Carnegie Museum of Natural History Events

Friday May 9 8:00am - 9:30am EDT

Powdermill Nature Reserve, 1795 Route 381, Rector, PA, 15677, United States

Powdermill Avian Research Center Guided Tour

When: Friday, May 9, 8:00–9:30 a.m.Where: Powdermill Nature ReserveTickets: FreeEnjoy a free guided tour of the bird banding lab and research facility including the flight tunnel. Visit the bird banding lab and see up-close how researchers safely capture and band birds ......More

Powdermill Nature Reserve, 1795 Route 381, Rector, PA, 15677, United States

Saturday May 10 9:00am - 12:00pm EDT

Powdermill Nature Reserve, 1795 Route 381, Rector, PA, 15677, United States

Spring Road Cleanup

When: Saturday, May 10, 9:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m.Where: Powdermill Nature ReserveTickets: FreeSpring is here, which means it is time for our biannual road clean up! Please consider joining the Powdermill staff for a morning of comradery and cleaning as we pick up the trash ......More

Powdermill Nature Reserve, 1795 Route 381, Rector, PA, 15677, United States

Monday May 12 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT

Hybrid: Online and At the Museum

Moriarty Science Seminar: Michigan Land Snail Distribution Influenced by Past Glaciers

Rolling in the Isles: Michigan Land Snail Distribution Influenced by Past GlaciersFeaturing Tim Pearce, Carnegie Museum of Natural HistoryWhen: Monday, May 12, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Where: Earth Theater and online via Zoom Tickets: This lecture is free. Museum admission is not required. Learn about scientific discoveries directly from the experts in the field. Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s scientific research staff and invited speakers discuss their latest findings on numerous scientific topics at the R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar series. Click here to register to attend virtually via Zoom. Registration is not necessary to attend in person. Museum admission is not included with the lecture. Visitor Services staff can direct you to Earth Theater on arrival. Abstract Does past glacial history influence modern species distributions? During field work on islands in northern Lake Michigan, Dr. Tim Pearce found that snails were more similar to those in the Upper Peninsula than they were to the nearby adjacent Lower Peninsula. He initially wondered if this pattern could be explained by currently operating ecological principles such as predation or microhabitat. Applying my training in paleontology, he then wondered if past events could have influenced modern distributions. To study the glacier hypotheses, he compared occurrences of the four largest and best studied land snail species in three areas: the (1) Upper and (2) Lower Peninsulas and (3) the 13 islands adjacent to the Lower Peninsula. This comparison showed that all four species occur only on the Lower Peninsula but two of them occur in all three areas, with minor exceptions. The two species that occur in all three areas appear to be more cold-adapted. In contrast, the two species restricted to just the Lower Peninsula are consistent with warm-adaptation. This talk examines whether smaller snails show the same distribution patterns as these larger snails. Are smaller cold-adapted species more ubiquitous while smaller warm-adapted species are more confined to the Lower Peninsula? The current distributions of land snails are consistent with a glacial history scenario where 11,500 years ago, a glacier covered the area and eliminated the land snails. Then 9,500 years ago, the glacial retreat exposed a land bridge from the mainland to the proto-islands. Then with more climate warming, cold-adapted snails dispersed northwards on the heels of the glacier and crawled to the proto-islands. Subsequent lake level rise isolated the islands from the mainland, so when the warm-adapted snails migrated into the Lower Peninsula, their island vacations were stymied. About Dr. Pearce Timothy Pearce is Assistant Curator of Mollusks at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, where he conducts research on land snails and cares for and promotes use of the huge research collection of snails and clams (1.4 million specimens). His MS in snail paleontology and his PhD in snail ecology give him a valuable perspective on how time has affected the makeup of modern snail communities. Pearce received his PhD (1994) and MS (1991) in biology from the University of Michigan. His post-doctoral work at SUNY–Stony Brook from 1995–1996 focused on Madagascar’s land snails. He received his MA in paleontology from the University of California–Berkeley in 1988 and his BS in marine biology from Evergreen State College in 1979. Prior to his appointment at Carnegie Museum of Natural History in 2002, he was Assistant Curator of Mollusks at the Delaware Museum of Natural History from 1997–2001. Pearce’s research focuses on ecology and systematics of mollusks, especially terrestrial snails and slugs in the northeastern United States. He also pursues the biogeography of land snails on islands in the Great Lakes, distribution and ecology of land snails on California islands, and systematics of North American land snails. Pearce has published more than 55 peer-reviewed scientific papers on mollusks. He has been known to tell snail jokes.

Hybrid: Online and At the Museum

Saturday May 17 8:00am - 11:00am EDT

Powdermill Nature Reserve, 1795 Route 381, Rector, PA, 15677, United States

Powdermill Avian Research Center Open House

When: Saturday, May 17, 8:00–11:00 a.m.Where: Powdermill Nature ReserveTickets: FreeJoin us for an open house at the Powdermill Avian Research Center (PARC)! Although PARC is operational year-round, it is typically closed to the public. Stop by the open house to get a b......More

Powdermill Nature Reserve, 1795 Route 381, Rector, PA, 15677, United States

Saturday June 7 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

Powdermill Nature Reserve, 1795 Route 381, Rector, PA, 15677, United States

Family Nature Hike

When: June 7 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.Where: Powdermill Nature ReserveTickets: Free Join us as we hit the trails for a guided nature walk! We’ll meet in the atrium of the Powdermill Nature Center at 2 pm before heading outside to explore. This family-friendly experience is op......More

Powdermill Nature Reserve, 1795 Route 381, Rector, PA, 15677, United States

Saturday June 14 10:00am - 5:00pm EDT

At the Museum, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213-4007, United States

DinoFest

When: Saturday, June 14, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.Where: Carnegie Museum of Natural HistoryTickets: Free with Museum Admission. Advance Registration Strongly Recommended. Join Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s researchers, educators, and community partners for DinoFest! B......More

At the Museum, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213-4007, United States

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Powdermill Avian Research Center Guided Tour

Spring Road Cleanup

Moriarty Science Seminar: Michigan Land Snail Distribution Influenced by Past Glaciers

Powdermill Avian Research Center Open House

Family Nature Hike

DinoFest

Group Results

Tag sale

Pelham Jewish Center

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

View details

About Us

Contact Information

About Us

Contact Information

Powdermill Avian Research Center Guided Tour

Spring Road Cleanup

Moriarty Science Seminar: Michigan Land Snail Distribution Influenced by Past Glaciers

Powdermill Avian Research Center Open House

Family Nature Hike

DinoFest

Group Results

Tag sale

Pelham Jewish Center

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