Web Series Premiere: Chicago Tonight's "Field Trip"

Dermestid Beetle Colony

You know those field trips you took as kid? Walking in a single-file line, bus rides with your “buddy,” being hurried through an exhibit? Well, unlike those trips, Chicago Tonight’s “Field Trip” brings you behind the scenes at The Field Museum to show you some amazing science that is usually off limits to the general public.

The Field Museum houses nearly 25 million specimens, but less than 1 percent are on display. That’s where our “Field Trip” comes in. We’ve been given special access to show you some of the fascinating research scientists are working on at The Field.

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In this first episode of our online series, we bring you to the Dermestid Beetle Colony. Why does The Field Museum house a colony of beetles? Well, these critters have a special job—to eat the flesh off dead animals so that researchers can study their skeletons.

Why beetles? Boiling the bones or using chemicals could actually damage the specimen. Take an exclusive look at The Field Museum’s Dermestid Beetle Colony in the following video. If you are squeamish about blood -- you've been warned.

Be sure to check back next month for another installment of Chicago Tonight’s “Field Trip.”

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