SHOWCASING THE
SCIENCES
It’s not exactly a hidden treasure, but last year Miranda Dunbar and her students were able to uncover a long forgotten collection of skeletons, skulls and skins of a wide variety of mammals. Dunbar, assistant professor of biology, said the assortment was once used by the Biology Department, but it appears that decades had passed since it was last used. Among the smaller creatures in the collection are various species of bats, mice, beavers, squirrels, and shrews. Larger animals, such as foxes, possums, lions, bears, and wolves, and even a few gorillas and baboons, are part of the collection. “We have found species from nearly every continent,” she said.
UNEXPECTED TREASURE Dunbar noted that students have been using the find to conduct independent research projects, while some have helped to curate the collection and have received academic credit for it. Dunbar said she hopes to find a permanent home for the collection, which is currently located in a room in Jennings Hall, Southern’s current science building. The collection will be used as part of a new course called “Mammalian Biology.”
LEFT: A rediscovered collection of skeletons, skulls, and skins of a variety of mammals will be used as part of a new course, ‘Mammalian Biology.’
“This has been a real treasure trove for us and we are really excited about its potential for our students,” she said. Dunbar’s expertise includes environmental physiology, thermal biology and behavior. She has a special fondness for bats, which she pointed out have an unfairly bad reputation. She noted that bats are the primary pollinators and seed dispersers for many tropical fruits, such as bananas, mangoes, and figs, as well as for cashews and even for the agave plant, which is used to make tequila.
2012 REP ORT OF T H E P R ES IDENT S OUT H ER N CONNECT ICUT S TAT E UNIVER S IT Y PA G E 17