Lecture by Michael Maunder, PhDm Associate dean , Research Engagement, FIU. The Lod Mosaic : A Lost World of Ancient Landscapes and Extinct Species.The spectacular Lod mosaic shows a number of animal species that were highly valued as food, as game, and as animals for the Roman circus. A lost world whose abundance and diversity is difficult for us to imagine as we look at today's shredded landscapes of North Africa and the Middle East today. Maunder will explore the natural history of the ancient Middle East and look at the Roman's insatiable appetite for the exotic.