SCORPION STUDY
Fossil is topic of lecture
Dr. Leif Stormer, head of the Institute for Geology at the University of Oslo, Norway, spoke before 50 faculty members and some students on the study of micro-organisms which lived on a 235 million year old scorpion yesterday in Lindley Auditorium.
Dr. Stormer has done research on the life of past ages and the evolutionary changes from age to age as recorded by fossil animals.
The son of the late Carl Stormer, widely known for his discovery of the Van Allen belts, Dr. Stormer, current president of the International Stratigraphic Commission, said that most people confused fossils with stratigraphy. The latter is the science dealing with succession and chronology of stratified rocks.
THE SCIENTIFIC significance of Dr. Stormer's discovery is that fossil micro-organisms are rarely found and these are of great age.
The research that won Dr. Stormer international fame was the discovery of "gigantoscorpio," a terrestrial scorpion found in southern Scotland.
WHEN HE DISCOVERED this species, which had been fossilized
for centuries, Dr. Stormer not only detected the largest and superficial parts of the aracnid, but he recognized the smallest and most inner details of the structural body of the animal such as the unbroken hair in its tentacles, its hundred cells, the pore canal and the cellular texture.
"When I found this scorpion I planned to work only one week with this specie, but it proved so interesting that it took me years to work with it," the Norwegian scientist said.
"The scorpio, which I named 'gigantoscorpio' afterwards, had been completely flattened and its skin in the front had been squeezed to the skin in the back part," he said. "If you took the skin off you could find a perculiar structure."
"I TOOK THE skin of the scorpion and treated it with solutions of different alcalides. When the skin was soft I was able to work with great facility," he explained.
In his research Dr. Stormer found "something that looked like thread" which proved to be nematods, a certain kind of microor-
ganism which had been trapped or "perhaps preserved inside the scorpion's body."
"The scorpion had died in rotten conditions, lying on and covered by mud, being attacked by microorganisms such as nematodes," he said. "I found the worms nicely preserved like in a box." he added.
Dr. Stormer will be visiting in Lawrence with three KU scientist colleagues.
Daily Kansan Tuesday, March 29, 1966
5
Peace Corps Directory of training programs scheduled for summer, 1966, available from P.C. Liaison officer, 228 Strong.
Married Foreign Students; Complete and return the wives' postal card questionnaire to Foreign Students' Lounge.
Lecture, 3:30 p.m. Masso Abe, Co-
tumbo College and Christianity.
Dybe Auditorium.
Official Bulletin
TODAY
Tau Sigma Honorary Dance Fra-
cations, 7:30 p.m. Robinson
gymnasium
Leeture, 4 p.m. Nelson Algren,
novelist, Big Eight Room, Union.
Duplicate Bridge, 7 p.m. 306 W.
Kawasaki Union.
Christian Science Organization, 7:30 am.
Dantworth Chapel.
SOPHOMORE!
For Your Junior Year
VOTE
Steve Morgan
PRES.
Dennis Taylor
VICE PRES.
Lu Surface
SECRETARY
Jack Perkins
TREASURER
TOMORROW
Catholic Mass: 6:45 a.m. and 4:45
p.m.
Executive council meeting, 6:45 p.m.
Humanities Lecture, 8 p.m. Dr. Robert Rosenbloom, Princeton, on art, history, and humanities, 8 cation following by Faculty Club.
President Worship, 9:15 p.m. Wes-
lens
Protestant Worship, 7 a.m. Wesley Foundation Methodist Center.
Experimental Theatre, 8:20 p.m.
"The Physicists."
Classical Film, 7 p.m. "Death of a Salesman." Dyche Aud.
Patronize Your Kansan Advertisers
Protestant Worship, 9:15 p.m. Wesley Foundation Methodist Center.
Who can help you with your spring party plans?
Who has the most room the best food and the plushiest atmosphere for up to 300?
Whom should you call when you're looking for places for your spring party?
Who else but the
23rd & Naismith VI 3-0611