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Fossil find in California shakes up the natural history of cycad plants
LAWRENCE — Cycads, a group of gymnosperms that can resemble miniature palm trees (like the popular sago palm houseplant), were long thought to be “living fossils,” a group that had evolved minimally since the time of the dinosaurs. Now, a well-preserved 80-million-year-old pollen cone discovered in California has rewritten scientific understanding of the plants. The findings are detailed in a new paper by two University of Kansas paleobotanists.
Dole Institute to celebrate distinguished Kansan’s legacy of finding common ground
LAWRENCE — This year, the Dole Institute marks its 20th anniversary and Dole’s centenary with a Landmark Celebration. On April 25, in a groundbreaking ceremony, renowned Kansas artist Stan Herd broke ground for a tribute earthwork to be dedicated at a public celebration July 22 at the institute. A series of special programming and events will follow over the next few months.
KPR to present an evening of folk and bluegrass music with Ordinary Elephant
LAWRENCE – Kansas Public Radio continues to celebrate its 70th anniversary with a special upcoming evening of folk and bluegrass favorites. KPR and its folk program, “Trail Mix,” will present a concert May 4 at the Lied Center of Kansas Pavilion, featuring award-winning duo Ordinary Elephant and Kansas City singer-songwriter Joy Zimmerman.
Study shows governments escape blame by contracting services such as prisoner transport
LAWRENCE — Governments and private contractors work together on countless functions, but when something goes wrong, who is to blame? Zach Mohr, associate professor of public affairs & administration at the University of Kansas, is involved in a series of studies to examine how people determine blame and hold those in power accountable.
Full stories below.
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Contact: Brendan Lynch, KU News Service, 785-864-8855, [email protected], @BrendanMLynch
Fossil find in California shakes up the natural history of cycad plants
LAWRENCE — Cycads, a group of gymnosperms which can resemble miniature palm trees (like the popular sago palm houseplant) were long thought to be “living fossils,” a group that had evolved minimally since the time of the dinosaurs. Now, a well-preserved 80-million-year-old pollen cone discovered in California has rewritten scientific understanding of the plants.
The findings are detailed in a paper by two University of Kansas paleobotanists just published in the journal New Phytologist.
“Cycads aren’t well-known but make up a significant part of plant diversity, accounting for around 25% of all gymnosperms,” said lead author Andres Elgorriaga, postdoctoral researcher with the KU Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum. “Cycads are plants that have thick stems and short stature, with thick, palm-like leaves on top. They produce cones like pine cones and are related to other seed-bearing plants that also don’t produce flowers, like Ginkgo and the monkey puzzle tree. But they’re also highly endangered, with the highest level of endangerment among all plant groups. Trafficking of cycads also is a significant issue.”
Despite their importance, a lack of fossil evidence and confusion over the years about how to classify some fossil specimens has led to a murky scientific grasp of the plants’ evolutionary history. One prominent idea was that cycads today are nearly identical to their prehistoric ancestors.
The findings are detailed in a paper by two University of Kansas paleobotanists just published in the journal New Phytologist.
“The prevailing school of thought is that cycads did not change much in deep time,” said co-author Brian Atkinson, assistant professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and curator of paleobotany at the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum. “But the fossil record of cycads is poorly understood, and many things that have been called cycads have turned out not to be cycads at all. Here, we have a three-dimensionally preserved cone clearly assignable to cycads because it has internal anatomy and pollen grains typical of this group. However, the external morphology of this pollen cone is different from living cycads today. This finding suggests cycads aren’t really ‘living fossils’ and they probably have a more dynamic evolutionary history than previously thought.”
According to the KU researchers, their analysis of an 80-million-year-old permineralized pollen cone found in the Campanian Holz Shale formation located in Silverado Canyon, California, tells a more accurate cycad natural history — one where the plants diversified during the Cretaceous.
“With this type of discovery, we realize during this time there were cycads that were really different than the ones today in their size, in their number of pollen sacs, in a lot of things,” Elgorriaga said. “Maybe we haven’t found that many cycad fossils as well — or maybe we’re finding them but we’re just not recognizing them because they were so different from how they are today. They aren’t ‘living fossils.’ They were different in the past.”
To perform their analysis, Elgorriaga and Atkinson studied the specimen’s cone’s architecture, anatomical details and vasculature organization using serial sectioning, scanning electron microscopy and 3D reconstruction. They also performed a series of evolutionary analyses to place the fossil within the cycad family tree.
Relying partly on the shapes of the cone’s scales, pollen and pollen sacs, they assigned the ancient plant to Skyttegaardia, a recently described genus based on isolated cone scales found in Denmark and dated to the Early Cretaceous (about 125 million years ago). Further, they erase some initial doubt about the new genus’ placement in the cycad group.
“The 3D reconstruction was striking because it only had two pollen sacs per cone scale, and the form of this cone scale reminded us of a fossil described from Scandinavia called Skyttegaardia,” Atkinson said. “There were many similarities, but the original in Scandinavia was only described in 2021 based on isolated cone scales. They cautiously explored the idea that the fossil belonged to cycad but were uncomfortable with firmly concluding this primarily because it only had two pollen sacs per cone scale — while cycads today have 20 to 700. Most cycad pollen cones are quite large, while this fossil was only half a centimeter in length.”
With the additional information from the new fossil plant, the KU researchers were “quite confident” in their phylogenetic analysis showing Skyttegaardia’s positive relationship with cycads.
The investigators said their description of the primordial plant shows how paleobotany can tell us more about how nature works through deep time.
“This shows us that the information we collect from the fossil record greatly impacts our understanding of evolutionary patterns,” Atkinson said. “Time, just like fossils, can reveal insights that aren’t apparent from studying only living plants or organisms. This case study is an excellent example of how fossils can contribute to our understanding of evolution over extended periods.”
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Contact: Maria Fisher, Dole Institute of Politics, 785-864-4900, [email protected], @DoleInstitute
Dole Institute to celebrate distinguished Kansan’s legacy of finding common ground
LAWRENCE — Twenty years ago this July 22, thousands gathered on the University of Kansas’ West Campus to honor the public service and bipartisan legacy of Russell native Bob Dole at the dedication of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics. That same day marked the former U.S. senator’s 80th birthday.
This year, the Dole Institute marks its 20th anniversary and Dole’s centenary with a Landmark Celebration. On April 25, in a groundbreaking ceremony attended by former U.S. Sens. Trent Lott and Tom Daschle — Dole’s former colleagues and majority leaders from each party — world-renowned Kansas artist Stan Herd broke ground for a tribute earthwork to be dedicated at a public celebration on July 22 at the institute. A series of special programming and events will follow over the next three months.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to create a work that signifies reengaging people with the legacy of this distinguished Kansan and his leadership that prioritized finding common ground,” Herd said. “That is a concept that could use some attention these days.”
Over the coming weeks, the public is invited to observe Herd at work on-site at the institute and watch the earthwork take shape. The next scheduled work visit coincides with Memorial Day weekend, beginning May 26.
Students from across Kansas are encouraged to contribute their own artwork, which will be incorporated into the completed earthwork in July. Participation is free, and details are available at doleinstitute.org/landmark.
“Americans are looking for a way to engage in politics different from what we see today. The Dole Institute’s mission to cultivate common ground and bipartisan compromise in tomorrow’s leaders has never been more important,” said Audrey Coleman, the institute’s director. “We’re excited to engage the public very broadly as we commemorate these historic anniversaries. It’s an ideal and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate the bipartisan leadership of Senator Dole as an inspiration for the next generation of Kansans and beyond.”
Former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole expressed support for the Dole Institute’s plans to honor her late husband.
“My husband Bob’s legacy of strong leadership should never be forgotten,” Elizabeth Dole said. “I am delighted that, two decades later, the institute is vibrant and thriving.”
Details about upcoming events, including Herd’s work days, a special exhibition opening June 14 and July 22 events will be announced in the coming weeks. The earthwork will be maintained on the Dole Institute grounds through October. The public is invited to come view this unique art installation in development and explore the Dole Institute’s museum exhibitions. Visit doleinstitute.org for updated information.
From his humble beginnings in rural Kansas, to the battlefields of Italy in World War II to 35 years of legislative service to the country, Bob Dole dedicated his life to serving the American people. He was the driving force behind countless legislative initiatives benefiting Americans on both sides of the aisle including the bipartisan passing of the Social Security Reform Act of 1983, the Americans with Disabilities Act and several initiatives providing nutrition assistance to those in need worldwide.
He was respected for his ability to foster bipartisan support on significant issues as well as his support for military veterans. In 2017, Dole received the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian award, for his contributions as a soldier, legislator and statesman. In 2019, he was only the third person in history, after George Washington and the explorer William Clark, to receive an honorary promotion by the U.S. Army.
Sponsors of the Landmark Celebration include AARP Kansas, KU, C.J. and Becca Mahoney, Jeff and Mary Weinberg, Mark and Bette Morris Family Foundation, Capitol Federal, Carol and Fred Logan, H. Neil Mecaskey Jr. Foundation Inc., KU Alumni Association and Crickett and Scott Reed.
The Dole Institute, a landmark facility on par with the U.S. presidential libraries and the first of its kind in the world for a legislative leader, has become a vibrant forum for civil discourse, civic engagement, and idea exchange across the political spectrum, not only for KU students but for audiences of all ages. It is home to the historical collections of both Bob and Elizabeth Dole. All resources of the Dole Institute are free and open to the public.
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Contact: Emily Fisher, Kansas Public Radio, 785-864-0190, [email protected], @kprnews
KPR to present an evening of folk and bluegrass music with Ordinary Elephant
LAWRENCE – Kansas Public Radio continues to celebrate its 70th anniversary with a special upcoming evening of folk and bluegrass favorites. KPR and its folk program, “Trail Mix,” will present a concert May 4 at the Lied Center of Kansas Pavilion, featuring award-winning duo Ordinary Elephant and Kansas City singer-songwriter Joy Zimmerman. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the concert can be found at kansaspublicradio.org and will also be available for purchase at the door.
Husband and wife duo Pete and Crystal Damore make up Ordinary Elephant’s pairing of banjo, guitar and vocal harmonies. They have toured extensively throughout the United States and boast an impressive array of awards, including the International Folk Music Awards Artist of the Year in 2017. Their albums Honest (2019) and Before I Go (2017) have also been nationally recognized.
Local singer-songwriter Joy Zimmerman will open the concert, including music from her latest album The Canvas Before Us (2021). Zimmerman is described as being a natural writer, which is highlighted in the lyricism throughout her body of work. She is also the recipient of several awards and is a 10-time Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Songwriting Contest winner.
Kring’s Interiors and the Lied Center of Kansas are the event sponsors. Additional information about the event can be found at kansaspublicradio.org.
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Don’t miss new episodes of “When Experts Attack!,”
a KU News Service podcast hosted by Kansas Public Radio.
https://kansaspublicradio.org/when-experts-attack
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Contact: Mike Krings, KU News Service, 785-864-8860, [email protected], @MikeKrings
Study shows governments escape blame by contracting services such as prisoner transport
LAWRENCE — Governments and private contractors work together on countless functions, but when something goes wrong, who is to blame?
Zach Mohr, associate professor of public affairs & administration at the University of Kansas, is involved in a series of studies to examine how people determine blame and hold those in power accountable.
While research has shown deaths in prisons have increased in recent years, there is little public data available about how those deaths occur in specific contexts. There are a few high-profile cases of deaths happening during transport like that of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, but the majority do not make national headlines.
To better understand how people view such service failures, Mohr led one study that examined prisoner transport — a common practice at local, state and national levels, although it is not clear just how often it is contracted. He and colleagues surveyed more than 1,000 respondents to understand whether contracting services for prisoner transport allows governments to escape blame if someone dies during the operation.
Researchers found that blame does shift, depending not only on who provided the service, but also whether the victim was a fellow prisoner or civilian.
The study found that people blame government less when a service is contracted, reinforcing the idea that governments can escape blame for failures by contracting services to private providers.
“Sometimes when there is government and contracted services it is hard to hold those folks accountable, or even know who to blame when something goes wrong,” Mohr said.
The study also found people blame government more when the victim was another prisoner.
“There are a lot of people that are harmed in prisons. The common narrative is that people might not care about prisoners,” Mohr said. “But this suggests that, if given all the information, they do care, and we hope that would help lead to accountability and realizing that people care more than we might think.”
Published in the journal Public Management Review, the study was written with Jared McDonald of the University of Mary Washington and Jaclyn Piatak and Suzanne Leland of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
The experiment asked respondents to read a vignette about a prisoner transport that resulted in a death. In some cases, the department of corrections was conducting the service. In others, a private contractor conducted the service. In some scenarios, a prisoner killed a fellow inmate, while in others the victim was a civilian. Respondents were then asked who they felt was to blame for the failure and if the characteristics of the victim made a difference.
“It’s conclusive from our findings that contractors significantly reduce blame for governments in these types of failures,” Mohr said. “Which is a good reason for contracting services. But I should point out businesses do this, too — contracting certain services to avoid blame.”
By examining whether the characteristics of a victim influenced blame, the researchers were able to test whether the fundamental principle of equal protection under the law is possible.
Results showed people blame government more when the victim was another prisoner than when it was a bystander, contradicting social identity theory. That suggests people would not blame government more if the victim was of a lower social status, such as a prison inmate, compared to a citizen.
Mohr said that shows when a death occurs in a situation where the government should have more control, blame is higher, Mohr said.
An experimental look at how people assign blame when failures occur can help shine a light on public attitudes toward prison services and how prisoners are often treated like commodities, Mohr said.
Better understanding of how people assign blame in such cases could ultimately lead to better policies for accountability and ensuring people are properly held to account when failures lead to deaths of people in custody, he said.
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