Olinguito: A Newly Discovered Mammal Species (Individual Project)

Written by: Denise Anne Castro, 2013-14434

Photo by Mark Gurney, Smithsonian Institution

In this day and age, the discovery of new mammals is a very rare occurrence, but surprisingly there are still animals unknown to us that are being discovered. In fact, just last year 2013, a discovery was presented to the public - the olinguito. The olinguito is the first new carnivore species said to be discovered in the Western Hemisphere in 35 years (O’Brien, 2013). It is scientifically documented as a member of the family Procyonidae, which includes raccoons, coatis, kinkajous and olingos. It weighs two pounds, have large eyes and woolly orange-brown fur. It can be found in the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador, as its scientific name, “neblina” (Spanish for “fog”) suggests (Barrat, 2013).

It was Kris Helgen, curator of mammals at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, who led the research that confirmed the existence of the olinguito. It all started when Helgen, while studying museum specimens of olingos, noticed that some of the specimens looked different from the others. He observed that the specimens were smaller, have tinier teeth and longer, denser coats. He became more curious when the accompanying notes of the specimens stated that they had been collected decades ago in the northern Andes, at elevations between 5,000 and 9,000 feet, which are much higher than olingos are known to live (Dell’Amore, 2013).

Being certain that he had discovered a new species never before described by science, Helgen led an effort to confirm his discovery. He conducted a thorough investigation including DNA testing. It was in 2006 that Helgen, together with Roland Kays, director of the Biodiversity and Earth Observation Lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, and Ecuadorian zoologist Miguel Pinto who confirmed the olinguito’s existence based on a few seconds of a grainy video shot, set out to find the unidentified species in the forests. The team started their search in western Ecuador's Otanga Cloud Forest Preserve (Dell’Amore, 2013). As soon as they found the olinguito, they started documenting their observations. They observed that the olinguito is mostly active at night, is mainly a fruit eater, rarely comes out of the trees, and has one baby at a time (Cowans, 2013).

Unknown to scientists and researchers, the olinguito has been hiding in the cloud forests of Western and Central Andes of Colombia and Ecuador. The specimens have been unrecognized in museums and mistaken for an olingo for more than a century. The olinguito has also been unrecognized in zoos for quite a time. In fact, an olinguito from Colombia made the rounds of several zoos in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. The zoo officials in charge during that time narrated how the animal refused to mate or mingle with other olingos, which is the reason why they sent it to other zoos hoping it would eventually mate. Helgen was convinced that the animal was not just being choosy. He pointed out that mating was not possible because the olinguito and the olingo are two different species (Simms & Doughty, 2013). In 1920, the olinguito came close to being discovered as a new species by a New York zoologist, who came across an olinguito specimen in a museum which he found unusual. He, however, did not publish his discovery (Barrat, 2013).

In this age of discoveries, who would ever imagine that there are still other species unidentified. Thoughts keep running through my mind. Could there be other species which have lived, thrived and eventually became extinct without ever being identified? Could deforestation, habitat loss, pollution and climate change possibly contributed to the extinction of some species? Could there be more out there waiting for us to discover?

Sources:

O’Brien, Jane, 2013. Olinguito: ‘Overlooked’ mammal carnivore is major discovery. BBC News. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-23701151. March 3, 2014.

Barrat, John, 2013. Smithsonian Scientists Discover New Carnivore: The Olinguito. Smithsonian Science. http://smithsonianscience.org/2013/08/olinguito/. March 3, 2014.

Dell’Amore, Christine, 2013. Newly Discovered Carnivore Looks Like Teddy Bear. National Geographic. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130815-olinguito-new-species-rare-mammal-science-animals/. March 3, 2014.

Cowans, Emilia, 2013. Museum Scientist Among Team That Discovers New Species of Carnivore. http://naturalsciences.org/about-us/news/museum-scientist-among-team-discovers-new-species-carnivore. March 3, 2014.

Simms, June & Doughty, Bob, 2013. Scientists Discover New Animal. http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/olinguito-frogs-elephants/1736686.html. March 3, 2013.

Imelda (Reaction Paper)

Written by: Denise Anne Castro, 2013-14434

            My impression of Imelda Marcos solely depends on everything I’ve seen on television and my dad’s snide remarks about the Marcos administration. All my life, I’ve seen her as a caricature, a ludicrous figure in Philippine history. All I knew was that she had an enormous collection of shoes. Only when I watched the film Imelda did I find out that there is some depth in Imelda Marcos after all.

            Not everything I heard about Imelda Marcos was debunked. Some of the heresy actually rings true. Yes, Imelda Marcos is incredibly vain. She gives away signed photos of herself. She always makes an effort to keep her hair in place and her makeup retouched even on the brink of a political revolution. She has hundreds of dresses made every year and closets full of jewelery to elevate her posh image. To Imelda, beauty is everything.

All her efforts during her husband’s reign were pointed towards beauty. She forced the image of the Philippines to be among the ranks of first world countries but sadly, the country still experienced great poverty. Being physically appealing wasn’t exactly a priority to the common masses. No matter how many cultural centers and museums she built, the Philippines didn’t get any closer to progressing.

It’s easy to poke fun of Imelda’s absurd doodles of philosophical ideas about existence but from there, we can see that Imelda delves much deeper than her designer wardrobe. Imelda should also be given credit for being an engaging storyteller. She has all the qualities of a narcissistic and greedy politician but there is something about her that draws people in. It’s trait that set her apart, that kept her poised on the throne for many years and made Marcos see her as a suitable wife. It’s her undeniable charm.

The film ends with us shaking our heads in disapproval of her lifestyle but for some reason, it does not make us completely loathe the former first lady. Because most of the story is being told with her own words, we are forced to see life through her own personal lens. Imelda is bordering on insane and brilliant. Whatever it is, the film shows that Imelda is much like everyone else: broken and flawed.

A Trip to the Moon (Reaction Paper)

Written by: Denise Anne Castro, 2013-14434

A Trip to the Moon

            The experience of watching a film is very new to me. The fact that all this cinematic magic is imprinted on a strip of film is equal parts peculiar and impressive. This is an amazing feat, indeed. I’ve been hearing great reviews of this film from my friends and I hope that it levels up to my high expectations. I’ve always been a fan of Georges Méliès. In fact, the very first film I’ve watched was his 1899 masterpiece “Robbing Cleopatra’s Tomb”. I have not forgotten that short amount of time I was hooked on screen. I’m ecstatic that I will be experiencing this rare treat of watching a film again.

            “A Trip to the Moon” is such an alluring title. The moon is a familiar feature of the night sky. Every single night, it shines light upon Earth. Planning a voyage to the moon seems to me, beyond the bounds of possibility and this is one of the reasons why I want to watch this film.

The film starts out with a meeting among elderly men. They sport long white beards. They get into chaos while laying out their plans. The scene transitions to the site of construction of a huge space capsule. When it is finished, the astronomers are launched into space from a cannon with the help of women in sailor outfits. The moon is portrayed as a face with human features. The space capsule hits his right eye. The scene after that shows the landing of the capsule again but this time, it lands on the flat terrain of the moon. I wonder why the same scene is depicted in different ways. As the astronomers sleep, different heavenly bodies appear. When they wake up, they explore the moon and get attacked by aliens inhabiting the moon. Failing to fight all of them, they are kept captive and sent to the aliens’ leader. They succeed in their attempt to escape and go back to Earth. The last scene celebrates the astronomers’ return.

The plot line was enough to keep me off the edge of my seat. I felt as if I was on the adventure myself. The props were very creative. It is amazing how people these days can be so inventive when it comes to depicting the Earth and outer space. I can just imagine the amount of time they put into constructing these sets. The costumes used were just as artistic. The actors did an excellent job at portraying astronomers. I felt their panic and excitement upon reaching the moon. To top it all off, the musical score was enchanting. It contributed to the whole feel of the movie. It brought the whole film together.

I must say, that was the most amusing 17 minutes of my life. I no longer see the moon as merely a source of light at night. When I look up the sky at night, my mind will linger on the creatures and plants that tread upon the moon’s face. I can’t wait until humans actually launch a successful trip to the moon in real life. Sadly, it seems impossible. As of now, this will still remain a fantasy.

The Twilight Zone: Time Enough at Last (Reaction Paper)

Written by: Denise Anne Castro, 2013-14434

The Twilight Zone: Time Enough at Last

            The Twilight Zone episode “Time Enough at Last” was released in 1959, a time when tensions were rising between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the episode, Americans were depicted as normal people who went on with their daily lives trying to earn a living. However, there were still apparent undertones of the imminent danger brought on by the Cold War. This period was also the onset of the digital age, particularly, the computer. In 1956, the first computer hard disk was used. In 1958, the computer modem was invented. Literature and periodicals were still prevalent sources of information and leisure but devices like the transistor radio and the television were slowly taking over as dominant media.

            This is my take on the story while retaining themes of irony, desolation, apocalypse and technology but also highlighting the importance of pop culture and trends in today’s society.

            The main character is a 17-year-old girl. She has a scholarship in the country’s most prestigious university. Despite her dreams of becoming a pianist, she takes up engineering in order to fulfill her parents’ dreams. On the night before her finals, she decides to take a break from reviewing and composes a song on an old organ she bought from the thrift shop. Her father hears her and becomes enraged. He goes to her room, pretends to be pleased at her daughter’s talent and asks her to play a song. In the middle of her song, he pulls her by her hair and scolds her. He rummages her room and burns the pile of CDs containing her compositions.

Hoping to seek comfort, she calls up her best friend, confesses her love for classical music and her parents’ distress over her passion. Instead of siding with her, her best friend berates her for her taste in music, calling it cheesy, distasteful and disgusting. Her best friend advises that she abandon her classical music and instead, listen to the latest hits by famous pop and R&B artists.

With nowhere to run, she puts her iPod inside her pocket and hides in a mall’s basement parking lot. She spends all night listening to her favorite classical music until she falls asleep. When she wakes up and goes outside of the parking lot, she is surprised to see everything in ashes. She walks a great distance but only burnt remnants of the city remain. There is a disturbing silence in the air. With nothing to do, she listens to her iPod but no sound is coming out of her earphones. She assumes that the huge explosion must have destroyed all the electronics.

She stumbles upon a music store containing all the instruments she could ever hope for. She considers it paradise. She runs toward the piano and presses the keys but it seems to be destroyed since no sound is produced. She tries out the other instruments in a frenzy but none of them seem to work either. She goes out of the store in despair. She sees a bird perched on a tree. The bird opens its beak to tweet but again, the girl hears nothing. She slowly realizes that the loud explosion must have damaged her hearing. She is now deaf and can no longer appreciate the classical music she so dearly loves.

Futurama: Space Pilot 3000 (Reaction Paper)

Written by: Denise Anne Castro, 2013-14434

Futurama: Space Pilot 3000

            The first episode of Futurama is filled with just as much humor and wit as all the other episodes of the comedy sci-fi series. The pilot sets the stage for the story of Philip Fry, a pizza delivery boy whose life continuously goes downhill. After he falls down a cryogenic chute, Philip is trapped in a sleeping spell that ends on December 31, 2999. Leela, a one-eyed alien, struggles with inserting a career chip into Philip’s system when he finds out that the career assigned to him is still a delivery boy. He chances upon Bender, a robot who loathes his job just as much. They go to the head museum where they are seized by the peacekeepers. Philip and Bender escape to the ruins of New York City. Philip realizes that his old home and loved ones are all gone. Moved by this, Leela decides to quit her job as well. They search for Professor Farnsworth, Philip’s great nephew. He offers them a chance to be part of the Planet Express space crew.

            Time travel is a familiar concept that has been tackled by numerous movies and shows but when you it in the context of an animated show full of slapstick humor? It becomes more interesting. The medium through which Futurama allows time travel is through cryogenics, a branch of science that concerns extremely low temperatures. The process is easy to grasp. The human is simply frozen and put into deep sleep before waking up in a whole new millennium. It’s painless, quick and simple. It makes time travel seem extremely feasible but as of now, technology has no means to make this happen.

            Futurama depicts the future as highly industrialized. There are tall, metal structures, flying cars, holograms and preserved human heads. Everything seems custom made for heightened efficiency and speed for human activities. With these advancements, however, come upsetting inventions like the suicide machine and career chip. The suicide machine shows that human life no longer has value. Economic boost and capitalism are the top priorities. Humans are free to end their life at their own will and with no sorrowful emotions involved. The career chip completely eradicates free will. Although I would love to see how far the Earth has come in the future, Futurama warns us of the heartless and greedy society that may arise if we lose sight of the values that led to our progression in the first place.