A new interactive display inviting visitors to rebuild the supercontinent Gondwana opens on Saturday, January 19 in the Earthquake: Life on a Dynamic Planet exhibit. The goal: work together to re-assemble the familiar puzzle pieces of our modern Southern Hemisphere into their original configuration circa 200 million years ago.

Why 200 million years ago? At that time, the Earth’s surface was massed into a single supercontinent called Pangaea—an enormous landmass surrounded by a single ocean. This supercontinent broke apart into two smaller land masses—Laurasia in the Northern Hemisphere and Gondwana in the Southern Hemisphere, which in turn broke apart into the continents we know today.

To help puzzle assemblers along, plant and animal distribution ranges which trace back to the Gondwana era are shown on the puzzle pieces. Once assembled, you’ll see how it’s possible for pouched mammals in Australia like kangaroos to be related to South American opossums, despite the vast oceans separating the populations today.

Up to five people can collaborate, using iPad 3s to direct puzzle pieces at their fingertips to rotate and move across an 85-inch plasma screen for all to see.

From December 26 to January 1, enjoy special “mad science,” improv comedy, or children’s music performances when you stop by the Academy to visit Orion and Polaris, our pair of live reindeer.* ‘Tis the Season for Science continues through January 6, 2013. See the full schedule of ‘Tis the Season for Science-themed programs by date, including these highlights:

 

Mad Science!
Performing at 12:30 and 2:30 on December 26 and 27
Mad Science of Mt. Diablo sparks the imagination and curiosity of children through fun, hands-on science programs. Their interactive presentation will be an exploration of the science of snow and the colors of the seasons.

 

Un-Scripted Theater Company
Performing at 12:30 and 2:30 on December 28, 30, 31, and January 1
Adorned in Victorian costumes, the talented comedians of the Un-Scripted Theater Company will perform a short musical play, mixing the Dickensian seasonal genre with a different genre chosen by the audience. The result will be a fun and absurd experience with quirky characters and sly narration. Not to be missed!

 

Essence
Performing at 12:30 and 2:30 on December 29
This local musician sings fun-loving songs geared to children about animals, nature, and being a kid with a catchy pop and rock sound.

 

 
*Remember, the Academy is closed on December 25.

It’s that time of year again! The Academy’s live reindeer, indoor snow flurries, and giant Snowman Theater are back for ‘Tis the Season for Science, which opens today. The exhibit will run through January 6, 2013.

This year’s theme is how animals adapt to the harsh conditions of winter—from birds and butterflies that migrate thousands of miles, to bears and beetles that hunker down and endure the cold. The Snowman Theater features a show about the science of our planet’s seasons, while mounted specimens of a polar bear, snow geese, California ground squirrel, and other animals illustrate one of two winter strategies—heading south or staying home.

A suite of holiday-themed programs, including quiz shows and live music and dance performances, will round out the festive atmosphere. Check the daily schedule, and be sure to enter the Name the Reindeer Contest before December 2.

Two months ago, crane operator Brandon Valasik unearthed a fossilized tooth 110 feet below street level at the construction site for the new Transbay Transit Center in downtown San Francisco. Later identified as the upper left molar of a Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi), the specimen was donated to the California Academy of Sciences by the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, where it was cleaned, preserved, and added to the research fossil collection. The tooth is now on display in the Naturalist Center alongside other fossils from Ice Age San Francisco, and will be there for several months.

An adult mammoth had four large teeth, two upper and two lower. As these molars wore down and became smaller and broken, new teeth formed behind them. The new teeth gradually pushed out the old ones, moving into the same position in the jaw. The Transbay tooth belonged to a 40-year-old mammoth, and is broken into two pieces, with the front third of the tooth is still missing. The smaller piece may at some point be used for carbon dating to determine when the animal lived.

These vegetarian mammals stood 12-14 feet tall, and lived 150,000 – 8,000 years ago in North American grasslands from Canada to Central America. During the time of the Columbian mammoth, the area around what is now San Francisco was dominated by woodlands that were drained by several large rivers and many creeks. A rich fauna, including saber-toothed cats, horses, wolves, camels, bison and mastodons, as well as mammoths, lived here.