Smithsonian scientist clears
up Panamanian urban legend
How did canal grass arrive in Panama? STRI staff scientist Kristin Saltonstall compared the DNA of sugar cane relatives from around the world to find out.
Invasion Biology Historical Ecology Taxonomy Botany Biodiversity Origins of Species and Societies Naos
brown
Kristin SaltonstallCanal
grass
In the footsteps
of crocs
Crocodiles fulfill important functions in the ecosystems where they live, and they play a prominent role in the myths and legends of cultures around the world. Miryam Venegas-Anaya will share stories about years of field work in Panama with these fascinating reptiles to increase our understanding and appreciation of their diversity and behavior.
Conservation Biology Evolutionary Biology Molecular Genetics and Genomics Biodiversity Animal Behavior Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet
brownDoctor
crocodile
You are what you eat: Evolutionary lessons from agricultural ants in Panama
Just as contemporary human societies depend on large-scale agriculture, leaf-cutter ants depend on a long, co-evolved relationship with a fungus. As humans, we may share some of the same rules that govern their relationship.
Panama
Evolutionary Biology Entomology Animal Behavior Biodiversity Natural History Origins of Species and Societies Gamboa
brown
William WcisloDarwinian
Diet
How do Giraffes and Elephants alter the african savanna landscape?
Through their foraging behavior across the diverse topography of the African savanna, megaherbivores may be unknowingly influencing the growth and survival of vegetation on valleys and plateaus, while preserving steep slopes as habitat refugia.
Kenya, Africa
Animal Behavior Forest Ecology Geology Ecosystem Ecology Biodiversity Reforestation and Silviculture Connections in nature: Plants, Animals, Microbes and Environments
brown
David KenfackHungry
megaherbivores
Lightning strikes more than 100 million
times per year in the tropics
Tropical storms often begin with an impressive display of pyrotechnics, but researchers have largely overlooked the role of lightning strikes in tropical ecosystems.
Panama
Physical Monitoring Forest Ecology Geography and Biogeography Global Change Ecology Connections in nature: Plants, Animals, Microbes and Environments Barro Colorado
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S. Joseph Wright
The trace of suffering,
in the bones
Human remains used to be considered a nuisance in archaeological excavations. Today they are considered a valuable source of information to understand the ways of life of prehistoric populations and their conditions.
Panama City, Panamá
Archaeology Paleontology and Paleobiology Life in Deep Time Naos
brownAncient
diseases
Recycling old genes to get new traits – How social behavior evolves in bees
Researchers learned from some unusual sweat bee species on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, how the sophisticated division of labor in highly complex insect societies can arise from humble beginnings.
Panama
Animal Behavior Entomology Evolutionary Biology Biodiversity Molecular Genetics and Genomics Origins of Species and Societies Barro Colorado
brown
William WcisloOld genes,
new traits
Humpback whales may risk collision with vessels in the Magellan Strait
By tagging and tracking migrating humpback whales that feed in the Magellan Strait in Chile, the scientists were able to provide policy recommendations to reduce the risk of collisions
Strait of Magellan, Chile
Physical Monitoring Fisheries and Marine Conservation Ecosystem Ecology Marine Biology Conservation Biology Animal Behavior Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet
brown
Hector M. Guzman
What animal bones tell us about the rise and fall of the Maya in Guatemala
Tens of thousands of tiny bone fragments reveal eating habits, ceremonial practices and the development of animal domestication during more than 2000 years of history.
Panamá
Archaeology Zoology Anthropology Origins of Species and Societies CTPA
brown
Ashley SharpeBuried
with snails
Are city ants weaker?
To understand the effects of urbanization and forest loss on insects, Dumas Gálvez studies the ability of ants to defend themselves against diseases in the city and in nature
Pipeline Road, BCI, University of Panama
Text by Leila Nilipour
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Sabrina Amador
