ROM’s new Passenger Pigeon Exhibition Examines
De-extinction and Conservation Issues
Exhibition marks 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon’s extinction
DNA from the ROM’s passenger pigeon specimens used in new de-extinction research
ROM will host De-Extinction Dialogues event on September 26, 2014
(TORONTO, August 18, 2014): The ROM marks the 100th anniversary of the passenger pigeon’s extinction with a new exhibition, Empty Skies: The Passenger Pigeon Legacy that looks at the species demise as well as issues of biodiversity conservation and de-extinction. This Centennial exhibition displays specimens from the Museum’s passenger pigeon collection for the first time in 34 years. The exhibition opens on August 23, 2014, in the Gallery of Birds in the ROM’s Life in Crisis: Schad Gallery of Biodiversity and runs until April 12, 2015.
About Passenger Pigeons
Native to North America, passenger pigeons were once one of the most abundant birds in the world, with a population estimated to have been as high as five billion in the 19th century. The birds swarmed together in massive flocks that created darkened skies for hours. However, as North American lifestyles and landscapes changed, passenger pigeons became the target of large-scale hunting, resulting in colossal population declines. The entire species became extinct in 1914 when Martha, the last remaining passenger pigeon, died in the Cincinnati Zoo. The passenger pigeon’s extinction coincided with the ROM’s opening in March 1914. Today, DNA from the ROM’s collection of passenger pigeon specimens, one of the largest in the world, is used in new scientific research examining the feasibility of bringing the species back from extinction.
About Empty Skies: The Passenger Pigeon Legacy
The exhibition is divided into two sections: 100 Years of Silence, featuring ten specimens of passenger pigeons and A Future with Song, featuring 11 endangered or extinct birds, including the Carolina parakeet, and the Barn Swallow, a local threatened species. Also featured is a reproduction of a diorama that was displayed in the ROM’s original Ornithology Gallery between 1935 and 1980.
“This is an important exhibition to share during the ROM’s Centennial year because it highlights ways that the ROM’s collections are continually used by the scientific community to make new discoveries. In this case, our collection is being used to examine the exciting possibility that one day we might be able to bring back an extinct species,” says Dr. Mark Engstrom, the ROM’s Deputy Director of Collections & Research.
ROM Programming:
ROM Biodiversity and ROM Contemporary Culture present De-Extinction Dialogues on Friday, September 26, 2014. The evening event includes:
6:30 pm A Mourning Chorus, conceived and directed by Sara Angelucci
Presented in collaboration with the AGO
The Schad Gallery of Biodiversity and the Queen’s Park Rotunda
Free with ROM admission
A Mourning Chorus explores the sounds of disappearing North American song-birds through a performance inspired by historic women’s public mourning rituals and performed by seven female singers. Singers will emerge from the ROM’s Schad Gallery of Biodiversity and perform as they enter the Museum’s Queen’s Park Rotunda creating a dramatic and moving performance.
7:00 pm A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction
Book Signing and Lecture by Dr. Joel Greenberg
Bronfman Hall
Ticketed event
Dr. Greenberg, a research associate with both the Field Museum and the Chicago Academy of Sciences and a renowned passenger pigeons expert will introduce his new book and talk on the significance of the ROM's passenger pigeon collection to global research.
7:30 pm De-Extinction: Bringing the Passenger Pigeon Back to Life
Lecture by Ben Novak
Bronfman Hall
Ticketed Event
Novak is a revolutionary among contemporary biologists and the lead researcher of the Revive and Restore “Great Comeback” Project. He will present an update on current research on the process of placing complete genomes of the passenger pigeon in an extant species with the goal to resurrect the passenger pigeon. Dr. Novak has used the ROM passenger pigeon DNA in his work to sequence genomes.
In addition to the lectures by Dr. Greenberg and Ben Novak, De-extinction Dialogues includes a Q&A session with both speakers. De-extinction Dialogues is part of the ROM Speaks event series during the year-long calendar of Centennial festivities marking the Museum’s 100th anniversary.
De-extinction Dialogues tickets are now on sale. Tickets are: $32 (Students and ROM Members) and $35 (General Admission). Tickets can be purchased by emailing the ROM at: programs@rom.on.ca.
A Passenger Pigeons Google+ Hangout with Dave Ireland, Managing Director, ROM Biodiversity; Mark Peck, ROM Ornithologist and special guest Ben Novak, takes place on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at 12:00 pm.
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About the ROM
The Royal Ontario Museum is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Opened in 1914, Canada’s largest museum of natural history and world cultures, has six million objects in its collections and galleries showcasing art, archaeology and natural science. The ROM is the largest field research institution in the country, and a world leader in research areas from biodiversity, palaeontology, and earth sciences to archaeology, ethnology and visual culture - originating new information towards a global understanding of historical and modern change in culture and environment. For 24-hour information in English and French, please call 416.586.8000 or visit the ROM’s web site at www.rom.on.ca. Tickets are available online at www.rom.on.ca.
About ROM Centres of Discovery
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) has eight areas of focus or Centres of Discovery - Ancient Cultures, Biodiversity, Contemporary Culture, Canada, Earth & Space, Fossils & Evolution, Textiles & Fashions, and World Art & Culture. Each Centre helps our audience better understand the Museum’s encyclopaedic collections and curatorial expertise and recognize the vibrant ROM communities most relevant to them – all towards the realization of the Museum’s promise of connecting visitors to their passion and those who share it.
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