Biographical Memoirs Volume 83 (2003) / Chapter Skim
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Heinz Adolf Lowenstam
Heinz Adolf Lowenstam
Pages 94-119
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From page 95... ...
In the postwar isotope frenzy at the University of Chicago Heinz was drafted as the "atomic paleontologist" for Harold Urey's research group. His initial role was to provicle pristine fossil materials for isotopic paTeotemperature determinations, but his involvement grew rapicIly to inclucle that of identifying the most important scientific questions 95
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From page 96... ...
for the growing fielcl of stable isotope geochemistry. In the process of fincling unalterecl fossil materials Heinz also began to woncler about the process of biomineraTization itself: How clo animals make minerals uncler biological control?
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From page 97... ...
Later in life Heinz wouIcl often comment on this peculiar background! with statements like, "Ha, ha, ha, .
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From page 98... ...
to other universities, en cl in the fall of 1933 Heinz chose to continue at the University of Munich, which hacl the strongest German program in paleontology with the most international outlook. Shortly thereafter Aclolf Hitler was namecl chancellor en cl the situation for German Jews became increasingly more precarious.
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From page 99... ...
At the time Heinz clicl not know that this was also the ultimate source of his fielcl support in Palestine. Upon completion of his dissertation research in the micicIle of 1936, Heinz returned to Munich en cl spent about a year finishing his thesis.
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From page 100... ...
So Dacque wrote a letter on official university stationery, with the Nazi university seal on it, saying I had fulfilled the qualifications of the Ph.D., but due to political circumstances, they couldn't give me the diploma. He went over with me to Broili, who was the head of the paleontology department to have Broili sign where he had typed out his name.
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From page 101... ...
The visa queue for Polish citizens seeking to immigrate to the Unitecl States hacl been hopelessly overdrawn for 15 years. However, the U.S.
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From page 102... ...
Having no funds for field research, Heinz discovered that he could take the Chicago streetcar system to the end of the Stony Islancl line to reach an area rich with fossil coral reefs. His rationale for launching his studies on the paleoecology of the coral reef environments (which lee!
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From page 103... ...
of smaller forms aciaptecl to a darker, less active environment. Upon further stucly Heinz cliscoverecl that he couIcl identify changes in the ecological communities surrouncIing the reef environments that variecl systematically with distance from the reef complex, and was even able to determine the direction of the prevailing wincis 400 million years ago from the horseshoe-shape atoll structures.
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From page 104... ...
Immecliately after the war the University of Chicago was a hotbed of isotopic research en cl was in particular the birthplace of isotope geochemistry. HaroIcl Urey hacl recognized the importance of isotopic measurements for interpreting the past history of the Earth en cl hacl assemblecl a team focused on using deviations in stable isotope ratios to measure the temperature of ancient oceans.
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From page 105... ...
After another year, en cl with much more arm twisting, Urey convinced Heinz (ancl the Chicago administration that he shouIcl teach as well as do research, as it was the best method to attract the best, most skillecl students. Heinz at first thought that his horrible blencl of Milwaukee-German/English wouIcl preclucle effective teaching, but in fact it enhancer!
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From page 106... ...
Initially Heinz was hesitant to leave Chicago, but it was clear that most of the young, exciting geochemists of the Chicago "mafia" were departing, and even Urey eventually moved to California. Harrison Brown, Sam Epstein, en cl CIair Patterson came initially to Caltech and founded a new program in geochemistry, with support from the AEC this group was able to attract a superb engineer (Charles McKinney)
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From page 107... ...
truth" for the stucly of fossil materials, if the paleotemperature measurements clicl not work on a moclern clam grown in open ocean waters of known temperature, how then conic! one interpret results of ancient fossil materials?
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From page 108... ...
Among other things he discovered that the aragonite needles that form most of the sedimentary mass in the back-reef lagoons of Bermuda were actually proclucec! by microscopic algae, this triggered a vigorous debate with carbonate petrologists, all of whom hacl assumed that they formecl through inorganic processes.
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From page 109... ...
with Tong strips of small chevronshapecl groves that wanclerecl over each other en cl overlappecl in complex patterns, something like tanglecl noocIles. While he was examining this, a chiton (a mollusk of the class Polyplacophora)
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From page 110... ...
a nice set of diffraction lines. Unfortunately, they clicl not match any of the stanciarcl minerals that are commonly found in the reef environments.
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From page 111... ...
Of aciclitional importance was the fact that the raclular teeth stuck strongly to a magnet. That was the first clear, macroscopic, en cl easily reproclucible effect of a magnetic field on a biological structure, and in one sense earns Heinz the title of father of biomagnetism.
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From page 112... ...
(As of this writing the best evidence for ancient life on Mars is the presence of probable biogenic magnetite in the ALHS4001 meteorite. ~ In the vertebrates, chains of uniform-size magnetite crystals, optimized for their magnetic properties, have been founcl recently in specializecl cells connected to the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve, this nerve is now known as the main conduit of magnetic fielcl information to the brain.
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From page 113... ...
Some organisms actively direct every aspect of the mineral formation process, inclucling chemical purity, crystallinity, crystal orientation, en cl crystal shape en cl size. By precipitating the minerals inside the cell they produce mineral products that are unlike anything proclucec!
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From page 114... ...
Hence, most of the clifficult evolutionary prerequisites neeclecl for the wiclespreacl biomineralization of evolving animal groups were aireacly present Tong before something associates! with the Cambrian Explosion (like a runaway preciator/prey interaction)
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From page 115... ...
In one episode in the early 1970s we counter! no less than five cigarettes lit at the same time scattered along the chalk tray, as Heinz wouIcl become so excited en cl immersed in his subject that he wouic!
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From page 116... ...
Report of Investigations Illinois State Geological Survey 45 (36)
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From page 117... ...
Amorphous, hydrous, ferric phosphatic dermal granules in Molpadia (Holothuroidea) : Physical and chemical characterization and ecologic implications of the bioinorganic fraction.
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From page 118... ...
Hood. Fossil mollusk shell organic matrix components preserved for 80 million years.
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