Paleontologist Barbie pays tribute to Darwin on his 205th birthday by reminiscing about her visit to Down House

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE AT DOWN HOUSE 2012

Happy 205th birthday Charles Darwin on February 12, 2014! Below is Paleontologist Barbie's long overdue interview with Hallellujah Truth, the wife of her colleague and collaborator, Tony Martin about her visit in 2012 to Darwin's home, Down House, and what it meant to her.
  
Hallelujah Truth: First of all, why are you so enthusiastic about Charles Darwin, a man born in 1809?

Paleontologist Barbie: Darwin rocked! Which is to say, Darwin was a geologist, not just a biologist. He knew a lot about fossils and was taught by one of the founders of modern geology, Charles Lyell.

Hallelujah Truth: What is so special about Darwin's home, Down House?

Paleontologist Barbie:  Well, this was where Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, and it was the site of Darwin’s “backyard” experiments on plants and the effects of earthworms on soils. That's pretty special!

Hallelujah Truth: I know when you travel, you like to use local  transportation. Why and how did you get to Down House?

Paleontologist Barbie: First of all, I like to use local transportation because it's really good for the environment. Secondly, I was afraid to drive because of the steering wheel being on the wrong side of the car, plus not being able to see over the steering wheel anyway!

Buses and trains are also great for seeing the English countryside without having to worry about driving. Getting to Darwin’s home from London requires a little effort, but is well worth it. We had to take a couple of train transfers and one bus connection to get to Downe Village.

JOURNEY TO DOWN HOUSE.  Once in Downe Village, Paleontologist Barbie led the way to Down House, just a short walk along a country road. “Origin of evolutionary theory, here I come!” she shouted with glee. Incidentally, Paleontologist Barbie does not drive, a result of both her inability to reach a steering wheel and look out the windscreen, as well as her strong support of public transportation. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

Hallelujah Truth: Can you describe your first impression of Down House as you approached it on foot?

Paleontologist Barbie: It felt like I was approaching a sacred shrine. But when you walk up to it, you see it's a nice house and you can totally understand how Darwin felt there comfortable with his family, yet he could still do science at home, too.

TEA TIME. Once at Down House, Paleontologist Barbie was very excited about being there, but before touring the home and the grounds outside, she made sure to properly hydrate and fortify herself with some tea at the café. “I say, old chaps, may I have a spot of tea?” she asked with a mock English accent, in a vain attempt to blend in with the locals. One thing is for sure about Paleontologist Barbie: she always manages to stand out from the crowd. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

Hallelujah Truth: As you toured Darwin's parlor, dining room, and study, what did you feel?

Paleontologist Barbie: It was neat to see the parlor with the piano in because I read how Darwin did experiments on earthworms to see if they could detect sound. He used musical instruments - like the piano - to test the reactions of the earthworms. It turns out they can't hear, but they did pick up on the vibrations from the sounds, which was really important for Darwin to know.

Hallelujah Truth: And how about his study? I heard you loved seeing where he wrote Origin of Species.

Paleontologist Barbie: It was incredible to see his study, knowing that was the desk where he sat down and wrote out his thoughts about the theory of evolution. But you could also see some of his scientific instruments nearby, which meant his study was also a place where he could write and experiment. 

REFLECTING UPON ANOTHER ERA. Paleontologist Barbie thoroughly enjoyed her tour of the Down House interior, and was especially thrilled to see the study where Darwin did much of his writing and thinking. Photography was not allowed inside Down House, although the Down House guides at the entrance were very excited to meet Paleontologist Barbie, and said, “Take as many pictures as you would like outside.” Here, in a moment of melancholic reflection, she sat on the windowsill outside the dining room, imagining what the Darwin family saw as they looked out during meals. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

Hallelujah Truth: Can you explain the significance of the grounds surrounding Darwin's home?

Paleontologist Barbie: Darwin was a great example of a backyard scientist, meaning that his study of evolution wasn't just limited to writing at his desk. For example, he had some stones set out in his yard to measure how much soil earthworms were turning over. 

He also had a garden and loved studying how plants changed over generations. I love paleobotany, so it's neat to think about how his looking at plants in his backyard connected to his explanations of how plants evolved. He even had a greenhouse, which we got to visit. It has lots of carnivorous plants, which I love for how they totally mess with people's expectations of plants. They can be carnivores, too!

DARWIN’S SUNDIAL. Time was always on Darwin’s mind, particularly the vast amounts of geological time needed to produce new species and major transitions in evolution, which were documented through fossils. So it was only appropriate that Paleontologist Barbie was drawn to a sundial in the backyard of Down House, with its time-keeping dependency on a 4.5 billion-year-old sun. “It’s about time!” she said in an obvious reference to macroevolutionary theory and the geological record. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

DARWIN AND THE BRANCHING TREE. Amazingly, a mulberry tree just behind Down House was alive while the Darwin Family lived there, and thus is more than 150 years old. For Paleontologist Barbie, going up this tree with its stout trunk and branches somehow symbolized a connection with Darwin’s depiction of evolution as a branching tree. “There’s nothing like climbing a tree to help you remember your primate heritage,” she said, and then quoted Darwin himself: “Man is descended from a hairy, tailed quadruped, probably arboreal in its habits.” –photo and caption by Tony Martin

Hallelujah Truth: Could you explain to me your fascination with worms and the fact that you love that Darwin studied them?

Paleontologist Barbie: A lot of people may not know this about Darwin, but he was also an ichnologist. His studies of worms and how much they burrowed and affected soils required a lot of math too. As everybody knows, I'm really good at math and enjoy using it in paleontology. Anyway, Darwin actually applied math to the ichnology of earthworms. How cool is that?

CELEBRATING THE WORMSTONE. Because Paleontologist Barbie is also an ichnologist, she knew that part of her visit to Down House would be to see one of the famous “wormstones” there, mentioned in Darwin’s last book, The Formation of Vegetable Mould, through the Action of Worms. Darwin used these stones to calculate how much earthworms burrowed, enriched, and turned over the soil. This turnover eventually caused the stones to sink into the ground, which he figured was at about 2 mm/year. “Quantification rules!”, she shouted exuberantly. However, the vibrations from her yell startled several nearby earthworms, which, thinking she was a mole, quickly retreated into their burrows. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

Hallelujah Truth: What will you remember about visiting his garden and being in his greenhouse?

Paleontologist Barbie: That's a good question. I'll always remember the feeling of excitement knowing that I was standing in the same place where he studied his plants. But I'll also think about Darwin cultivating these plants, which required being very caring and gentle. Which means that Darwin was a sensitive guy way ahead of his time. You might say he was EMO-Darwin!

SEE A PLANT, SEE EVOLUTIONARY THEORY. Further behind Down House is a greenhouse Darwin used to grow and study plants that interested him, and an outdoor garden with herb and food plants. This is the same garden that fed the Darwin family and all of the people who worked there. Here, Paleontologist Barbie looked out from the greenhouse onto the garden, pondering how Darwin’s studies of plants, their inheritable traits, and their adaptations all contributed to his development of evolutionary theory. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

EXCITEMENT AMONG CARNIVOROUS PLANTS! Among the plants in the greenhouse are pitcher plants (behind Paleontologist Barbie), sundews, Venus flytraps, and other carnivorous plants. These plants fascinated Darwin because of how they had evolved to trap and consume insects. “Feed me, Charles!” said Paleontologist Barbie with a deep voice, paraphrasing Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

COLLEGIAL SUPPORT. Professor Tony Martin, author of Dinosaurs Without Bones,  documented Paleontologist Barbie's historic visit to Down House --photo by Hallelujah Truth

FOSSIL SUNDEW PLANTS WITH INSECTS? While in the greenhouse, Paleontologist Barbie admired a sundew plant. These plants evolved sticky gels on short tentacles. If flying insects gets too close to these, they become stuck and the tentacles wrap around it, making a nice snack for the plant. “Wouldn’t it be great to discover a fossil sundew preserved with some insects?” she said hopefully. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

FLOWERS, AN ABOMINABLE MYSTERY TO DARWIN. Darwin loved orchids, and he was very interested in learning how animals, particularly insects, pollinated orchids. Darwin also described the origin of flowering plants as an “abominable mystery.” Fortunately, the fossil record has improved tremendously since the late 19^th century, with the oldest known fossil flowering plants coming from the Early Cretaceous of China. “Better not try to celebrate Valentine’s Day during the Jurassic!” advised Paleontologist Barbie, in a warning to any romantically inclined time travelers. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

THE POWER AND BEAUTY OF SMART WOMEN. On the brick wall separating the Down House backyard from the garden, Paleontologist Barbie, prompted by her ever-present spirit of adventure and whimsy, climbed one of the vines there. “Behold: the ascent of woman!” she exclaimed energetically. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

Hallelujah Truth: Can you tell me about the area where Darwin used to take a walk and think? You walked in these meditative steps of Darwin, didn't you?

Paleontologist Barbie: Yes! It's a path called "The Sand Walk." It's where Darwin would go out, walk along it, and think. It was a way for him to relax and enjoy the outdoors. I can identify with that. Some of my best thinking is done outside.

Hallelujah Truth: Didn't Darwin have a technique for keeping count of the distance he walked in this relatively small rural area?

Paleontologist Barbie:  Yes! He used rocks as lap counters. I tried to imagine myself doing the same thing, and it was awesome.

Hallelujah Truth: So you had a limited time to spend at Down House because of using local transportation and needing to catch a bus back to London, isn't that right?

Paleontologist Barbie: Yeah, but we also planned to go to Crystal Palace with those cool sculptures of Victorian dinosaurs. How could we miss that? Before catching a bus from Downe Village though we had to get a beer at Darwin's pub. Can you believe it? Being able to sit down at the same bar where Darwin had a pint or two?

REFRESMENT AT DARWIN’S PUB. Just like any paleontologist at the end of the day, and especially one who has been thinking keenly about evolutionary theory and its history, Paleontologist Barbie was overjoyed to find that Downe Village still has the original bar – the Queen’s Head Pub – where Darwin would partake in fermented beverages. “Hey grasses and other flowering plants – thanks for evolving!” she said. By saying this, she was acknowledging how the natural selection of these plants was necessary for the basic materials contributing to the invention of beer, which in turn fueled the development of geology, paleontology, and evolutionary theory. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

FORTIFICATION FOUND IN BEER. Let’s face it: learning about evolution can be quite thirst-inducing, necessitating the consumption of at least a couple of beers while at Darwin’s bar. Paleontologist Barbie also likes to sample local brews whenever she travels. So she was pleased to spot two beers on tap there she not seen previously during her time in the U.K. “Give me two shorties!” she said to the bartender, with a self-referential giggle. She was happy to toast her cohort, Tony Martin, who has also been known to enjoy a good beer. –photo and caption by Tony Martin

AFFIRMING MEANING AND PURPOSE IN LIFE. All in all, Paleontologist Barbie loved her visit to Down House, appreciating it as a place integral to the history of science and a valuable educational resource. While waving goodbye to it and the grounds around it, she quoted Darwin again by saying, "Doing what little one can to increase the general stock of knowledge is as respectable an object of life, as one can in any likelihood pursue." –photo and caption by Tony Martin

HALLELUJAH TRUTH AT DOWN HOUSE 2012. --photo by Tony Martin

Other Interviews with Paleontologist Barbie about Darwin and Paleontology:

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE'S GLEEFUL DISCUSSION OF EVOLUTION, DARWIN, and SCIENCE-RELATED ART

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE GOES TO THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM IN LONDON: Revels in Dinosaur Hall and So Much More

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE EXPLORES CRYSTAL PALACE PARK: South London Treasure of 19th Century Dinosaur Sculptures, Questions Art Depictions

If you feel enthusiastic about Paleontologist Barbie and want to share your ideas about science, Paleontologist Barbie or her colleagues, or just want to see what others are saying, join our Facebook group, Paleontologist Barbie Rocks HERE.

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE GOES TO THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM IN LONDON: Revels in Dinosaur Hall and So Much More

NOT APING AROUND. Part of the charm and grandeur of the Natural History Museum is its stone décor, including depictions of recognizable animals, such as snakes and monkeys. At some point, the artist in Paleontologist Barbie compels her to stop and admire some of this handiwork. “I would not be ashamed to have this monkey as my ancestor,” she says as a nod to Thomas Huxley (1825-1895), quickly followed by her explaining how humans are evolutionarily more closely related to apes than monkeys. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

One year ago, pre-2012 Olympic Games, Paleontologist Barbie visited the United Kingdom (U.K.) in May. Near the top of her list of places to see there was the Natural History Museum in London, with its many displays of fantastic fossils, and some of which have historical significance in the science of paleontology. The following interview is a result of just a small sample of what she saw and learned while there with Anthony Martin, Emory University’s paleontologist, and his wife (me) Hallelujah Truth. 

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LONDON. This magnificent structure built in Victorian England was completed in 1883. (photo source)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: Why is it that you wanted so desperately to get to England and especially to the Natural History Museum of London?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Much of paleontology of today started right here in England with Mary Anning. Many of her great fossil discoveries are in the Natural History Museum of London, along with those of other paleontologists of her time in the 19th century. This was like visiting sacred ground!

CONSIDERING GEOLOGICAL TIME...Paleontologist Barbie is excited to see a sign telling museum visitors about the LONG relationship between humans and dinosaurs. "Well, not that LONG. I mean, 150 years--that's NOTHING in geological time" (snorting)! (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: Can you tell me something more about the history of British paleontology that interests you specifically?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: The United Kingdom is where the word "dinosaur" was invented. Richard Owen invented the word which literally means "terrible lizard." And because it was Victorian England, "terrible" at the time meant "awesome"! There were other notable paleontologists, too, such as Gideon Mantell who discovered Iguanadon, and his wife Mary, who discovered fossils with him and then illustrated many of them.

SOME OF THE FIRST IDENTIFIED DINOSAUR FOSSILS. While avoiding accidental trampling from children in the Dinosaur Hall of the museum, Paleontologist Barbie is thrilled to see fossils that were among the first recognized dinosaur fossils: teeth and a thumb spike from Iguanodon. Gideon and Mary Mantell found these fossils in the 1820s; Iguanodon, named in 1825, was only the second formally named dinosaur at the time. “See, little things can be very important,” she says a little self-consciously. (Incidentally, the caption says, “The original teeth and thumb spike found by the Mantells. At first the spike was identified as a horn on the end of the nose.”) (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: What did you think about the exhibits at the Natural History Museum of London?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: I really enjoyed that we could walk above some of the skeletons of the dinosaurs, and I was thrilled to see the original specimen of Baryonyx. This was the first dinosaur interpreted as a fish eater, although I'm not sure whether or not it just ate fish on Fridays (giggle). The robotic dinosaurs, I didn't like so much. I'm more of an old-fashioned paleontologist. Give me dinosaur bones. Give me dinosaur tracks. I want to study fossils, darn it to heck!

FOSSIL MARINE REPTILES. Paleontologist Barbie had already seen most of the species of dinosaurs in the Dinosaur Hall, so she ran straight over to one of the most awesome displays in the museum, the Fossil Marine Reptiles Hall. “Ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and crocodilians – oh my!” she exclaims excitedly. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: I know that you and my husband Chiboogamoo make a special effort to go to natural history museums wherever you travel. What surprised you the most at this particular natural history museum?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Three words: MARINE REPTILES HALL! I was in awe when I looked down that hallway and saw that the walls were stacked with incredible marine fossils from the Mesozoic Era. My jaw dropped. My face froze in a permanent grin, and I felt like I couldn't move. It was incredible.

SWIMMING WITH THE ICHTHYOSAURS.  The Fossil Marine Reptiles Hall has an incredible collection of marine reptiles from the Mesozoic Era, many of which come from the “Jurassic Coast” of southern England. Among these fossils are complete skeletons of ichthyosaurs, a group of marine reptiles that lived in the world’s oceans about 245-90 million years ago. Because ichthyosaurs, like dolphins, had bodies well adapted to swimming in the oceans, these animals are often used as examples of convergent evolution, in which unrelated animals evolve the same body plans. “Forget swimming with the dolphins,” she says, in a direct rebuke to New-Age-type people. “I want to swim with the ichthyosaurs!” (P.S. “Eat my dihydrogen monoxide, Michael Phelps!”) (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

LIVE REPTILE BIRTH IN THE MESOZOIC. One of the more incredible fossils on display the Marine Reptile Hall is of a mother ichthyosaur that must have died while giving birth. Fossils like this gave evidence of live birth in reptiles during the Mesozoic Era, showing ichthyosaurs were fully adapted for living in marine environments, and did not have to come onto land to lay eggs, like sea turtles. “Wow, that’s, like, totally different from an oviparous mode of reproduction in marine reptiles that require nest building,” Paleontologist Barbie observes nonchalantly. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

COMMON DESCENT EVIDENCE. Paleontologist Barbie poses here in front of a plesiosaur's swimming paddle. “Why, look: it has homologous limb bones consistent with those of a land-dwelling reptile, showing common descent!” she correctly points out. “Good thing I’m in the U.K. - I couldn’t get away with saying that in parts of the U.S., especially the ‘homologous’ part,” she laments. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

SHELLED CEPHLAPODS NOW EXTINCT. “An ammonite! About time we saw some invertebrates!” she says upon seeing a gorgeous specimen of one. Ammonite were shelled cephalopods that lived in the world’s oceans from the Devonian through the Cretaceous Periods, but went extinct at the same time as the dinosaurs, about 65 million years ago. “Hmmm, is that an equiangular spiral I see?”, she muses. As a skilled mathematician, Paleontologist Barbie enjoys applying her quantitative skills in paleontology whenever possible. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: What was one of the most exciting things that you saw during your visit at the natural history museum?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: I was left speechless when I came upon the fossil of Archaeopteryx, the oldest known bird...(tee hee)...or some dinosaur. Whatever. I just love science! 

IS IT A BIRD? OR A DINOSAUR? Probably the most thrilling fossil in the museum for Paleontologist Barbie was the counterpart slab of Archaeopteryx, the oldest known bird. Or some dinosaur. Whatever. Anyway, the London specimen was discovered in 1861 in Late Jurassic rocks of Germany, and is one of only ten known to science. For once, Paleontologist Barbie is speechless. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: If you could spend an unlimited about of time studying and asking questions in the Natural History Museum of London, what would you pick? Why?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: I would love to learn more about mammoths. So much of my background has been more in fossils from the Paleozoic and Mesozoic Eras, yet I'm living in the Cenozoic Era! And we live with elephants today, but what were elephants like ten thousand years ago? It would be really great to learn about those elephants and how similar to or different they were from from modern elephants. I also love returning to my roots--geology! And the U.K. is so important in the history of geology!

BIRTH PLACE OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS. Within the museum is the British Geological Survey, which was the first national geological survey anywhere in the world. Many basic principles of geology were founded in England and Scotland, and English geologist William Smith made one of the first geological maps in 1815. “I love geology!” shouts Paleontologist Barbie. “You Brits make the horizontal bedrock!” she exclaims. Fortunately, she is ushered away just before declaring her affection for low-angle thrust faults, which likely would have caused an international incident. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

STRANGE ROCKS. Paleontologist Barbie continued to express her affection for geology as she went through the rock and mineral collections. One of the most impression specimens she saw was of a xenolith, which literally means “strange rock.” In this instance, what looks like a chloritic schist (a metamorphic rock, left) was included in a granite (an igneous rock), formed when hot magma broke through the pre-existing metamorphic rock and incorporated a piece of it. “Hey, don’t you think it’s gneiss that I know my schist, and don’t take it for granite?” she says, reeling off geologically themed puns with wild abandon. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)   

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: Have you done research in the U.K.? Why or why not?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE:  No I haven't. But I think I would love to do it. Especially on the Isle of Wight. I have heard there are fantastic dinosaur tracks there and as you know, I love dinosaur tracks. Well! I just plain love any tracks, modern or ancient!

MODERN ANIMALS INFORM US ABOUT ANCIENT ONES. Of course, the Natural History Museum also has a vast collection of modern animals and animal parts on display, including this assemblage of bird feet. Paleontologist Barbie is impressed with this, and is eager to apply this newly gained knowledge to studying theropod dinosaur tracks in the future. “Whoa, check out the absence of digit II on that ostrich, dude!” she says to no one in particular. Nonetheless, because she’s in the U.K., people are amused at her mixture of anatomical banter and American accent. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: If you could work on any project you wanted to, what research you would like to do in the U.K.?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Hmmm that is a good question! There is so much there to study, I would have a hard time narrowing it down. Great Britain has great trilobites and lots of other Paleozoic fossils. Marine reptiles from the Mesozoic. Dinosaurs. Fossil plants. I mean, Coal Measures: Hello!

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: Who is your favorite living paleontologist in the U.K. right now? Why?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Dr. Angela Milner, who is at the Natural History Museum, because she was the co-discoverer of Baryonyx. But you know who else is really cool? Dr. Jenny Clack, she wrote a great book about the evolution of fish into four-limbed vertebrates, also known as tetrapods. Look I'm a tetrapod! (Paleo Barbie extends all four limbs and laughs).

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: What speaks to you artistically having been to the Natural History Museum of London? 

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: When I was there, they had a great exhibit on natural history art connected to Captain Cook's expedition to Australia. That was very interesting to see because it showed the important role artists played in the documentation of and exploration of plants, animals, geology, and other parts of natural history. Explorers didn't have cameras then, so they needed artists. And you know what? We still need artists! 

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: And I would say scientists make excellent artists!

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE:  Why thank you (Paleo Barbie blushes, as she is also a practicing artist)!

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: Do you see any art projects coming from this visit?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Hmmmm. I would like to do something to honor Mary Anning and Icthyosaurs. Remember the work that Robey Tapp did for Atlanta's Fernbank Museum of Natural History? Well I loved that, but I see myself going in another direction with how Mary Anning would reveal the ichthyosaur fossil piece by piece with each tap of her hammer on the outcrop. How did that really happen for her? Maybe her discovery should be done as a choreographed dance performance.

FIRST FEMALE PALEONTOLIGIST—MARY ANNING. A personal hero of Paleontologist Barbie is Mary Anning (1799-1847), who was one of the most important contributors in early 19^th century paleontology in the U.K. She found many of marine reptiles in the museum collection, including ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs, at Lyme Regis in southern England. “She sells seashells by the seashore, and plies plebeians with pleasing plesiosaurs!” says Paleontologist Barbie, wittily amending the original tongue twister inspired by Anning’s fossil collecting. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: What other paleontological treasures did you enjoy while you were in the U.K.?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Of course, it was thrilling to see both Darwin's home, Down House, and Crystal Palace while I was in London. But I also enjoyed seeing fossils in some of the museums in Scotland. The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh had some great fossils on display, and then those fossils in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow were fantastic!

PAYING HOMAGE TO CHUCKIE D! A life-sized statue of Charles Darwin beckons, and Paleontologist Barbie stops by it to reflect on Darwin’s vast contributions to science as a biologist and geologist. After doing all of that voyaging on The Beagle, Darwin lived with his family south of London in Down House, only a couple of train and bus rides away from this spot. “I’ll be dropping by soon for a spot of tea, and you can bet I’ll be minding the gap when alighting on the platform!” she says, ably picking up the local idioms. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: I know that you are a wild child when it comes to having fun, in addition to fulfilling your paleontological interests. What else did you do in the U.K. for pleasure?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: I have to say the highlight of the day after visiting Darwin's home was to also stop by his pub. That's right! Darwin's bar still exists. So it was thrilling for me to sit down at the bar where Darwin had a beer, and think about natural selection while I naturally selected my beer. Of course, I should add that I always drink in moderation and that I took public transportation to and from Down House. It's very important to be responsible with your fun. I guess the 'wildness' you're talking about is my spirited enthusiasm for learning science!

PALEONTOLOGICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN U.S. AND U.K. At the end of her visit to the Natural History Museum, Paleontologist Barbie looks down on “Dippy,” a cast of the Late Jurassic sauropod Diplodocus. This skeletal cast, a gift from Andrew Carnegie and coming from the U.S., was the first full-sized sauropod skeleton shown anywhere in the world. It has been in the museum for more than 100 years and symbolizes a paleontological connection between the U.K. and U.S., being renewed with Paleontologist Barbie’s visit. She also sees the many people enjoying the museum and all it has to teach them about natural history and the history of science, especially paleontology. “Thank you, Great Britain, for being such a scientifically awesome country!” she says with genuine gratitude. (photograph and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH TRUTH: Can you sum up what you learned from the Natural History Museum in one sentence?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: I would love to! Here goes: The earth has a history, life has a history, and our history connects with both of those! Wooooooo (she says laughing)!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: First and foremost, I want to acknowledge Paleontologist Barbie for her ongoing enthusiasm for all things paleontological! She is an absolute inspiration! Then I want to profusely thank Denise Drake for hosting us while we were in London. Her warm home, companion Ian, happy puppy, and good food fueling intense conversation supported our exploration of this vast urban U.K. city. London is fantastic! As always, without the persistent levity and intelligence of my Chiboogamoo, these Paleontologist Barbie interviews would not exist! I love and admire the creativity of this scientist, writer, and playmate that I live with!

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE'S COLLEAGUE, DR. ANTHONY MARTIN.  My Chiboogamoo was delighted with the Natural History Museum in London. And to share this experience with the spirited keen-witted Paleo Barbie made it all the better.  We paused a moment to pay our respects to Charles Darwin and the beauty of this museum's splendid architecture. (photo and caption by Hallelujah Truth)

Read Previous Hallelujah Truth Interviews with Paleontologist Barbie:

Paleontologist Barbie Explores Crystal Palace Park: South London Treasure of 19th Century Dinosaur Sculptures, Questions Art Depictions. One of the delights of Paleontologist Barbie's holiday in the U.K. was viewing some of the first depictions of dinosaurs as sculptures in Crystal Palace.

Paleontologist Barbie Vacations By Doing Bike Ichnology on Jekyll Island on the Coast of Georgia. Paleontologist Barbie loves patterns as they appear in the neoichnology on the beaches of Georgia's Barrier Islands. How fun to spend Thanksgiving looking for traces!

Paleontologist Barbie Willingly Sacrifices Her Winter Holiday to Deepen Emory Students' Understanding of the Concepts of Uniformitarianism on San Salvador, Bahamas at Gerace Field Station. Paleontologist Barbie gets a kick out of snorkeling in modern reefs in the morning and looking at fossil reefs in the afternoon and much much more...

Paleontologist Barbie Marvels at Learning and Teaching in the Field: Sapelo Island, Georgia, Provides Perfect Laboratory for Observing Exciting Geological Gems

Paleontologist Barbie Pursues Professional Development at 2011 Society of Vertebrate Paleontologist (SVP) Meeting in Las Vegas, Utah, USA. 

Paleontologist Barbie sees exciting tracks and a really cool dinosaur sitting trace in addition to exchanging knowledge with fellow colleague paleontologists. "Professional development is more important than Halloween parties," Paleontologist Barbie was heard saying out in the Utah desert.

Paleontologist Barbie's Passion for Modern and Ancient Traces

Paleontologist Barbie goes to St. Catherines Island to examine reptile burrows.

Paleontologist Barbie's Gleeful Discussion of Evolution, Darwin, and Science-Related Art

Paleontologist Barbie explains her understanding of evolution by looking at the "Selections" art exhibit at Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, Georgia. Specifically, she provides her interpretation of the importance of art done by Chiboogamoo and Hallelujah Truth.

Paleontologist Barbie's Raison D'etre: Scientific Investigation and a Passion for Art!

VASTNESS OF THE MARINE REPTILES HALL. Here I (Hallelujah Truth, aka Ruth Schowalter) stand amazed in front of one of the most incredible collections of marine reptile fossils anywhere. I wish we could have spent days absorbing the presence of these ancient animals. (photo by Anthony Martin)