The New “Isthmian Pairs” Exhibit!
- José H. Leal
- Jun 13
- 2 min read
As I am sure you know by now, the National Shell Museum & Aquarium recently opened Phase 1 of its renovated Great Hall of Shells. It was great to work with the Museum and the design teams and prepare the content and select the shells for all the exhibits. One of the displays that was most gratifying to conceive and organize was the section of the Global Distribution exhibit where we discuss the relationships of eastern Pacific mollusks to their tropical western Atlantic (mainly Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean) counterparts. There are many probable "species-pairs," one member of the pair from the Pacific, another from the Atlantic. These "pairs" originated from common ancestors that thrived prior to the formation of the Isthmus of Panama. The Isthmus was formed as a result of the movement of tectonic plates, the large pieces of the earth's crust that move inexorably, creating and obliterating oceans and land masses.
Before the Isthmus existed, the marine fauna and flora occupied an area of the ocean called the Central American Seaway. A single species could live in an area spanning what is now the eastern Pacific and the tropical western Atlantic. With the beginning of the formation of the Isthmus of Panama, the eastern and western populations of these species started to isolate. The different environments developing to the west (colder water) and to the east (warmer water) of the Isthmus drove the evolution of different pairs of "daughter'' species (also known as cognate species), which are supposedly more closely related to each other than to any other species.
The stylish exhibit, designed by Matter Architecture of Brooklyn, New York, is presented in an intriguing, crescent-shaped case, introducing 26 pairs of cognate species, with the western Atlantic member of a pair displayed above a dotted line and its eastern Pacific counterpart exhibited below the line. Come explore the Global Distribution display and other exhibits in our new Great Hall of Shells!
The Isthmian Pairs exhibit sounds fascinating, especially in how it illustrates the evolutionary split caused by the formation of the Isthmus of Panama. This natural event reminds me of games like Block Breaker, where a single move can create a barrier that separates elements, changing the flow and dynamics entirely. Seeing the species pairs this way offers a clear, interactive understanding of biogeography’s big moments. Congrats to the museum team for bringing such an engaging concept to life.
Sounds like a really cool exhibit! I love learning about how geography affects evolution. Gotta check it out next time I'm near the National Shell Museum drive mad!
That sounds like a fascinating exhibit! Learning about cognate species and their distribution is always interesting. It reminds me of the strategic thinking you need when you're playing Uno Online, trying to anticipate your opponent's moves. Speaking of which, maybe after visiting the Great Hall of Shells, we can all unwind with a round of Uno Online?
Fascinating exhibit! The scientific documentation of these evolutionary pairs reminds me of how important proper research dissemination is - much like how journal publication services in the USA help researchers share similar groundbreaking discoveries with the academic community. Your work beautifully illustrates how geographical changes drive speciation, a concept that deserves wide recognition through both museum exhibits and scholarly channels.
This exhibit on Isthmian Pairs sounds fascinating! Learning about how the Isthmus of Panama impacted species evolution is truly captivating. It's amazing to see how geographical changes can lead to such distinct pairs, almost like watching evolution play out in real-time. Makes you think about strategy and adaptation, almost like playing io games, but with mollusks! I'm definitely adding this to my list of must-see attractions.