Geologist Tony Coates changed the way we think about the ground under our feet. He confirmed the date when North and South America were connected at about 3 million years ago. We remember Tony not only as a skilled field geologist, but as a kind person and storyteller, who captured the imagination of scientists and non-scientists alike with his ability to spin a tale.
A Smithsonian emeritus scientist takes a field trip to some of Panama’s most important known marine fossil deposits for a quick lesson the age of the Ithsmus of Panama.
As Director Emeritus of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, a unit of the Smithsonian Institution headquartered in Panama City, Panama, I retired in June, 2020 from the job of managing more than 400 employees, an annual budget of $35 million, and the institute’s research facilities ...
My colleagues and I bring field-collected leaf beetles (principally Cassidinae sensu lato) into the lab to more carefully observe and photograph feeding behavior and to archive the various immature stages for systematic morphological study. Insects are labeled and stored in ethanol at -20C and...
I have worked on the behavior and natural history of diverse organisms, and have generally allowed them to guide me to interesting questions rather than attempting to impose my own pre-planned questions on them. Other than a general emphasis on natural selection, behavior and its functions, and...
Discover the fascinating world of spiders in Panama!
Elizabeth (Liz) Stockwell sent this obituary of her father, STRI research associate, Henry Stockwell, in May, 2023. We published a brief mention at the time and include the entire text here.
I have studied insect life histories for the last 40 years. My main focus has been the transformations of moths and butterflies, especially caterpillar development, behavior and defenses, and the clues that they and their host plants can contribute to our understanding of species relationships....
Based on clues ranging from microscopic pollen samples to massive petrified trees and larger-than-life-sized turtle and crocodile fossils, my lab pieces together millions of years of evidence to reconstruct the deep-time history of tropical ecosystems. I help to build international networks of...
The matador bugs' vibrant flags are neither a dating display nor a distraction tactic, they’re part of an elaborate defense strategy, according to a new study in Gamboa
