Martina and the Bridge of Time
A young comic book heroine travels through Panama’s deep history
Marzo 31, 2021
The new graphic novel tells the story of the Isthmus’ formation and evolution through the adventures of a young Panamanian girl.
The new graphic novel tells the story of the Isthmus’ formation and evolution through the adventures of a young Panamanian girl.
About 66 million years ago, a huge asteroid crashed into what is now the Yucatan, plunging the Earth into darkness. The impact transformed tropical rainforests, giving rise to the reign of flowers.
Annette Aiello has a natural history radar system that most of us lack. An observation of an insect exoskeleton on a potted plant may lead to the identification of a new insect species.
“Her unification of developmental plasticity and genetics is a huge advance in our understanding of evolution. Her decades-long work with tropical social wasps focusing on careful field observation is testimony to what a careful observer of natural history can contribute to evolutionary biology.”-the Linnean Society
Large marine animals generally have unique functions for the ecosystem. They are also more susceptible to extinction when their habitats are altered. Around 3 million years ago, at least one third of the marine megafauna became extinct, possibly due to sea level fluctuations and the contraction of coastal habitats. This also led to a loss of some of their ecological functions. In the current era, many large marine animals are deemed at risk of extinction. What will be the consequences of this potential loss?
Sweat bees navigate through dark tropical forests guided by canopy patterns.
Sharks’ bodies are covered with tiny, tooth-like scales called denticles. Shed denticles settle to the ocean floor, where they remain in sediments for years and can be used to understand which sharks lived on a reef in the past.
Bees and their pollen reveal the environment of the first Cathedral on the American mainland, as do photos by preeminent landscape photographer, Eadweard Muybridge.
A fossil tree discovery in Panama offers clues regarding the establishment of the genus Anacardium in Central and South America
Nine articles explore impacts of ancient human societies on tropical ecosystems, revealing the importance of incorporating the paleosciences, social sciences and Indigenous traditional knowledge to solve contemporary environmental challenges.