Masters of Deception: Amazing Animal Imposters

MASTERS of

DECEPTI N amazing animal imposters

Developer: North Rojyindeelert Designer: Chaya Arabia 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

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GESTALT

6

MIND MAPPING

8

DESIGN APPROACH

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WALKTHROUGH

13

CHECKLIST OF OBJECTS AND MEDIA

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES BIG IDEA

Animals are some of the greatest masters of deception — to evade, to hunt, to hijack, and to ultimately survive.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Multi-generational

GOALS

COGNITIVE

AFFECTIVE

EXPERIENTIAL

Learn about the ways in which

Become fascinated by the abilities of

Use observational and analytical skills

animals pretend to be other species

animals that trick their prey, predator,

to distinguish the trickster animals

to avoid predation, lure prey, or

or competition.

and the animals they imitate.

Become awestruck by the beautiful

Mimic animals highlighted in the

display of natural history specimens.

exhibit.

Feel connected to the animals as

Touch and experience replicas.

compete for resources.

Learn about how mimicry evolved as an adaptation in many different animal groups because it has increased their chances for survival.

Understand that humans are animals too, and consider ways that we mimic other animals and each other.

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they think about how they too are tricksters.

CONCEPT

Show the different ways animals use mimicry to survive in the natural world.

CONTENT

There is more to camouflage than meets the eye. This exhibit showcases the amazing animal imposters in various animal groups.

EXPERIENCES:

OBJECTS

MEDIA

INTERACTIVES

Natural history specimens are

Audiovisual plays an important role

Interactives such as flip panels,

displayed in the exhibit for visitors

as it allows for visitors to understand

prompts, and magnifying stations

to marvel at animal’s abilities to fool

behavioral mimicry and to witness

encourage visitors to practice their

other animals.

the animal in action in the

observational and analytical skills.

natural world.

Sounds from different animals are played throughout the exhibit.

Visitors will be prompted to mimic animals highlighted in the exhibit. .

Touch panels will be incorporated.

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LOOK AND FEEL

MINIMAL

PLAYFUL

CRISP

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COLORFUL

DR AMATIC

INTER ACTIVE

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MIND MAPPING CONCEPT MAP Examples of mimicry can be found throughout the animal kingdom, from up in the sky to deep down in the ocean.

Survival in the animal world can be tricky and the animals in this exhibit have come up with surprising ways of staying alive.

The exhibit explores how these animal’s biologies have made them perfectly adapted to their environment and how evolution has selected for mimicry to occur in these animals.

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BUBBLE DIAGRAM

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DESIGN IDENTITY TITLE WALL

MASTERS of

DECEPTI N amazing animal imposters

COLOR PALETTE

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C = 74 M = 68 Y =0 K =0

C =0 M = 35 Y = 100 K =0

C = 36 M=5 Y =0 K =0 C =0 M = 26 Y = 11 K =0

C = 40 M = 21 Y =0 K = 24

Primary Title

TYPEFACES 11” x 30” label deck

AGENDA BLACK 86 pt

Secondary Title Niveau Grotesk Bold 26 pt

Main Body Niveau Reg 18 pt

Secondary Body

Tombstone

Niveau Regular 9.5

Niveau Grotesk Reg Italic 14.6 pt

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FLOORPLAN Masters of Deception: Amazing Animal Imposters is broken down into three different sections in a 25’ x 40’ gallery space.

14’

13’

13’

To Evade reveals animals that use mimicry as a predator defense mechanism.

6’

To Hunt features animals that mimic other species in order to lure their prey closer.

8’

OUTRO 15’ 6”

TO EVADE

6’

19’

To Hijack highlights animals that mimic to compete for resources such as food.

TO HUNT

TO HIJACK

4’

ENTRANCE

6’

INTRO 3’

10’

12

17’

3’ 6”

13’

17’

WALKTHROUGH OUTSIDE OF GALLERY A family walks up to the Masters of Deception: Amazing Animal Imposters exhibition and sees natural history specimens contained within spherical, concave glass cases embedded in the exterior gallery walls. As they move closer, they notice the wall is spattered with white silhouettes and reliefs of different types of animals.

The child begins to explore these elements, and upon seeing their child engage in the process of discovery, the parent asks the child to identify the animals they recognize. They both move in awe to take a closer look at the real specimens, which are are grouped together in a curious manner.

OUTRO

TO EVADE

TO HUNT

TO HIJACK

INTRO

MASTERS of

DECEPTI N amazing animal imposters

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Why would an octopus, a butterfly, and what looks like a bee, be shown together? As visitors move through the exhibition, the species’ unusual relationships and groupings will be revealed.

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TITLE WALL The title wall is also visible from the outside and incorporates an enlarged graphic of one of the owl butterflies featured in the exhibit. The “O” in “Deception” is replaced by an eye spot on one of the butterfly’s wings.

OUTRO

TO EVADE

TO HUNT

INTRO

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TO HIJACK

TO EVADE The section is the first major section and focuses on how animals — like the mimic octopus, owl butterfly, and hover flies — imitate other species to appear more dangerous and escape from their predators.

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TO EVADE The family watches videos about the mimic octopus, and is astounded by the different poisonous animals it mimics. They enjoy interacting with a quiz-like panel. These games ask the viewers to make a guess about which animal they believe the octopus is imitating. Opening the panel will reveal the answer.

Together they explore the science behind mimicry - how is the octopus able to mimic different species? They read about chromatophores and how these cells allow the octopus to be a master of deception.

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This section also contains a subsection about owl butterflies whose spots on their wings resemble owl eyes. The visitors encounter a sweeping display of many of 100 specimens of owl butterflies on the wall, and just above are their predators that loom over their prey. In this section, the two visitors learn how these eyespots have been selected for in their biological history and discover how a trait like this evolves.

As they meander, they approach a third wall and hear the sound of bees buzzing. The trickster animals in this subsection are actually harmless hoverflies, which share the coloration patterns similar to bees and wasps.

An enlarged image of a bee and hoverfly is shown on the wall so that

the visitors can visually appreciate the animals’ similarities. The image is complemented with text that describes how to tell these two almost identical animals apart. The parent and child both receive a magnifying glass so they can examine the hoverfly and bee specimens with more scrutiny. Through their action, they explore the science behind warning coloration and discover how specific patterns and colors signal meaning across species.

Some animals mimic other animals to

AVOID BEING EATEN

Meet the incredible

MIMIC OCTOPUS

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OUTRO

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TO EVADE

TO HUNT

INTRO

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TO HIJACK

TO HUNT Before reaching the next gallery, the family enters a dark space to simulate the deep ocean. A moving light on the floor guides them towards the intro panel— “Lure Prey Close”. A large graphic of an angler fish is incorporated into the intro panel introducing clever hunters that fool their prey into coming closer with disguises and spectacular lures.

Some animals mimic other species to

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OUTRO

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TO EVADE

TO HUNT

TO HIJACK

INTRO

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TO HUNT One wall in this section contains the angler fish specimen in a case. Visitors only see the light that dangles from their head. They are prompted to press the button if they dare.

Visitors learn about the science of mimicry behind this lure, which is illuminated by tiny glowing bacteria located in the fish’s elongated bulb.

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THE SOURCE OF LIGHT

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OUTRO

TO EVADE

TO HUNT

INTRO

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TO HIJACK

TO HIJACK The visitors enter the last gallery space titled “It’s Complicated”. This section is about animals that mimic other species to hijack food or nests in order to free up time and energy. Though the animals featured in this section fool other species, there is some level of symbiosis and parasitism going on.

They also learn about other the cuckoo catfish who is named after the cuckoo birds for their sneaky characteristic of laying eggs in the cichlid fish’s mouth! In the final part of this gallery, visitors learn about the fork tailed drongo that mimics the warning call of the meerkat to steal its food. The two watch a very theatrical video that comedically demonstrates the bold drongo fool meerkats.

The visitors enter the space and see a common redstart bird and a nest, and are prompted to think about how one egg in the nest is not like the other. They learn about cuckoo birds who sneakily lays their eggs in other birds nests. Above them the family sees different species of cuckoo bird specimens hanging above their heads.

As visitors continue they learn about the biology of egg coloration and patterns. The parent facilitates how to spot the differences between the eggs, and after some practice, they are both able to distinguish the eggs of the cuckoo birds who have evolved to look very similar to their host’s eggs.

CONCLUSION Visitors approach the concluding area with a sense of wonder and are impressed with animals’ abilities to trick. In this last area, visitors remember that humans are animals too and we too mimic other species.

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OUTRO

TO EVADE

TO HUNT

INTRO

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TO HIJACK

OUTRO

TO EVADE

TO HUNT

TO HIJACK

INTRO

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CHECKLIST OF OBJECTS AND MEDIA Section

To Evade

To Evade

To Evade

To Hide

To Hide

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Object type (Image, Specimen, Video) Sample image

Source

Specimen

http://n2t. net/ark: /65665/30a90c82 b-f528-4769b5d0619d377fed7c

Specimen

https: //collectionszoology. fieldmuseum. org/catalogue/37 98931

Image

https://www. warrenphotogra phic.co. uk/38654drone-flyWarren Photographic mimickingImage Library of honey-bee Animals in Action

Hover Fly

Video

https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=Wos8kouz81 0 Youtube

Mimic Octopus

Specimen

https://fmdigital-assets. fieldmuseum. org/925/557/12 5076_Caligo_m Field Museum of artia_v_IN.jpg Chicago

Owl Butterfly

Credit Line

Common Name

Section

Object type (Image, Specimen, Video) Sample image

Source

To Hunt

Specimen

Field Museum of Alligator https://collections-zoology.fieldmuseum.org/catalogue/1830392 Chicago Snapping Turtle

Specimen

https: //collectionszoology. fieldmuseum. org/catalogue/1 Field Museum of 746153 Chicago

Smithsonian Institution Hover Fly

To Hijack

Field Museum of Chicago

Wasp

To Hijack

Specimen

Credit Line

https: //collectionsField Museum of zoology.

Chicago fieldmuseum. org/catalogue/8 79156

Common Name

Cuckoo bird

Cuckoo bird

BIBLIOGRAPHY About Animals. “Alligator Snapping Turtle - The Wild Juggernaut.” https://www.aboutanimals.com/reptile/alligator-snapping-turtle/ American Museum of Natural History. “The Talented Mimic Octopus.” June 2015. https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/on-exhibit-posts/the-talented-mimic-octopus Boston University. “Hoverflies: No, They’re Not Bees.” December 2012. http://blogs.bu.edu/bioaerial2012/2012/12/05/hoverflies-no-theyre-not-bees/ Brennand, Emma. “Cuckoo in egg pattern ‘arms race’.” BBC Earth News, March 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9418000/9418131.stm Duke, Colin V. “All About Hoverflies.” Microscopy-UK. Micscape Magazine, May 2007. http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artmay07/cd-hoverflies.html.

Coyne, Jerry. “The remarkable spider tailed viper.” Why Evolution is True. February 2015. https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2015/02/18/the-remarkable-spider-tailed-viper/ Mlot, Stephanie. “New Study Shines Light on Angler Fish, Bioluminescent Bacteria.” Geek.com, July 2018. https://www.geek.com/news/new-study-shines-light-on-anglerfish-bioluminescent-bacteria-1746595/ Natural History Museum of London. “Spotlight: the owl butterfly.” March 2016. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/spotlight-owl-butterfly.html

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