Mahwah January 18, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 15 The entire Hawaiian population of the peat moss Sphagnum palustre appears to be a clone that has been in existence for some 50,000 years, researchers have discovered. Among the most long-lived of organisms, every plant of the Hawaiian population appears to have been produced by vegetative, rather than sexual, propagation and can be traced back to a single parent, according to a team of researchers headed by Eric Karlin, Ramapo College professor of plant ecology. The genetic diversity of the Hawaiian clone is comparable to that detected in populations of S. palustre that do propagate sexually and occur across vaster regions, chronicled the study, which was published online in December by the journal New Phytologist. “The genetic diversity of populations occurring on small remote islands is typically much lower than that detected in Team finds genetic diversity in an ancient clone populations of the same species found on continents and on larger, less isolated islands,” said Karlin. As the Hawaiian Islands are the most remote high volcanic island system in the world, the comparatively high genetic diversity detected in the Hawaiian population of S. palustre is unusual. The occurrence of high genetic diversity in a clone was also “quite unexpected” said Professor Karlin. This study indicates that significant genetic diversity can develop in a clonal population. It also suggests that vegetative propagation does not necessarily preclude long term evolutionary success in a plant. Headed by Professor Karlin, the research team included colleagues Sara Hotchkiss from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Sandra Boles and Jonathan Shaw of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and Hans Stenøien, Kristian Hassel, and Kjell Flatberg from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway. Genetic lab work was done at the Duke University Bryology Lab headed by Professor Jonathan Shaw. Data on the population of S. palustre in eastern North America was provided by a prior study led by Professor Karlin and published in The Bryologist. Ramapo College students Melissa Giusti and Rebecca Lake were among the secondary authors of this prior study. In addition, a grant from the Ramapo College Foundation, which partly funded the Hawaiian project, enabled a third Ramapo College student, Falon Cartwright, to visit the Duke Bryology Lab, where she gained experience with genetic analysis. The study is available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03999.x/abstract. Comedian Paula Poundstone and Jersey Shore rocker gone acoustic Southside Johnny will highlight an all-star 2012 winter/spring season at the Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts at Ramapo College. The schedule will also feature a discussion and film screening on iconic actor and director Clint Eastwood, a Brazilian music and dance carnival, and theatrical and classical music performances. Known for her razor-sharp wit and spontaneity, stand-up comic Poundstone will perform on March 24. The winner of two Cable ACE Awards, Poundstone is currently a panelist on National Public Radio’s weekly news quiz program, “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me,” in which she matches wits with today’s leading pundits. Comedy, rock, and jazz stars shine at Berrie Center Gospel Extravaganza on March 31, and a performance by New York’s foremost Frank Sinatra interpreter Cary Hoffman on May 5. The dynamic sounds of classical music will fill the halls on Feb. 19, when the stellar Hawthorne Symphony takes the stage. The life of iconic actor and Oscar Awardwinning director Clint Eastwood will be examined on Feb. 22. The program, led by Jeffrey Baker, will include a discussion on Eastwood’s extraordinary 60-year career followed by a screening of the new documentary, “Studies in Character: The Eastwood Factor.” Baker is executive vice president and general manager for the Warner Brothers Home Video Theatrical Catalog. Audiences can experience a taste of Brazil’s famous Carnival on March 9, when the Ologunde Folkloric Music and Dance Ensemble dazzles and delights with its colorful costumes, rhythmic samba beats and striking martial arts dance. Faye Lane’s award-winning off-Broadway, one-woman show, “Beauty Shop Stories,” is set for 7 p.m. on March 13. Through story and song, the performance takes theatergoers on a heartwarming trip through the glittered-up memories of a Texas Green Bean Queen. Lane will also host a special writing workshop at 2 p.m. the day of the show. “Beauty Shop Memories” is the recipient of several honors, including the 2011 Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs Award for Special Production and the 2011 Bistro Award for Musical Comedy. On March 29, Jeanette Walls’ best-selling memoir of survival and resilience, “Glass Castle,” will be brought to life by the American Place Theater. The performance includes pre- and post-show discussions. Cabaret luminary Roslyn Kind, who has headlined at Lincoln Center and London’s Café Royal, will close the season on May 12. Kind has long stepped out of the shadow of her older sister, Barbra Streisand. “She’s too good and special to have to worry about comparisons,” the Los Angles Times raved about Kind. Tickets for Berrie Center events range from $10 to $35, with discounts for children under 17, seniors, members of WBGO Radio, WFUV Radio, and the New Jersey Jazz Society. For individual show prices, visit www. ramapo.edu/berriecenter. For tickets and more information, call (201) 684-7844 or order online at http://www.ramapo.edu/berriecenter/tickets.html. The Berrie Center is located at 505 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah. Southside Johnny and the Poor Fools Paula Poundstone On Friday, Jan. 27, Jersey Shore rock icon Southside Johnny turns the volume down a notch with his acoustic project, Southside Johnny and the Poor Fools. The concert will include unplugged renditions of material by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and songs by Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, The Band, and others. The rock and pop schedule continues when British sensation Graham Parker (“Hold Back the Night,” “Sweet on You”) joins forces with critically-acclaimed singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Garland Jeffreys on March 10. Songwriter Jimmy Webb, whose works include Glen Campbell’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and Richard Harris’ “MacArthur Park,” will take the Berrie Center stage on April 1. The popular Jazz at the Berrie Center series features the 17-time Grammy Awardwinning Count Basie Orchestra on Feb. 26, the soulful harmonies of Mack Brandon’s