Richard Laub
Encyclopedia
Richard S. Laub is a scientist from the United States. He is curator
of geology
at the Buffalo Museum of Science, and directs excavations at the Hiscock Site
in Byron, New York
. His work includes development of the hypothesis that tuberculosis
led to the extinction of the mastodon
.
, a Masters of Science in paleontology
and paleoecology
from Cornell University
, and a PhD. from the University of Cincinnati
.
in Byron, New York
. During the course of his work he has demonstrated that giant condors once lived in upstate New York.
Richard Laub has also hypothesized that an epidemic of tuberculosis
helped drive the mastodon to extinction. He finds it likely that most late Ice Age
mastodon in North America had the disease.
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
at the Buffalo Museum of Science, and directs excavations at the Hiscock Site
Hiscock Site
The Hiscock Site is an archaeological site in Byron, Western New York, United States that has yielded many mastodon and paleo-Indian artifacts. Now owned by the Buffalo Museum of Science, it has been studied by archeological excavation and analysis since 1983....
in Byron, New York
Byron, New York
Byron is a town in Genesee County, New York, United States. It was named in honor of Lord Byron. The town is on the northern border of the county, and lies northeast of the city of Batavia. The population was 2,493 at the 2000 census. The local school district, Byron-Bergen Central School District...
. His work includes development of the hypothesis that tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
led to the extinction of the mastodon
Mastodon
Mastodons were large tusked mammal species of the extinct genus Mammut which inhabited Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Central America from the Oligocene through Pleistocene, 33.9 mya to 11,000 years ago. The American mastodon is the most recent and best known species of the group...
.
Personal life and education
Richard Laub has a bachelor degree from Queens College, City University of New YorkQueens College, City University of New York
Queens College, located in Flushing, Queens, New York City, is one of the senior colleges of the City University of New York. It is also the fifth oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning. The college's seventy seven acre campus is located in the heart of the...
, a Masters of Science in paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
and paleoecology
Paleoecology
Paleoecology uses data from fossils and subfossils to reconstruct the ecosystems of the past. It involves the study of fossil organisms and their associated remains, including their life cycle, living interactions, natural environment, and manner of death and burial to reconstruct the...
from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, and a PhD. from the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
.
Work in paleoecology and archaeology
Laub's scientific interests are in paleoecology and archaeology of the Northeastern United States. He is curator of geology at the Buffalo Museum of Science and directs excavations at the Hiscock SiteHiscock Site
The Hiscock Site is an archaeological site in Byron, Western New York, United States that has yielded many mastodon and paleo-Indian artifacts. Now owned by the Buffalo Museum of Science, it has been studied by archeological excavation and analysis since 1983....
in Byron, New York
Byron, New York
Byron is a town in Genesee County, New York, United States. It was named in honor of Lord Byron. The town is on the northern border of the county, and lies northeast of the city of Batavia. The population was 2,493 at the 2000 census. The local school district, Byron-Bergen Central School District...
. During the course of his work he has demonstrated that giant condors once lived in upstate New York.
Richard Laub has also hypothesized that an epidemic of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
helped drive the mastodon to extinction. He finds it likely that most late Ice Age
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
mastodon in North America had the disease.