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Who Are the "Underground Astronauts"?

Can you imagine finding the discovery of a lifetime, but not being able to retrieve it? When cavers found ancient hominid fossil remains while exploring in South Africa, they knew they were on to something. Problem was, they knew they didn't have the archaeological skills needed to excavate the find. The researcher who did have the skills was too big to squeeze into the ridiculously tight crevices that lead to the cave...what were they to do?

As you have most likely seen or read, the National Geographic Rising Star expedition team studying the "Cradle of Humankind" near Johannesburg, South Africa, put out a call for skilled archaeologists with caving skills who were petite enough to fit into these small spaces. 6 highly qualified candidates emerged to take on the task, and they all happened to be women. This crew of ladies painstakingly excavated the site in a once and a lifetime opportunity and brought to the surface the skeletal remains of several new members of our family- Homo naledi.

"Comparison of skull features of Homo naledi and other early human species" by Chris Stringer, Natural History Museum, United Kingdom (10 September 2015). "The many mysteries of Homo naledi". eLife 4: e10627. DOI:10.7554/eLife.10627. PMC: 4559885. ISSN 2050-084X.. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 via Commons

These women had to crawl through spaces so tight it prevented them from wearing safety gear. Some sections were only 10 inches high and required what they call the "superman crawl" with one arm down by the side and one outstretched in front like superman flying. They took 6 hour shifts underground, working for a few weeks and eventually retrieved 1,500 specimens from the cavern.

"Homo naledi 2" by Lee Roger Berger research team. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 via Commons

Let's find out more about each of these remarkable female scientists! When you have an adventure story like this it is a golden opportunity to inspire young scientists and adventurers. Who are the 6 "underground astronauts" of the Rising Star Expedition?

Elen Feuerriegel

Elen is a paleoanthropology PhD student at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. She is interested in how early humans used tools, and specifically the muscle and bone structure of those people. She has been interested in the human body and forensic anthropology since she was a teenager. She loves to inspire kids and hopes to teach as well as continue working as a paleoanthropologist.

Learn more about Elen here:

K. Lindsay (Eaves) Hunter

Lindsay has a passion for paleoanthropology but also science outreach. The focus of much of her research has been in the evolution of the trunk portion of skeletons in the genus Homo. During the Rising Star expedition Lindsay was a PhD student at the University of Iowa. Lindsay is also a writer and is very interested in introducing anthropology to young students. She has moved to South Africa to live with her husband, Homo naledi fossil co-discoverer Rick Hunter, and continue to research.

Learn more about Lindsay here:

Marina Elliott

Marina is a postdoctoral fellow in the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of Witswatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. During the excavation Marina was getting her PhD at Simon Fraser University in Canada. She has taken part in several expeditions in inhospitable areas such as Siberia and Alaska, as well as her recent excursions into the treacherous cave in South Africa.

Her research focuses on the stories that human fossils can tell us about the life of that person and the archaeology of burial practices. As scientists believe the cache of Homo naledi fossils found by the Rising Star expedition were most likely intentionally left in the cave as part of a burial practice, her expertise will continue to be indispensable in studying this new branch of our family tree.

Learn more about Marina:

Alia Gurtov

Alia is a PhD student at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is trying to answer the question of whether people 1.8 million years ago were eating differently based on season. She examines animal teeth for scratches and wear which would indicate what season they were butchered during by our ancient relatives. Her love of playing in the dirt and ancient peoples made the Rising Star expedition a dream come true, but it is only one of the amazing excavations she has taken part in. She is a Leakey Foundation grant winner and has studied extensively at famed Olduvai Gorge in addition to many other sites.

Learn more about Alia:

Hannah Morris

Hannah is a PhD student at the University of Georgia. She is an archaeologist who studies how humans interacted with plants historically. She has worked on archaeological digs with the American Museum of Natural History and founded a paleoethnobotanical consulting service called Chena Consulting Services. In addition to her archaeology work she also has taught workshops for middle school students.

Learn more about Hannah:

Becca Peixotto

Becca is a PhD student at American University in Washington D.C. She is an archaeologist who studies the Great Dismal Swamp, along the Virginia-North Carolina border. This is an area that became part of the Underground Railroad and where escaped slaves took refuge. Little is known about these settlements and Becca is interested in solving this mystery. In addition to her work as an archaeologist, she is also a wilderness and outdoor educator.

Learn more about Becca:

These little blurbs just scratch the surface of these amazing women. I found myself enthralled as I learned more about them. I hope that they inspire you, your children and students as well!

Learn more:

Pirate Science! Fool's Gold, Parrots and Shipwrecks

©SBF 2015

Ahoy Mateys! Are you ready for Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19th? If you aren't then you've come to the right place! Not only will we delve into some Pirate-y science, you'll find all sorts of links to other pirate activities in this post.

Scroll down to find out how to test your rock collection for real gold, learn how parrots talk and build your own pirate ship!

This post contains affiliate links, see disclosures for more info.

Before we begin, you might want to bone up on your pirate speak by using this handy translator! ARRRGH!

Fool's Gold:

Now we know that pirates are always in search of treasure, and gold is their favorite! But how does a pirate know if what they have found is genuine gold? Science of course!

I've never met a young pirate who hasn't enjoyed a good rock collection. You can find rocks anywhere- at the park, at the beach, in your yard, or even the gravel in the driveway! How can you classify and identify these rocks and minerals? Pirate scientists use many clues, such as hardness, cleavage/fracture, luster and color. You can use these to help you identify the rocks in your collection- is it gold or pyrite (fool's gold)? There's only one way to find out!

Pyrite, or Fool's Gold By Didier Descouens (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Hardness: The Mohs hardness scale is a way of classifying how hard your mineral is. Talc is the softest mineral on the scale and diamond is the hardest. Can you classify your rock collection from softest to hardest? How can you test it? How easily does it crumble? Can you scratch it with your fingernail? If you're a pirate who's had an accident with a crocodile, you can use your hook to scratch and test your rock!

Cleavage and Fracture: Now that you've ordered your rocks from softest to hardest, check out their shape and form. When a rock breaks into layers, we call this cleavage. Fracture describes other shapes that a mineral forms when it breaks. Be careful if you try to break a rock in your collection. It's a good idea to wear safety goggles and supervise young scalawags in the process.

Luster: Luster describes how shiny a rock or mineral is. Pirates like the shiny ones! Pirate scientists describe these as having a metallic luster. Non-metallic lusters might be described as pearly, silky or greasy. What type of luster do you see in your rock collection? You might notice more than one type of luster in a rock because it is made up of more than one type of mineral.

Gold Nuggets by Arum Dulyan, public domain

Color: Pirate scientists use a tool called a streak plate to determine a mineral's color. A streak plate is a piece of unglazed porcelain tile. When you rub the rock or mineral along the plate you will see a streak left from the mineral's powder. Different minerals make different color streaks.

"Streak plate with Pyrite (L) and Rhodochrosite (R)" by Ra'ike - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

You can purchase an actual streak plate, or use the back of a glazed porcelain tile from a hardware or craft store. If you need help cleaning your streak plate, there is some information about that here.

If you have a mineral collection and a streak plate you can test your minerals and keep track of your data on this handy sheet from Kids Love Rocks!

**A word of caution: Please do not test your rocks for gold by biting them like a pirate! Pirates are known for having horrible teeth because they don't heed this advice!

Best of luck to ye on your treasure hunt!

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Parrots
Although many a story pirate carries a parrot on his shoulder, it turns out that it probably didn't happen. (Birds do go to the bathroom a lot after all!) However, pirates most likely did deal with parrots through the exotic pet trade. The beautiful birds were worth a lot of money and they were probably entertaining to have on the ship.

Blue and yellow Macaw. photo: I, Luc Viatour [GFDL, CC BY 2.0, or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

New scientific research completed this summer has identified the genetics and parts of the brain that parrots use to speak. After comparing structures in parrot brains to other birds and humans the researchers from Duke University made discoveries about these bird brains that have been a mystery up until now. Turns out that they aren't really bird brains after all!

How do parrots mimic people so well? Just like humans, but unlike other birds, parrots move their tongues to make different sounds. They don't have lips or teeth, so they can't form their words exactly the same at us, but they are pretty impressive! Try speaking without moving your lips, just by moving your tongue. How does it work for you? Can you say, "Polly want a cracker?"

Check out this link to a brief but neat video showing how the parrot's tongue moves while it "speaks".

credit: Verena Ohms

Shipwrecks:

The high seas can be a dangerous place and many a pirate's ship sunk to Davy Jones' locker. Modern technology has allowed oceanic archaeologists and modern treasure hunters the opportunity to explore these shipwrecks. Excavation of the infamous pirate Blackbeard's ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, is ongoing off the coast of North Carolina. The state uses this project as a way to educate about history. You can learn more at their website.

Pirates wanted ships that would carry lots of plunder and move swiftly. Boats come in many shapes and sizes. Which of these are best for cargo and speed? Why not experiment to find out what makes the best boat shape? Gather some materials, fill up the tub and get to work! That treasure won't wait forever.

Materials to experiment with: tin foil, foam trays, balsa wood and recyclables. See how much weight your boat design can take! Using something that is similar size and weight to test your boat is best. Try pennies, nickels or other change, metal washers, marbles, etc. Which design holds the most plundered treasure?

If you'd like to delve further into ship building, you might want to explore this science project I designed for Education.com, "Keep The Boat Afloat". You'll learn about the different shapes of hulls and keels and engineer your own ship. Careful you don't run aground!

Looking for more pirate activity fun? Hop on over to these other blogs to finish your Talk Like a Pirate Day preparations!