{"id":19069,"date":"2015-10-01T16:29:38","date_gmt":"2015-10-01T20:29:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/?p=19069"},"modified":"2015-11-06T14:51:54","modified_gmt":"2015-11-06T19:51:54","slug":"day-at-the-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/2015\/10\/01\/day-at-the-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"Day at the Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reproductions of human skulls surround Grace Rihl as she enters the Smithsonian\u2019s National Museum of Natural History exhibit clutching a notebook and list of 20 questions. The UMW freshman ponders the first question on the list: \u201cWhen did modern humans evolve?\u201d She surveys her surroundings, then scours the David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins for clues.<\/span><\/p>\n

Searching among the descriptions that accompany the glass-enclosed skulls and fossils, she spies the answer. \u201c200,000 years ago,\u201d and scribbles in her notebook.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Student <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Student <\/a> <\/div>
\"FSEM4\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Student <\/a>
Grace Rihl (on left) tours National History Museum with first year seminar class. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Rihl is among 15 freshman seminar classmates on a treasure hunt in the nation\u2019s capital. The group in \u201cThe Human Animal\u201d course are sleuthing for clues about different species of ancestral humans, or hominins, and how they evolved over the past six million years.<\/span><\/p>\n

UMW Professor of Biology Andrew Dolby, who teaches the seminar, said that the class field trip to Washington, D.C., helps students explore humanity and evolution. Students examine the facts, misconceptions and controversies surrounding the scientific study of human evolution.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps some of the more mysterious aspects of our human anatomy, physiology and behavior may become easier to explain if viewed through the lens of evolution,\u201d said Dolby.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the course, students examine the books Your Inner Fish<\/em>, by Neil Shubin, and Our Inner Ape, <\/em>by Frans de Waal. While Shubin applies evolutionary biology to explain the human body\u2019s physical quirks, de Waal explores evolutionary explanations for human behavior. He contends that many of the traits people consider unique to humans–altruism, determination, empathy–exist in other mammals, particularly in chimpanzees and gorillas. de Waal, who directs Emory University\u2019s Living Links Center, said that these characteristics are as deeply ingrained in human and animal nature as other kinds of instincts.<\/span><\/p>\n

In previous semesters, Dolby showed students videos of gorillas attempting to help children who had fallen into zoo enclosures. While most of the class reacted with amazement, Dolby said, the gorillas\u2019 compassion shouldn\u2019t surprise them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it is in our nature to be cooperative, empathetic,\u201d Dolby said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The seminar and the museum treasure hunt struck home with Rihl, particularly the exhibits of figurines and replicas of cave art created by modern humans 35,000 years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt showed us that even early humans were creative, had deep thought and imagination,\u201d Rihl said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her love of biology and her interest in genetics prompted her to take the course. What surprised Rihl was that humans and other organisms not only share similar biological attributes, but social and cultural aspects, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHumans weren\u2019t the first organisms who were intelligent,\u201d Rihl said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dolby hopes that students\u2019 understanding of human and animal behavior will provide perspective to make meaningful and wise decisions about their own lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want students to be mindful of what drives them,\u201d Dolby said. \u201cAnd ultimately not just get a job, but make good decisions and treat each other well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Freshman Seminar Explores Links between Man and other Mammals<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":19082,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4,81],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-19069","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-show","8":"category-umw-home","9":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDay at the Museum - Great Minds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/greatminds\/2015\/10\/01\/day-at-the-museum\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Emily Hollingsworth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2015\\\/10\\\/01\\\/day-at-the-museum\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2015\\\/10\\\/01\\\/day-at-the-museum\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Emily Hollingsworth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5f5959f2931c4946190ce14cfdc1a0b5\"},\"headline\":\"Day at the Museum\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-10-01T20:29:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-11-06T19:51:54+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2015\\\/10\\\/01\\\/day-at-the-museum\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":480,\"commentCount\":1,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2015\\\/10\\\/01\\\/day-at-the-museum\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/20\\\/2015\\\/10\\\/Grace-Rhil_HP.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Show on Great Minds\",\"UMW Home Page\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2015\\\/10\\\/01\\\/day-at-the-museum\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2015\\\/10\\\/01\\\/day-at-the-museum\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.umw.edu\\\/greatminds\\\/2015\\\/10\\\/01\\\/day-at-the-museum\\\/\",\"name\":\"Day at the Museum - 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