PSU Magazine Fall 2013

AROUND THE PARK BLOCKS Looking for clues in ancient otter DNA Student receives crown Junior Katie Harman has a good reason for taking this academic year off: a commitment to re ign as Miss America. The first Oregonian to win the crown, Harman impressed the judges with her candor, looks, and opera qual– ity voice. All too aware of recent terrorists attacks, Harman was quick to offer assistance. She will work with the United Way's fund for victims and entertain through the United Service Organization (USO) . Once her reign is over, Harman plans to return to school and complete her degree in speech communication and work toward a master's in bioethics. The $75,000 scholarship that comes with the title will surely help. Ancient sea otter bones discarded by long-ago Native Americans and now the prize of archeologists may ho ld a secret-one that PSU re earchers hope to learn. Once a staple for Oregon coastal tribes, the wild sea otter-"elakha" to Native Americans-no longer lives along the Oregon coast. But the bones, or rather the DNA extracted from the bones, may show which mod– em species would be best suited for reintroduction to Oregon. Is the Northern sea otter, which popu lates the A leutian Islands of A laska-related, or the species that lives on the Cali– fornia coast? Or were the once plenti– fu l Oregon sea otters a mix of both? Deborah Duffield, professor of biology, and graduate student Kim Valentine are working to recover the DNA from the prehistoric sea otter remains. But it is not an easy task as ancient DNA sometimes breaks down, and focusing on the righ t section of the biological bar code is a meticulous process. L E T T E R S The only thing missing • • • Thank you for the research and article on the formation of the Mid– dle East Studies Center at PSU [PSU Magazine, spring 2001). The only thing missing from the article was a picture and interview with the founder, Dr. Fred Cox. He is alive and quite well, dividing his time between Palm Desert and Sal– ishan. I thought that with a little more research , the author of the article could have located him and it would have enriched his writing even more to have included first– hand memories of Cox's experi – ences. As a 1964 PSU graduate, I would very much like to see someone interview some of the old h istory professors of that era since it wa a halcyon time for those of us fortu - 4 PSU MAGAZINE FALL 2001 nate to have grown under the tute– lage of Dr. George Carbone, Dr. Cox, and Dr. Victor Dahl. All three men are currently alive and living in Oregon . I fee l confident in saying that many in the alum group known as the 1620 C lub would be thrilled to read what these three scholars are doing with their golden years. Sandra Carbone sent by email PSU Magazine wants to hear from you. Send your comments to PSU Magazine, Portland State Univer– sity, PO Box 751, Portland OR 97207-0751; or to email address psumag@pdx.edu . We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. Why does anyone care about rein– troducing the sea otter to Oregon? David Hatch, an engineer with the city of Portland, sees the otter as a missing link in Oregon's coastal ecosystem. Sea otters eat crabs, clams, mussels, and most importantly, sea urchins. Biologists believe that uncon– trolled sea urchin populations are responsible for gobbling up the kelp forests that once grew along rocky sections of the coast, providing a nursery for fish. "The whole ecosystem was upset when we lost kelp, and if we want that ecosystem to recover, the otter has be part of it," says Hatch, who is a mem– ber of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz. Hatch organized the Elakha Alliance, which includes representa– tives from his and other tribes, state and federal wildlife agencies, the Oregon Zoo, the Oregon Coast Aquar– ium, scientists from Oregon State University, and of course, Portland State. The genetic analysis from the PSU scienti ts is seen as a vital part of the project in order to avoid repeating a failed attempt made in the 1970s to reintroduce sea otters in Oregon. Approximately 140 Ala~kan otters were relocated to Oregon and Wash– ington in 1970 and 1971. The Wash– ington population now numbers more than 500, but by 1980 the Oregon otters had all but disappeared. Some scientists suspect those animals might have been a different species, with teeth of a different size and shape from the original Oregon otter. "It's possible that those just came from the wrong population," says Vir– ginia Butler, professor of anthropology and a leader of the otter project. PSU researchers and others are working together to make sure that any future attempt to bring elakha back to Oregon keeps them in Oregon. "It's exciting," says Butler, "because it brings together biology with archaeol– ogy to answer a question that may be important to restoring a healthy ecosystem today." D