Dolan DNALC Exhibition

Our Human Inheritance

We now feature Ötzi the Iceman and ancient human ancestors in the DNALC's main gallery space.

The rear gallery exhibitions feature:

• A timeline of the history of life on Earth highlighting key developments that have allowed life to flourish on our planet.
• The processes and outcomes of evolution are illustrated through several interesting stories, including on the evolution of the eye.
• A large touchscreen map of the human genome will facilitate investigation of “genome spots” related to human health and ancestry.
• A literal mirror will be held up to visitors at an interactive human traits wall, to explore human diversity and variation.

Ötzi the Iceman

In the fall of 1991, two hikers in the Ötztal Alps came upon the mummified remains of a 5,300 year old man. Now preserved in a climate-controlled freezer at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, Ötzi's body and accompanying artifacts provide a window into life in Europe during the Copper Age.

The mummy also provided a number of medical surprises. Although we think of Lyme disease as a new phenomenon that originated in Connecticut, Ötzi was infected with the Lyme disease microbe. His diet was filled with unprocessed, natural foods, yet he suffered from atherosclerosis. Most mysteriously, Ötzi died from an arrow shot to the back—his murderer had followed him up to the 10,200 foot pass where his body was found.

Making the Ötzi Sculpture

The DNALC worked with the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology to make three 3D replicas of the Ötzi mummy; one is installed in the exhibit at the DNALC in Cold Spring Harbor, one housed at the South Tyrol Museum, and the other will be in the DNALC NYC at City Tech. These will be the only authorized replicas of Ötzi.

The Ötzi replicas were made by Gary Staab, the leading artist specializing in natural history and prehistoric life models for museums. The initial replica was made by large-scale 3D printing from a CT scan of the original Ötzi mummy. The 3D print was used to make a rubber mold, from which a durable resin cast was made. This was followed by weeks of finishing and painting, based upon an existing photographic atlas of Ötzi.

The process of creating the replica and installing it at the DNALC was documented to create a NOVA television special, Iceman Reborn, produced by Bsquared Media. The program premiered on February 17, 2016.