, California. A campus memorial is being planned for spring 2004.
Nov 20, 2003
Conservationist Grinnell accomplished but unheraldedThe San Diego Tribune published an article on November 19th on Joseph Grinnell, the founder of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.
Oct 09, 2003
MVZ Biologists return to Yosemite to survey its wildlifeA party of biologists from the University of California, Berkeley, is camping out around Yosemite National Park this summer, reprising a survey of park wildlife first conducted more than 80 years ago by an earlier generation of UC Berkeley scientists.
The survey by members of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology follows the same transect - from the Central Valley through Yosemite Valley to Mono Lake - as did Joseph Grinnell and Tracey Storer in their landmark survey of Sierra Nevada birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians between 1914 and 1920. At the time, Grinnell was director of the museum and a zoology professor at UC Berkeley.