Classes Visit American Museum of Natural History

Westminster’s AP Biology classes visited the American Museum of Natural History in New York City Jan. 20 to run through a genetics forensics lab, view the Brain Exhibit and walk through the Hall of Vertebrate Evolution.

They first explored the Hall of Human Origins before beginning a lab exercise during which they used gel electrophoresis to determine the origin of DNA from caviar samples. This type of analysis is done routinely in the museum, which helps customs officials identify products that stem from endangered species. The lab gave the students an opportunity to use techniques that they had studied as well as see a practical application of them.

Following the lab, they took a 20-minute tour of the Hall of Human Origins with two museum docents and then moved to the Hall of Vertebrate Evolution. The latter hall is laid out as a giant cladogram, with the nodes denoting branching events in the center of the hall and alcoves showing specimens of and providing animated information about the separate lineages. “This tour fit well with the recent work we have done with cladistics,” said science teacher Mark de Kanter ’91.

Finally, the classes toured the Brain Exhibit, which opened last November and will close in April. It provides technical insight into the workings of the brain, as well as interactive displays to show how brain functions such as language acquisition, moods and memories work.