Years later, I still remember the moment: the instant I (LAR) was drawn into mammalogy. As an undergraduate student, I assisted my advisor, Robert C. Dowler, in a variety of research tasks. One day in 1983, he invited me to go the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), where he had a meeting with Sydney Anderson (both were on the American Society of Mammalogists’ Legislation and Regulations Committee; Syd was chairing it at the time, Bob was incoming chair). They met in the staff lounge of the AMNH. Much like mischievous children will escape while their babysitter is absorbed with some task, I left my cicerones to their discussions and instead took in the lounge, peopled by some of the leading minds in the nation, if not the world. I vividly recall eavesdropping on a heated argument between Karl Koopman and Guy Musser on biogeography of Southeast Asia. Other equally fascinating conversations were ongoing among other curators from other departments. But it was Koopman and Musser’s discussion that captivated me, because I, a mere undergraduate, could understand it, follow it, and knew what they were talking about. To this day, I still get chills thinking about that moment in the AMNH staff lounge, when I was inexorably drawn into mammalogy. What could be better?

中文翻译：

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编辑选择

多年之后，我仍然记得这一刻：我被拉进哺乳动物学的那一刻。作为一名本科生，我协助我的顾问Robert C. Dowler完成了各种研究任务。1983年的一天，他邀请我去美国自然历史博物馆（AMNH），在那里他与悉尼·安德森（Sydney Anderson）进行了会晤（这两个会议都是美国乳房哺乳动物协会立法和法规委员会的主席；当时Syd担任主席） ，鲍勃是即将上任的主席）。他们在AMNH的工作人员休息室见了面。就像顽皮的孩子会在保姆完成某项任务时逃脱时一样，我把塞西隆交给他们讨论，转而坐在休息室里，那里有美国乃至世界上一些主要思想家的拥护。我回想起卡尔·考普曼（Karl Koopman）和盖伊·穆瑟（Guy Musser）之间关于东南亚生物地理学的激烈争论。其他部门的策展人之间也在进行其他同样引人入胜的对话。但是正是库普曼和穆瑟（Musser）的讨论吸引了我，因为我还是一名本科生，就可以理解，遵循并知道他们在说什么。直到今天，我仍然在AMNH员工休息室里想起那一刻，让我感到恐惧，那时候我被无情地吸引到了哺乳动物学。有什么更好的办法吗？当我无情地被哺乳动物学吸引时，我仍然在AMNH员工休息室里想起那一刻感到不寒而栗。有什么更好的办法吗？当我无情地被哺乳动物学吸引时，我仍然在AMNH员工休息室里想起那一刻感到不寒而栗。有什么更好的办法吗？