 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
SEA LAB
PARTNERS IN PBS SERIES AIRING IN APRIL Feb 28, 2002 |
|
| Media
Contact: Lisa Young 251/861-7509 Where did we come from? Ever since Charles Darwin put forth his remarkable theory of evolution, many scientists have suspected that all animals from whales to humans, clams to jellyfish, dragonflies to ants could trace their origins back to a single creature. But what could the so-called animal "Eve," the first living, breathing, animal, be? Today we are standing on the brink of a scientific revolution, where science and technology are converging to give us the tools not only to piece together our own evolutionary history, but also the history of all animal life. It is a story of triumph and failure, demise and glory, and it is changing the way we view all animal life on Earth. It is a tale that is at last being told in The Shape of Life. The Shape of Life, produced by Sea Studios Foundation for National Geographic Television & Film in association with PBS and presented by KCET/Hollywood, tells the magnificent story of the unsung heroes of the animal world. Hi-definition digital video and innovative camera techniques bring creatures rarely filmed into viewers¹ living rooms with startling clarity and vivid reality. This is the story of animal life as it has never been told before. The Sea Lab was chosen as an educational partner in the production of The Shape of Life. In conjunction with the series, Sea Lab faculty are preparing curricula for students and teachers to use the material in the classroom. Exhibits on invertebrates and other animals represented in the series will be displayed in the Estuarium, the aquarium of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The multipart series, premiering Tuesday, April 2 in a two-hour block from 9-11pm on PBS stations nationwide, celebrates the diversity of animal life on Earth through the stories of scientists who have dedicated their lives to studying them and through the lives of the animals themselves. Breathtaking computer animations, stunning cinematography and fantastic storytelling transports viewers on a journey that leads them into the belly of a sponge, to exotic ports of call around the world, and back in time through the eyes of paleontologists, geneticists and biologists. It is an adventure viewers will not forget. Subsequent episodes of The Shape of Life will air April 9 and 16. The series, narrated by actor Peter Coyote (ET, Erin Brokovich), not only tells the stories of the dramatic rise of the animal kingdom, but it also helps makes sense of the astounding diversity of animal life that exists today. Each hour tells a piece of the evolutionary tale, using stunning photography and computer animations to focus on the foundation upon which nearly all of animal life is built. "We wanted to tell this story, and tell it well. The Shape of Life is a unique combination of natural history and groundbreaking science. Through advances in digital animation, hi-definition filming and our own innovations in cinematography, we are able to transport viewers into the fascinating lives of these animals in a way that has never been seen before. Really, this series is the pre-quel to every natural history programs that has ever been made." Each episode asks some of the most important and yet basic questions about life where did we come from, what are our genetic roots, what was the first animal to evolve muscles and movement and highlights the scientific breakthroughs that are answering these questions. The Shape of Life presents such revolutionary findings as geneticist Mitchell Sogin¹s pioneering DNA research that reveals that all animals are descended from the humble sponge; biologist Bruce Robison¹s use of a deep-diving, remotely operated vehicle (ROV ) to probe never-before-explored ocean realms and his discovery of an undocumented species of jellyfish; and biologist Gerrat Vermeij's theories on the predatory arms race that led to animal diversity. Other educational partners: … Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Los Angeles, CA (www.cabrilloaq.org) … Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA (www.montereybayaquarium.org) … National Aquarium in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD (www.aqua.org) … New England Aquarium, Boston, MA (www.neaq.org) … John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL (www.sheddnet.org) … Wildlife Conservation Society (New York Aquarium), New York, NY (wcs.org/home/zoos/nyaquarium) … Waikiki Aquarium, Honolulu, HI (www.mic.hawaii.edu/aquarium) … Audubon Institute, Aquarium of the Americas, New Orleans, LA (www.auduboninstitute.org/html/aa_aquariumain.html) … Seattle Aquarium, Seattle, WA (www.seattleaquarium.org) … Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Mobile, AL (http://estuarium.disl.org) … Florida Aquarium, Tampa, FL (www.flaquarium.net) # # # Media Contacts: Jeff Klein & Brian Reinert, Bender/Helper Impact, 212-689-6360, jeff_klein@bhimpact.com/brian_reinert@bhimpact.com Sheila Foster, Sea Studios Foundation, 831-649-5152 x211, sheila@seastudios.com Elizabeth Gehman, National Geographic, 202-775-6163, egehman@ngs.org For additional images visit www.shapeoflife.com/promo |
|
