National Geographic USA 12.2020

12.2020

SAVING
THE
GREAT
LAKES

The irreplaceable,
fragile ecosystem holds
six quadrillion gallons
of freshwater that our
planet needs to survive

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[J NATIONAL 1 FURTHER I DECEMBER 2020
GEOGRAPHIC

I CONTENTS On the Cover

A storm moves over
Lake Michigan in this
view from the Empire
Bluff Trail in Sleeping Bear
Dunes National Lakeshore,
near Empire, Michigan.

KEITH LADZINSKI

IPROOF IEXPLORE
17
THE BIG IDEA
8 34
Celebrating in
As Seen From the Pandemic CAPTURED
the Ground Lockdowns limit
Quarantined in the togetherness. But the Color Chemistry
Veluwe region of the holidays’ love and light From black-hole black
Netherlands, a photog- are still within reach. to hotter-than-hot pink,
rapher documents the scientists make color
many fungi in his yard BY ANNE LAMOTT visible in new ways.
and nearby woods.
DECODER BY SARAH GIBBENS
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS
Saber-Toothed Giant DATA SHEET
BY JAN VERMEER We know more about
its bite and its build, The State of Women
thanks to new studies. A new index shows that
the well-being of U.S.
BY FERNANDO G. BAPTISTA women varies widely
A N D PAT R I C I A H E A LY from state to state.

ALSO BY IRENE BERMAN-VAPORIS,
LAWSON PARKER, AND
Undersea Diversity ROSEMARY WARDLEY
Bubble Pollination
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D E C E M B E R | CONTENTS

I F E AT U R E S So Great, So Fragile The World’s Lullabies Bites That Kill
The Great Lakes hold Songs that soothe As many as 138,000
84 percent of North little ones to sleep people die each year
America’s surface fresh- also reflect grown-ups’ from snakebites and
water and helped make hopes and fears. another 400,000 are
the United States an permanently disabled,
agricultural and indus- STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS says the World Health
trial powerhouse. But Organization. It has
now climate change, BY HANNAH REYES MORALES become a health crisis
pollution, and invasive in sub-Saharan Africa,
species threaten what . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 82 where getting treat-
may be the continent’s ment can be difficult
most valuable resource. Arctic Dreaming and antivenoms are
In Russia’s far north, in short supply.
BY TIM FOLGER a native returns to the
memories and colors STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS
PHOTOGRAPHS BY of the long polar night.
BY THOMAS NICOLON
KEITH LADZINSKI STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 128
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 40 BY E VG E N I A A R B U GA E VA

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 108



D E C E M B E R | FROM JILL TIEFENTHALER

NATIONAL Responding to a Rapidly
GEOGRAPHIC

SOCIETY Changing World
YEAR IN REVIEW

O U R WO R L D H A S C H A N G E D dramati- curate the projects that focus on Black
cally since I accepted the position as Americans, we’ve enlisted the help of
CEO of the National Geographic Soci- C. Daniel Dawson, an adjunct profes-
ety in January, having spent the past sor at Columbia University. We’ve also
nine years as president of Colorado partnered with National Geographic’s
College. When we look back on 2020, television networks to promote diversity
organizations will be measured by how and inclusion in television production
they reacted to two life-altering global with our Field Ready Program.
events: the COVID-19 pandemic and
the racial justice movement spurred by We can only achieve our mission to
systemic racism and violence toward illuminate and protect the wonder of
Black Americans. National Geographic our world when people of every race,
has covered both extensively. identity, experience, and ability have a
role in our work. With that goal, we enter
In response to the pandemic, the 2021 as a stronger organization, posi-
Society pivoted to focus its education tioned for excellence and relevance in
programs on supporting teachers, par- a rapidly changing world. Throughout
ents, and students with learn-at-home my career I have pursued organizations
resources, including a series connect- that share my values—a commitment
ing students with National Geographic to mission, boldness, transformative
explorers on all seven continents. To education, and dedication to advancing
help educators design distance-learning meaningful change. I’m honored to lead
resources, we gave grants to teachers in this institution and am grateful for your
under-resourced communities dispro- continued support. j
portionately affected by the pandemic.
And to ensure that news about COVID- Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO, National Geographic Society
19 was reported safely and included
stories of marginalized communities,
we launched a global emergency fund
for journalists, financing more than 150
projects in over 50 countries.

At the same time, we accelerated the
Society’s efforts to identify, support, and
elevate the work and voices of explor-
ers—scientists, educators, and story-
tellers who are Black, Indigenous, and
people of color. Though our community
of grantees and educators has never
been more diverse—in 2019, 62 percent
of our grants were awarded to citizens of
countries other than the United States,
and almost 50 percent were awarded to
women—we have more to do.

In July we announced a diverse
group of new storytelling fellows, whose
projects include documenting Indige-
nous women’s resistance against the
exploitation of natural resources and
telling the stories of those who lost a
family member to gun violence. To

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D E C E M B E R | FROM THE EDITOR

THE GREAT Valuing the Lakes
LAKES (From a Distance)

BY SUSAN GOLDBERG PHOTOGRAPH BY KEITH LADZINSKI

I G R E W U P in the Great Lakes State, as much as they used to, and severe Youngsters play in Lake
and for many years now, during my storms have become more frequent. Michigan near the lighthouse
annual summer (yes, it has to be sum- in Michigan City, Indiana. The
mer) visit back to Michigan, I’m always Everywhere you look on Earth, there five Great Lakes have borders
happy about what I don’t see. I don’t are big problems. Fires out of control with eight U.S. states—Illinois,
see throngs of Californians (sorry) on the U.S. West Coast and, shockingly, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota,
swarming adorable lakeside towns in the Siberian Arctic. Melting ice in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
like Petoskey or Glen Arbor. I don’t see Antarctica and melting glaciers in the and Wisconsin—and one
hordes of New Yorkers (sorry) splashing Himalaya. The careless destruction of Canadian province, Ontario.
about Lake Michigan or thundering the Amazonian rainforest. You hear a
down the steep white sands of Sleeping lot about these problems in National
Bear Dunes. Geographic and in other media. But
we hear less about what’s happening
No offense to the multitudes on both to the Great Lakes: the irreplaceable,
coasts, but I’ve always been glad the fragile ecosystem of six quadrillion
still-unspoiled charms of northwest gallons of freshwater that our planet
Michigan felt like my secret—or at needs to survive.
least a secret held by a smaller group
of people, largely from the Midwest. So read Folger’s story. Appreciate
the beauty of the landscape in the
Lately, however, I’ve been thinking stunning photos by Keith Ladzinski.
about the downside of being out of Become an advocate to protect our
sight and out of mind. Great Lakes. (But please, don’t visit.)

Most people seldom think about Thank you for reading National
Lakes Michigan, Huron, Superior, Erie,
and Ontario. Many can’t even name all Geographic. j
five. But they should care about them
because, as Tim Folger writes in this
month’s cover story, the Great Lakes
are “arguably the continent’s most
precious resource, incalculably more
valuable than oil, gas, or coal.”

Together the lakes hold more than
20 percent of the surface freshwater
on Earth and 84 percent of the surface
freshwater in North America. Almost
40 million Americans and Canadians
“drink from the lakes, fish on them,
transport goods over them, farm their
shores, and work in cities that wouldn’t
exist” without them, Folger writes.

And yet we abuse them terribly:
polluting them, introducing invasive
species, allowing fertilizer runoff to
create algal blooms large enough that
they can be seen from space. Climate
change means the lakes don’t freeze

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LENDER

PROOF

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
VOL. 238 NO. 6

AS SEEN FROM
THE GROUND

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS LOOKING
BY JAN VERMEER AT THE
EARTH
Quarantined in the Veluwe FROM
region of the Netherlands, a E V E RY
photographer studies the fungi in POSSIBLE
his garden and nearby woods. ANGLE

8 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

One of the best-known
wild mushroom species,
the fly agaric (Amanita
muscaria) is the photo-
grapher’s favorite, and
he was delighted to
find it growing in his
yard and his neighbor’s.

DECEMBER 2020 9

PROOF

When light falls through the cap of the fly agaric mushroom, the underside’s intricate pattern takes
on a vibrant glow. The species is known to be poisonous and psychoactive.

10 N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C

This small purple fungus, Ramariopsis pulchella, was growing in Gelderland Province on the Dutch-
German border. European conservation groups are monitoring it as possibly threatened.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 11

PROOF

12 N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C

•

To mate, a Schizophyl-
lum commune mush-
room need only bump
its fibrous mycelium
against another so cells
connect. This species
can have tens of thou-
sands of mating types
and can reproduce
with compatible ones.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 13

PROOF

THE BACKSTORY

FUNGI ARE GOOD INDICATORS OF THE STATE OF A FOREST:
WHEN THEY FLOURISH, SO DO MANY OTHER LIFE-FORMS.

I ’ V E T RAV E L E D all over the world tak- mushrooms—is being thinned from
ing pictures of nature and ecosystems. some Dutch forests. With the rise of
When COVID-19 hit in March 2020 in power plants that run on biomass, that
the Netherlands, where I live, I stayed material can be turned into energy. But
home like everyone else. That’s when if there are disruptions of the woodland
I began to notice the fungi growing in cycle in which rotting matter creates
my yard and around my neighborhood. new soil, this could reduce the diversity
of fungi and have ripple effects across
That mushrooms and other fungi the ecosystem.
thrive in humidity became abundantly
clear to me starting in autumn 2019, In my yard, I’ve watched the vari-
when the Netherlands received an ous fungi grow and change with the
exceptional amount of precipitation. seasons. My favorites are fly agaric
mushrooms, with white stalks and
But perhaps more essential than bright red tops. I was delighted to dis-
humidity for fungi is dead wood. Rot- cover the polka-dotted fungus, but my
ting timber contains nutrients that neighbor had even nicer looking ones.
enter the soil, which in turn can help I asked him if he would mow around
microorganisms, fungi, and insects. them when he cut his grass, so I could
The entire food chain benefits from make an image—the one that opens
it. Around here, deposits of wood left this article.
behind from a former era of forest-
cutting have long enriched the soil and With fewer fungi, a forest would be
supported biodiversity. less rich ecologically—and more bor-
ing. So I’m always looking forward to
The situation may be changing. For the damp of autumn, to see how the
fire prevention, twigs, branches, and organisms will grow back. j
trees—material that can be food for

About 2.4 inches tall at most, Xylaria hypoxylon is known as carbon antlers or stag’s horn fungus.

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ILLUMINATING THE MYSTERIES—AND WONDERS—ALL AROUND US EVERY DAY

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC VOL. 238 NO. 6

Celebrating in
the Pandemic

WE’RE MISSING HOLIDAY CLOSENESS JUST WHEN WE NEED IT MOST.
BUT EVEN GRIM, UNCERTAIN TIMES HOLD SPARKS OF LOVE AND LIGHT.

BY ANNE LAMOTT

S S O M E T I M E S W E L E T G O of things, sometimes things
are taken away, and sometimes things break, such
as lives, hearts, entire ways of life. Doesn’t our world
feel broken in the time of COVID-19, maybe especially
when holy days arrive?

If we are wise, we avoid large gatherings, dinner
indoors with family and old friends, services at our
mosques, temples, churches—so we lose the joyful
and profound rituals and gatherings at this time
of devastation when we need them most. But does
this mean we lose the nurture, bonding, and sacred
silliness that ceremonies provide?

Maybe we can be fully immersed in the holy even
as we keep ourselves and our beloveds safe. Maybe
broken isn’t the end of the world. Maybe broken is
a new beginning, a portal.

Let’s start with what we mean by “holy.”
The word derives from whole, uninjured, healthy,
complete. I am not always feeling whole these days.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 17

E X P L O R E || THE BIG IDEA

I MADE ALTARS AROUND THE
HOUSE: FEATHERS TO REMIND
US OF FLIGHT, WEIGHTLESSNESS,
GRACE; SOMETHING FROM THE
BEACH THAT HAS BEEN TOSSED

AND CHURNED, BROUGHT
TO BEAUTY BY TURBULENCE.

Rather, I am often rattled, sad, mad, existentially
tired, and crunchy. I would love a nice burning bush
about now—but the holy doesn’t come only from the
divine, as I understand it. It’s woven through life.

The holy is not a spectacle, the Rockettes on stage
at the Taj Mahal backed by the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir. It is more often felt in small graces and bless-
ings, although you do have to be paying attention to
catch the momentousness of the moment. That’s the
rub. It is around us, above us, below us, and inside us
all the time. It’s here, but often we’re not.

Maybe our definition of holy and whole have
to change. The early morning is holy. Holy is the
warmth of the grocer or grandchild, or a bowl of
homegrown tomatoes from the neighbor who once
reported you on Nextdoor. I’m whole, -ish, older,
slower, with a few dings.

Holy are the candles of the menorah or carolers,
or a community bonfire. These days are about the
coming of the light—warmth, illumination, life
anew. The triumph of light over darkness, as in the
Persian tradition of Yalda: gathering with loved
ones by candlelight and firelight, reading poetry
and telling stories—and the inevitable sacrament
of eating special foods—to celebrate the longest
night of the year. It’s called “the night of birth.”
We are there now. It’s beautiful, and hard, as life so
often is. Suffering is part of the beauty of the human
drama. (I hate that.)

F I N D I N G W H AT I S S AC R E D amid the loss might look broken. You value them by repairing them. The gold
like a wild spiritual awakening. It might be a secular edging adds to the broken things’ beauty. You adorn
return to the rituals your people have been perform- the cracks so now they really show. (And as Leonard
ing for millennia—our peeps always did it, let’s do Cohen reminds us, that’s how the light gets in.)
it too—or new DIY rites your loved ones create.
(Sparklers, s’mores, and formal wear?) The world is broken. What is the gold?
On the visible level, the gold is appreciation that
All of these offer connection with the larger, truer comes from paying attention with gratitude to what
world, with the ancient, with timelessness and the is left: We praise the big things, the gifts of life, love,
luminous now. Rituals fill our souls and tummies. nature. But don’t forget nice windows, your books,
They distract, refocus, enliven. the curated strew of stuff that hooks us into memories
and people. I raise my eyes not only to the mountains
But what if there’s only you and a few others, a and stars but to my living room beams, to the view
couple of whom exhaust you?

Everything—our whole system of life, family,
travel—has ground to a halt. So if broken is what
we’ve got, where do we begin the repairs?

One possible solution is how the ancient Japanese
repaired broken pottery with gold along the mended
spots. You dishonor things if you won’t admit they are

18 N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C

Pocket shrines: For centuries, huge shrines have been built out of devotion to
Little devotional a great love (think Taj Mahal) or a religion—and in the same spirit,
items, long history people around the globe have created miniature versions. These
“pocket shrines” were often carried by troops; many of the ones
from both world wars are still around. Most consist of a tiny
vessel—leather or cloth case, wood or metal capsule, even a bullet
casing—sheltering a statuette or image. Today pocket shrines
may be fashioned in matchboxes and dedicated to many faiths.
Counselor Karla Helbert, who uses the shrines in grief and healing
therapy, says they’re helpful “to maintain a needed connection
with your loved one, or to create a sacred space for remembering
or engaging in any type of personal ritual.” — PAT R I C I A E D M O N D S

ILLUSTRATION: ELENI KALORKOTI D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 19

E X P L O R E | THE BIG IDEA

outside the windows. I savor the fresh air when I open are as sacred as the statues and tapestries we would
them; it’s the breath of the house. All these expand see in mosques, temples, Zendos, ashrams. We leave
me. And I savor Oreos instead of the double chocolate them around, to remember love.
death cake Becca brings to holidays.
It goes without saying that we put up photos of
Still, I long for my beloved communities, my fam- the people we love and miss: The connection is so
ily, the singing and sacred silence of church, the deep, deeper than the physical, and contact, so much
motley crowd of people who’ve joined us for dinner deeper than on the plane of talk. It is in the fullness
forever. I’m homesick for touch. I miss celebrations, of spirit, the capillary system, the ether of breath
good vibrations in the midst of grim times, and even and memories. It also goes without saying that we
loud celebratory noises. Loud noises scare off bad play our holy music—hymns, kirtans, klezmer, Are-
spirits. More than anything, I miss skin. tha—or listen to a wind chime, breezes made visible.

But we cannot fly anywhere or even drive to our Then—drumroll—we pick up the phone, or log on
cousin’s hunting lodge or mobile home. to Zoom, and by prearrangement, on Kwanzaa, New
Year’s Eve, as Shabbat starts, or the solstice, we reach
Left to my own devices, I am steeped in dread. But out. We say, “Hey, you!” As we used to bring our best
I am not left to my own devices: I have friends and an selves to weddings and funerals, we bring them now
imagination. Since COVID-19, I first imagined us as to what we can still attend, by phone, or by walks in
our own planets. We could holy up our homes, with the neighborhood, masked, waving.
our cranky selves and those we’re quarantined with,
who can wear on our last nerve. (I am not going to WHATEVER THE REALM, there can be a sense of direct
name names.) But that was too large a canvas for me transmission. Life has taken away some of the barbed
in my current condition. So I imagined my home as wire of our emotional difficulties—yay—and we
one of those glittery matchboxes friends have given appreciate what is left. We make eye contact with
me over the years, with Mother Mary on the cover, or each other, and this allows us to cry together; our eyes
Frida Kahlo, containing emblems of hope and faith: aligned: That is a lot of intimacy. The sound of each
packets of healing dirt from Chimayo, an origami other’s voices, the IV infusion to each other through
crane, a spray of dried bluebells, a heart. the port in our chest when our hearts are open.

Then I made altars around the house. Feathers to I have my body, where I live, the place of function,
remind us of flight, weightlessness, grace. A mini pleasure, pain, rest. I offer myself what I would offer
scroll with one line of scripture, from Woodstock-era a stranger: a hot bath, a plum, kind words.
peace activist Wavy Gravy: “Dare to struggle, dare to
grin.” And something from the beach that has been The meaning of this pandemic is that we are all
tossed and churned, brought to beauty by turbulence. vulnerable and connected. We are in this together,
spanning the globe, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Hin-
We can make an altar on the island in the kitchen— dus, pagans, Christians, atheists. This is so much
which, if you’re like me, is where we find ourselves bigger than the virus, because love and caring are
most often—or in an actual portable matchbox. bigger than anything—even, or especially, suffering.
These nudge the virus right out of the lane, here and
L I F E WA N T S TO K E E P reminding us of its sacred self, there, creating spaces we can slip right through.
but we have to open our eyes and hearts. Yes, our hair
looks like hell, and we’re out of shape, and dislike Even when we are lonely, hollow, heartbroken, or
our mate, and shouldn’t have had children, but God, angry, we can slip through these gaps into what we
what a sunset. And I so appreciate the roof over my have always longed for: presence, not presents. And
head. There is an exuberant patch of poppies and that will sustain us, let us rejoice and be fed, until we
weeds outside in the rocky dirt. The poppies are can be together again. j
lanterns: light over darkness, good over evil. Light
your lantern with self-love. Shine. Anne Lamott is the author of numerous New York Times best-
sellers, including Hallelujah Anyway; Small Victories; Stitches; and
We can’t feel many people’s warm skin, but we Help, Thanks, Wow. Her new book, Dusk Night Dawn: On Revival
have the scarf that Emmy knit, the cap Granddad left and Courage, will be published in March. A past recipient of a
us, our first toolbox that an uncle assembled for our Guggenheim Fellowship and an inductee to the California Hall
eighth birthday even though we were a girl. These of Fame, Lamott lives in Northern California.

THE MEANING OF THIS PANDEMIC IS THAT WE ARE
ALL VULNERABLE AND CONNECTED. THIS IS SO

MUCH BIGGER THAN THE VIRUS, BECAUSE LOVE AND
CARING ARE BIGGER THAN ANYTHING—EVEN,
OR E SPECIALLY, SUFFERING.

We gave 466 species a voice.

Since the debut of “Wildlife As Canon Sees It” in 1981, we have dedicated ~_______~ "'·--\\?d" dlilc ..c-o...Kair::
one page in National Geographic each month to telling the story of a different
endangered species. Issue after issue, year after year, the campaign rolled on, "\:
spotlighting a total of 466 species.
::.::::.."Co:!:
We thank you for sharing this journey with us, for reading about these unique I·-J·_ ·--·--- -_____ ____.._.. ..__.:_..__::_.·=_,_::_tt: ..
FUHDWXUHV OHDUQLQJ DERXW WKHLU OLYHV DQG WKH WKUHDWV WKH\ IDFH :H EHOLHYH LW·V
vitally important to raise awareness of the need for environmental conservation, ·-·---· '·--·-~.!1.'!!1
and as this series has shown, great photography can certainly help. ·-..--~--

Although the campaign has now come to an end, our commitment never will. 7KH À UVW DGYHUWLVHPHQW
Canon will continue to be there for photographers and to support the ideals
of biodiversity and coexistence in our world. Once again, thank you for sharing
39 unforgettable years.

canon

EXPLORE

INNOVATOR KATY CROFF BELL

BY ANNIE ROTH PHOTOGRAPH BY REBECCA HALE

This oceanographer
deploys technology,
diversity in exploration.

Most of the deep sea, Earth’s largest
habitat, has yet to be explored. Even
after decades of probing and scan-
ning the depths with submarines and
remotely operated vehicles, scientists
have seen just a fraction of what’s
down there.

In those uncharted waters Katy Croff
Bell sees a great opportunity to engage
women and people of color in science.

A National Geographic Society
fellow and an expert on the deep sea
(below 200 meters), Bell has been
on more than 40 oceanographic and
archaeological expeditions since
1999. When she began, there were few
women in the field.

“If we’re actually going to explore
the entire ocean, we not only need new
technology but also new communities
of people to be involved,” Bell says. She
has built a diverse coalition of deep-
sea explorers and students, and has
developed ways to make the area more
accessible to them.

New robotic and “telepresence”
technologies have allowed Bell and
others to make significant discover-
ies in recent years. In 2019 students
monitoring deep-sea cameras in a col-
laboration with National Geographic’s
Exploration Technology Lab were the
first to document the presence of cow
sharks in the Galápagos Islands.

Those students aren’t the only
ones joining Bell in the deep sea. By
deploying cameras in the depths and
livestreaming her expeditions, Bell lets
thousands of people around the world
explore the ocean with her. j

HIS FUTURE CAN BE YOUR LEGACY

You can leave the world better than you
found it. When you leave a gift to the
National Geographic Society in your will
or trust, or by beneficiary designation,
you can protect critical animal species
for generations to come. There is no
minimum amount and your gift costs
you nothing now. It’s an easy way to
make a lasting difference.

PHOTO: JOEL SARTORE
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO ARK

CREATE A LEGACY OF YOUR OWN

0 Yes! Please send me information on leaving a gift to the Mail to: National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society. Office of Planned Giving
1145 17th Street, N.W.
0 The National Geographic Society has already been included Washington, D.C. 20036-4688
in my estate plans.
Contact: [email protected]
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Please call me. natgeo.org/give/future-gifts

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E X P L O R E | BREAKTHROUGHS

D I S PATC H E S Tidying Up in Fly Cells
FROM THE FRONT LINES New research has identified a critical
enzyme in fruit flies that destroys pro-
OF SCIENCE teins inherited from the mother as the
A N D I N N OVAT I O N developing embryos (right) start to
make their own. Researchers named
the decluttering enzyme Marie Kondo,
after the Japanese tidying guru who
helps people discard things that no
longer bring them joy. — J S

C O N S E R VAT I O N T H E B O U Q U E T. T H
THE EXPERIENCE
Hail, snail:
New species Celebrate the world of wine with The
discovered
AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY
For the first time
POLLEN SPECIAL DELIVERY in 60 years, scien-
tists have identi-
DECLINE OF INSECTS LEADS SCIENTISTS TO EYE NEW fied a new native
WAYS TO P O L L I N AT E P L A N T S . O N E I D E A : D RO N E S land snail species
in Hawaii. Among
A S P O P U L AT I O N S O F B E E S and other natural pollinators diminish Earth’s most threat-
around the world, scientists are experimenting with high-tech ened animals, land
replacements. One early attempt by a Japanese research group was snails and slugs ac-
a sticky-bottomed drone that could carry pollen among flowers just count for 40 percent
as a flying insect would—but when the propellers got too close, they of known animal
damaged the plants. Now the same group has equipped drones with species extinctions
sprayers that release pollen-laden soap bubbles from a distance. since 1500. Hawaii
In tests, pollinating pear trees with bubbles produced fruit almost as has lost snails to
effectively as hand-pollinating (sometimes used to boost fruit trees’ invasive predators
yield). Some ecologists say that such high-tech efforts are misguided and reduced hab-
and distract from the more important need to conserve bees and itat. Finding the
other threatened pollinators. For now, the research group is forging striped-shelled
ahead: Next steps include developing a more biodegradable soap Oahu tree snail
solution for minimal environmental impact and improving the Auriculella gagne-
drone’s bubble-spraying accuracy. —J O R DA N SA L A M A orum is a glimmer
of hope for these
natural recyclers
and the conserva-
tionists working to
protect them. —J S

I AVA I L A B L E T H I S FA L L W H E R E V

NatGeoBooks @NatGe

PHOTOS (FROM TOP): MICHAEL ZAVORTINK, RISSLAND LAB, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE; EIJIRO MIYAKO; NORINE W. YEUNG

E X P L O R E | DECODER Macrauchenia
patachonica
Smilodon
SABER-TOOTHED
H E B O DY.
. THE ELEGANCE. GIANT

e New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia. B Y F ERNANDO G. BAP TISTA
A N D PAT R I C I A H E A LY

In the South American
savanna of the Pleistocene
epoch, the saber-toothed
big cat Smilodon survived by
ambushing resident mega-
fauna. A fossilized skull from
Uruguay shows that some
Smilodon were giants. It’s not
clear if this cat hunted solo or
in a pack—but studies reveal
that its bite, bone structure,
and limb strength made it a
formidable predator.

Toxodon Palaeolama
platensis major

Common ancestor, Saber-toothed cats
20 million years ago

Modern conical-toothed cats

VER BOOKS ARE SOLD © 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC
eoBooks

26 N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C

Modern MEGA-CAT Actual size
human of largest
In North America, the jaguar-size Smilodon gracilis was found mostly skull found
Late in what is now Florida and Pennsylvania; the slightly larger S. fatalis
Pleistocene is best known from tar pit fossil beds in California. Those two species SABERTOOTH
and the larger S. populator all roamed South America.
human Smilodon populator
5.25 ft, 143 lbs This reconstruction is based
on the largest skull found;
The Pleistocene closed with mega- LION it suggests a 960-pound cat.
fauna’s extinction and the arrival
of a new apex predator: humans. Panthera leo Shoulder height
4.3 ft
Hind limbs lower than A male modern lion
forelimbs make back can reach 550 pounds, Average
slope like a hyena’s. a female 400 pounds. 4 ft

Pelvis Shoulder height
3.3 ft

Long tails help Humerus
lions and chee-
tahs balance
at a run. Smilo-
don’s bobtail
is another clue
that it hunted
by ambush.

65° to 70°

Section bones
relative scale

Short Wrists adapted for
metatarsals stability and strength
helped the big cat in
Walking Cortical bone grappling prey.
angle
POWERFUL FORELIMBS MARKS OF INJURIES
SHORT HIND LIMB Semi-plantigrade Unlike other cats’ bones, these were Fossil signs—of broken bones and
reinforced—dense outer layer, thick teeth, spinal and chest injuries,
Like many big cats, it walked on its Plantigrade Digitigrade As foot bones are interior—so prey could be subdued a puncture wound to the skull—
toes (aka digitigrade). But to bear its closer to the ground quickly with less risk to fragile canines. speak to the life these cats lived.
great weight, strong hind limbs were than in other digiti-
shorter and foot bones less vertical. grades, some label
it semi-plantigrade.

MAURICIO ANTÓN, MUSEO NACIONAL DE CIENCIAS NATURALES, MADRID; HERVÉ BOCHERENS, U. OF TÜBINGEN AND SENCKENBERG CENTRE FOR HUMAN EVOLUTION AND PALAEOENVIRONMENT; NICOLAS R. CHIMENTO, MUSEO ARGENTINO DE CIENCIAS NATURALES; ALDO MANZUETT
URUGUAY; JULIE MEACHEN, DES MOINES U.; ASCANIO RINCÓN, VENEZUELAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH; LA BREA TAR PITS; ADRIÁN PABLOS, CENTRO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGACIÓN SOBRE LA EVOLUCIÓN HUMANA, SPAIN. LION TOOTH CROSS SECTION: REDA MOHAMED, U. OF

TIME LINE AND RANGES NORTH
S. gracilis, 220 lbs AMERICA
S. fatalis, 615 lbs
Died out SOUTH
S. populator, 960 lbs 11,500 A AMERICA
years ago
2.5 million years ago ndes
PLEISTOCENE Today

Hyoid Tongue HUNTING TECHNIQUE
bones
ROARING ABILITY Scientists once thought that Smilodon killed by knifelike
Smilodon roared from a special voice stabs of its canines. But studies of the strength and length
box: five hyoid bones in the same of its neck and muscle attachments have led to new theories.
area as in today’s roaring big cats.
Half of the tooth is the
90° to 95° root, anchored in the skull.

EXTREME BITE ANGLE Axis Throat
Smilodon’s mouth could open 25 of prey
degrees wider than a lion’s. Teeth
were anchored in a very thick skull SHEARING BITE 2 With a smaller gape angle, the •3 A backward pulling movement
to bear the force of biting motions. tore the throat of the prey,
1 Neck muscles pushed the jaw muscles were then engaged leaving it to bleed out quickly.
DOUBLE-FANGED
Permanent saber teeth grew about head down to assist insertion and the mouth closed for the kill.
one-fourth inch a month alongside of the upper canines.
milk teeth, or baby sabers. Juve- Actual size on
niles might have both for months. Force on of modern Cross secti
the neck lion's tooth
TI, U. OF THE REPUBLIC,
F THE WEST INDIES Anchor TOOTH TRAITS
Long, bladelike canines
JAW LEVERAGE were for quick strikes to
Another hypothesis: kill prey. They were too
that the cat anchored fragile to use to hold and
its lower jaw against suffocate prey as the
the prey, then used conical-toothed lion does.
neck force to rotate
and insert canines.

AMBUSH ATTACK

Bounding steps Grab with forelimbs; Hold prey with Tear throat and
tackle to the ground forelimbs blood vessels

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 29

E X P L O R E | DISCOVERY F LOW E R S , feathers, hemp threads,
shells, beads, even pieces of foil and
CROWNING wax. These are some of the items that
GLORY artist Dominika Dyka weaves into her
modern re-creations of the classic
TRADITIONAL HEADDRESSES vinok, or wreath.
RULE AGAIN IN UKRAINE.
Worn for centuries by girls and
P H OTO G R A P H BY DOMINIKA DYKA young women in Slavic countries, the
wreaths are thought to have pagan
origins. They are customary accessories
for weddings and Ivan Kupala festivi-
ties, when women place their wreath in
a river to divine their romantic future.
Will the water’s flow seal their fate—or
will a man jump in to save it?

The wreaths are gaining new
visibility thanks to artists, musicians,
and scenemakers. “You feel like a royal
when you wear one,” says musician
Daga Gregorowicz. And so do audi-
ences: “They may wear Wellingtons
at festivals in England—but here the
hipsters wear crowns.”

Dyka’s versions—made with collab-
orators at her Third Rooster workshop
in Lviv, Ukraine—are based on archival
images from museums and crowd-
sourced family photos. Her goal is to
catapult traditional crafts into colorful
emblems of national pride. “Earlier
craftswomen had fewer materials to
choose from,” says Dyka, but “fantasti-
cal imaginations.” — E V E C O N A N T

Musician Dana Vynnytska,
of the Ukrainian-Polish
band DAGADANA, wears a
modern vinok. The wreath
is festooned with dried plants,
sticks, and paper flowers.

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E X P L O R E | DATA SHEET

THE STATE OF WOMEN

B Y I R E N E B E R M A N -VA P O R I S , L AW S O N PA R K E R , A N D R O S E M A RY WA R D L E Y

Employment • Education • Maternal mortality • Political clout • Physical safety

How U.S. women fare in these key aspects of life varies widely across the nation, according to a new bench-
mark of women’s well-being. The 2020 U.S. Women, Peace and Security Index measures women’s inclusion
in society, sense of security, and exposure to discrimination. It shows how obstacles and opportunities for
women differ from state to state, driven by economic, racial, and ethnic disparities, among other factors.

National Geographic partnered with the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security to illustrate the U.S. index.

The index measures three categories, CATEGORY SCORES ...

• • •each composed of four subcategories. 0 WORST POSSIBLE 0.2 0.4

Inclusion Justice Security

National average Subcategory performance*

~43% Employment 0 Bottom rank Top rank
Women age 16 and older

who work 35 hours or

e33% more every week New Jersey (11)

Education The maternal mortality rate
Women age 25 and older
..among Black women is nearly
who have a bachelor’s
four times as high as the rate
e30% degree or higher for white women. .--

Government representation California (15) •
Seats held by women
Companies with at least five
in both chambers of the employees are required to
conduct sexual harassment
e6% state legislature prevention training.

Working poor
Poverty among women

who worked 27 weeks or

e2.5 more in the past year

Legal protection
Number of key laws

(out of seven) enacted to

e28% protect women’s rights • •• ••• .•Nevada (35)
.The state has high rates of gun
Discriminatory norms
Men age 18 and older who and intimate partner violence,

say it’s better if women ••but it’s the only one to reach

e62% work within the home . -~====--•~•-~•gender parity in its legislature.
- ~---GA Health-care
Reproductive health care - ----.- --=--------o ••affordability(79%)
Women living in a county • ·•--NMWorkingpoor(10%)

with a clinic that provides

e30 abortion services •
•
Maternal mortality
Deaths per 100,000 live

births from any cause

e3 related to pregnancy

Gun violence
Deaths per 100,000 women

from gun-related homicides

e7% or suicides in the past year SC Intimate WY Reproductive health
partner care (4%); Gun violence (9)
Intimate partner violence violence (11%)
Physically or sexually

harmed or stalked in the

e86% past year by a partner WY Employment (36%);
Education (22%); Government
Health-care affordability representation (13%)
Women who visited a
LA Maternal
doctor in the past year mortality (72)

e56% without financial difficulty 0 •

Community safety 0.2
Women age 18 and older who

aren’t afraid to walk alone at 0.4

night in their neighborhood

32 VISIT USA-INDEX.COM TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INDEX AND HOW IT WAS CREATED.

No place in the Best 1 WA MT ND NH
country achieves OR ID WY MN VT ME
the best or worst MA 0.71
possible score. All Range SD WI NY MA
six New England of MI RI
states rank in the top scores CT
10; the five lowest LA 0.17 NE IA PA NJ
performing states are KS IL
located in the South. Worst 0 NV UT CO IN OH DE
CA MO WV MD
VA
KY

OK AR TN NC DC

AZ NM SC

MS AL GA

TX LA

Massachusetts (RANK: 1) FL

Proactive legislative reforms in AK
the state, including an equal
pay act updated in 2018, have HI
helped close gender gaps. Alaska, Hawaii, and D.C. not to scale

Category 0.6 Overall 0.8 BEST POSSIBLE 1 OVERALL RANK
averages index score

Justice DC DC Employment (57%); 1 Massachusetts
Reproductive Education (58%) 2 Connecticut
Security health care 3 District of Columbia
Inclusion (100%) 4 Vermont
5 Rhode Island
NH Working District of Columbia (3) 6 New Hampshire
poor (2%) 7 Maryland
Washington, D.C., has the high- 8 New York
est average employment and 9 Maine
educational attainment rates 10 Hawaii
but massive racial disparities. 11 New Jersey
12 Minnesota
HI Health-care RI Intimate 13 Illinois
14 Colorado
affordability (93%) partner 15 California
16 Wisconsin
• _o OR Legal violence (4%) 17 Pennsylvania
protection 18 Oregon
•• • •• (86%) Oregon (18) 19 Nebraska
••• 20 North Dakota
AK Maternal Of seven state laws the index 21 Michigan
•·''·· •• •• mortality (12) deems vital to protecting 22 Delaware
women, Oregon passed six. 23 Iowa
•II. •: :• • Six states haven’t passed any. 24 Washington
••• ••'f' ••.• • 25 Ohio
Alaska (28) 26 Kansas
•••• ••••••• 26 Virginia
The seventh best state for 28 Alaska
29 South Dakota
inclusion is the 10th worst in 30 Florida
31 Arizona
security. It has particularly low 32 Montana
32 North Carolina
• levels of community safety. 34 Indiana
NV Government 35 Nevada
36 Utah
• representation (52%) 37 Georgia
• South Carolina (44) 38 Missouri
The state with the highest rate 39 Idaho
of intimate partner violence 40 New Mexico
doesn’t require domestic abus- 41 Texas
ers to relinquish their firearms. 42 Oklahoma
43 Wyoming
West Virginia (46) Louisiana (51) 44 South Carolina
45 Tennessee
The low-performing state The lifetime wage gap is 46 West Virginia
made gains recently, elect- highest here: For every dollar 47 Kentucky
ing its first openly transgen- a man makes, a woman earns 48 Alabama
der politician to office. 68.8 cents. 49 Arkansas
50 Mississippi
51 Louisiana

0.6 0.8 1.0

*SUBCATEGORIES WITH TIED SCORES NOT SHOWN ON GRAPHIC. THE INDEX RANKS ALL 50 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. SOURCES: JENI KLUGMAN, ELENA ORTIZ,
AND TURKAN MUKHTAROVA, GEORGETOWN INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY; INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN’S POLICY RESEARCH

EXPLORE ••

2

CAPTURED

ENHANCED
BY SCIENCE,
COLORFULLY
Chemists and physicists I T WA S T H E B R I G H T, iridescent
are experimenting with blue of the morpho butterfly •2. Extreme blue •
ways to make shades that inspired Andrew Parnell and his
inspired by nature even colleagues. Struck by the insect’s natu- Named YInMn (pronoun•ced
more vivid and intense. ral ability to produce vibrant hues, the
physicists and chemists began investi- yin-min), it’s the first new blue
BY SARAH GIBBENS gating how they too could produce pigment discovered in the past
eye-catching color—not with dyes, 200 years. The vivid color is sur-
1. Extreme black but by altering the structure of the
material itself. “We could make these •prisingly effective at reflecting
The superblack pigment really nice reflectors, very much like the
shown here, made by Brit- butterflies do, mimicking how nature heat, making it useful in keep-
ish artist Stuart Semple, makes them,” says Parnell, whose lab ing buildings cool.
is used in acrylic paint- at the University of Sheffield, England,
ing. Superblack coatings studies colors that span the rainbow. 3. Extreme pink
absorb nearly all visible
light, almost like a black A pigment produces color by absorb- The fluorescent pink pigment
hole. They make three- ing all but a specific wavelength of light. was created by Semple, who
dimensional objects look By contrast, colors produced by altering makes art materials and sells
flat. The famous Vantablack the arrangement of molecules reflect them online.
has been used to coat a only a specific wavelength. Parnell calls
luxury vehicle and watches, it the science of controlling light. 4. Extreme orange
but an even blacker black
was made last year by MIT. Blue pigments occur rarely in Manufactured by the Shepherd
nature. But some 4,800 miles to the Color Company, this RTZ Orange
west of Parnell’s lab, at Oregon State is also quite green—that is, free
University, materials scientist Mas of toxic components such as
Subramanian discovered a new blue lead and chromate.
pigment—by chance. Searching for
a magnetic material that could store 5. Extreme yellow
electricity and be used in computers,
Subramanian and his graduate stu- Like RTZ Orange, NTP Yellow
dents stuck a mixture of the metallic is made by Shepherd Color
elements yttrium, indium, and manga- and is used to give coatings
nese into a furnace and were surprised and plastics a vibrant, durable
to see that they’d created a bright blue yellow color.
substance. He named it YInMn, from
the elements’ symbols. j Hear more about the new blue
pigment on a coming episode
of our podcast, Overheard
at National Geographic.

34 N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C PHOTOS: REBECCA HALE, NGM STAFF

•

.• '

·•••

3

4 •
5
• • ••

.• •••

•••

1

E X P L O R E | CHECKLIST

LUCKY Around the globe,
CHARMS artful objects
offer hope and
cultural connection.

BY EVE CONANT

3DALA
HORSE
1 With origins in folk art—although one

researcher posits a controversial con-
nection to witchcraft—Sweden’s wooden
equines represent good fortune to some
and are emblems of the country itself.

PENCA DE BALANGANDAN M A N E K I - N E KO 4 THIS PROTECTIVE SYMBOL,

A customized IN JAPAN THESE HAMSA significant to both Jews
collection FELINE FIGURINES, (who call it hand of Mir-
Worn by enslaved OFTEN FOUND IN iam) and Muslims (hand
women during the 18th BUSINESSES, ARE of Fatima), shows up in
and 19th centuries in THOUGHT TO BRING necklaces, wall hangings,
the Brazilian state of LUCK AND WEALTH door knockers, and more,
Bahia, the assortments TO THE OWNERS. from Israel to Morocco.
of charms reflected WITH THEIR RAISED
the wearers’ life expe- (AND SOMETIMES -
riences and wishes— WAVING) PAWS, THEY
such as prosperity, WELCOME CUSTOMERS. NAZAR
fertility, and freedom.
Today gift shops and IN TURKEY AND
art galleries sell balan- OTHER PARTS OF THE
gandans as jewelry and ISLAMIC WORLD, THIS
decorative objects. OMNIPRESENT BLUE-
AND-WHITE AMULET IS
5 SUPPOSED TO AVERT THE
CURSE OF THE EVIL EYE,
A CONCEPT DATING BACK
AT LEAST 5,000 YEARS.

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): A BEAUTIFUL TIME ANTIQUITIES; JON HELGASON, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO;
TOBYPHOTOS, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES; PAUL STRAWSON, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Everyone coughs. And when you do, Robitussin Robitussin·
has just what you need to t ake care of it.
SHun couoHs DOWN
u.., a. d~rected C2020 GSK group of compan;es or itS licensor.

STAT E M E N T O F OW N E R S H I P, M A N AG E M E N T, A N D MO N T H LY C I RC U L AT I O N O F

NATIONAL

GEOGRAPHIC

OWNER AND PUBLISHER: National Geographic Partners, LLC
GARY E. KNELL , CHAIRMAN

SUSAN GOLDBERG, EDITOR IN CHIEF
HEADQUARTERS OF PUBLISHER AND PUBLICATION: 1145 Seventeenth Street N.W., Washington, DC 20036
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A. TOTAL COPIES PRINTED AVERAGE NO. COPIES EACH ISSUE SINGLE ISSUE NEAREST
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B. PAID CIRCULATION OCT 2019 - SEPT 2020 SEPTEMBER 2020
1. Outside-County Mail Subscriptions 2 ,572,471 2 , 3 3 7,9 1 0
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3. Single Copy Sales/Non USPS Paid Distribution 1,814,647 1,728,119
4. Other Classes Mailed Through USPS - -

C. TOTAL PAID CIRCULATION 454,832 4 0 9, 2 9 3
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4. Free Distribution Outside the Mail - -
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F. TOTAL DISTRIBUTION (Sum of C and E) 55,309 32,475
2,324,788 2,169,887
G. OFFICE USE, LEFTOVER, ETC. 247,683 168,023
2,572,471 2 , 3 3 7,9 1 0
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Icelandic skies alive with northern lights. The wildlife-rich Serengeti. Grand Canyon
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|N A T G E O E X P E D I T I O N S . C O M 1 - 8 8 8 - 3 5 1 - 3 2 7 4

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DECEMBER 2020

F EAT U R E S The Great Lakes . . . . . . . . . P. 40
Living Lullabies. . . . . . . . . . . . P. 82
Arctic Dreaming ........ P. 108
Snakebite Crisis ......... P. 128

~ "' 'liP" ~ ft.

It: ~
~,
~
~
IJ

It

82 ‘ L U L L A B I E S E X P R E S S N O T
JUST OUR GREATEST FEARS,
BUT IN THE SAME BREATH,
OUR HOPES AND PRAYERS. THEY
ARE LIKELY TO BE THE FIRST
LOVE SONGS CHILDREN HEAR.’

PHOTO: HANNAH REYES MORALES

SO GREAT,

40

"t"" -

SO FRAGILE

THE GREAT LAKES H O L D 8 4 P E R C E N T

O F N O RT H A M E R I C A’ S S U R FAC E F R E S H WAT E R . T H E Y H E L P E D M A K E T H E
UNITED STATES AN AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL POWERHOUSE .

B U T N O W climate change,
POLLUTION, and invasive species
 T H R E A T E N T H E C O N T I N E N T ’ S M O S T V A L U A B L E R E S O U R C E .

BY TIM FOLGER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY KEITH LADZINSKI

LAKE ERIE

A massive algal bloom
carpeted western Lake
Erie in the summer of
2019. At its peak the
bloom covered more
than 600 square miles.
The blooms can release
toxins into the water
that blister skin and
damage the liver. Once
rare, they now occur
almost every summer.

PREVIOUS PHOTO

LAKE MICHIGAN

Floodwater pours over
a walkway at Montrose
Beach near downtown
Chicago. In the first
half of 2019, heavy rains
raised the lake level
by almost two feet.
Scientists expect the
frequency of extreme
weather to increase
across the region in
the decades ahead.



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...

LAKE MICHIGAN

Wheeling gulls
compete for bread
crumbs at Indiana
Dunes National Park,
which had more than
two million visitors in
2019. Shaped by the
retreat of glaciers,
the shores of the
Great Lakes have
hosted humans for
thousands of years.

.. .

LAKE SUPERIOR
The Hurricane River,
on Michigan’s Upper
Peninsula, empties into
the south shore of Lake
Superior, the planet’s
largest body of fresh-
water measured by
surface area. The lake,
which holds more than
half the total water of
all five Great Lakes,
faces a range of threats,
from invasive species
to the loss of winter ice.

For the Anishinaabe,
hunting has never
been a sport, and life
is never taken lightly.

S O W H E N T H E B I G B U L L M O O S E approached Tom Morriseau
Borg, he felt a mix of gratitude, awe, and humility: The moose
was offering itself, a gift of life and meat from the forest that
Borg would share with family and friends. Borg, a traditional
Anishinaabe trapper, grew up near Lake Nipigon in western
Ontario in a home without electricity or running water. The
Anishinaabe have fished, hunted, and trapped there for cen-
turies, and after Borg shot the moose, he sprinkled tobacco
on the animal and whispered some prayers of thanks, just as
his grandfather had taught him.

But as he dressed the carcass—cutting it up to bring
home—Borg’s gratitude gave way to revulsion. When he
tried to extract the liver, which should have been firm and
meaty, it deliquesced into a bloody sludge, sliding goopily
through his fingers. Since that hunt, Borg has found simi-
larly diseased livers in several animals. “I notice it in rabbits,
beavers, and in partridges,” he said. “The favorite part of
the rabbit for me was the rib cage, with the heart and the

46 N AT I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C