Spring 2014

Sacrament: Homage to a River

Geoff Fricker's photography exhibit for Sacrament: Homage to a River

This breathtaking photographic exhibit captures the history of the Sacramento River and explores the challenges with restoration and sustaining what remains of its healthy ecosystem. The Sacramento River is of great significance to northern California and to the entire state, contributing to the state’s economic health. It is a critical resource for farmers, fishermen, ecologists, consumers, and wildlife.

Geoff Fricker holds an MFA in Photography from the San Francisco Art Institute. He has received numerous national awards and grants over the years, specifically to document watersheds. His photographs reside in permanent collections throughout the United States, including the Crocker Art Museum, the Library of Congress, the Oakland Museum of California, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Explore Evolution

Diatom model at Explore Evolution DNA and Virus models at the Explore Evolution exhibit

Explore Evolution investigates evolutionary principles in organisms ranging from the smallest to the largest. The project focuses on seven research projects that have made a major contribution to our understanding of evolution. This interactive exhibit gives visitors an opportunity to experience how scientists conduct research on evolution. This exhibit features the work of the following scientists:

Charles Wood(opens in new window) on the rapid evolution of HIV.

Sherilyn Fritz and Edward Theriot(opens in new window) on the emergence of a new diatom species in the fossil record.

Cameron Currie(opens in new window) on farmer ants and their coevolving partners.

Kenneth Kaneshiro(opens in new window) on selective mating among Hawaiian flies.

Rosemary and Peter Grant(opens in new window) on Galápagos finches.

Svante Pääbo and Henrik Kaessmann(opens in new window) on the genetic ties between humans and chimps.

Philip Gingerich(opens in new window) on fossil discoveries of walking whales.

Resources about evolution can be found here(opens in new window).

Explore Evolution was developed by Judy Diamond Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska State museum with the Science Museum of Minnesota. Carl Zimmer wrote the exhibit text. Angie Fox provided scientific illustrations and design assistance. This exhibit is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0229294 (Diamond, PI). Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This copy of the Explore Evolution Exhibit is being traveled by the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, the University of Oklahoma.