oseph Leidy, one of the most famous pioneers in anatomy, founded the Department of Natural History at Swarthmore in 1871. Along with bringing the prestige of owning the first microscope in the U.S., he left several interesting fossils which we studied for our first lab. Later in the course, we were also given the chance to see several skeletons that the Biology Department owns. Being able to compare these structures really set an overall tone of "connection" for the course. Even though there is so much diversity in the world, we can never fully separate ourselves from each other. We have an effect on every organism around us, and it is up to us to be able to recognize its significance and acknowledge our responsibility to the environment.
Maryanne Tomazic '10 of Freehold, NJ, will train this summer as an EMT and later serve as an RA during Swarthmore's field hockey camp. A photographer for ThePhoenix, her work is often featured on the College's homepage and can also be found at Flickr. The photos featured here are hers as well. Write to her at mtomazi1@swarthmore.edu.
An example of Joseph Leidy's legacy.
The skeleton of an eagle.
A Bio 002 lab in progress.
Biology professor Rachel Merz (center) and students.