Guano secrets
DNA in fringe-lipped bat poop reveals unexpected eating habits
Octubre 26, 2020
The poop of Trachops cirrhosus revealed surprising results about its foraging abilities and prey preferences.
The poop of Trachops cirrhosus revealed surprising results about its foraging abilities and prey preferences.
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.
Reshaping her interest in science into a career in art, Amy Koehler does what she loves best in the Bat Lab
By integrating machine-learning technology with high-resolution imaging, scientists are improving the taxonomic resolution of fossil pollen identifications and greatly enhancing the use of pollen data in ecological and evolutionary research.
Coming from a humble family, Félix Rodríguez decided from a young age that he would focus on his education in order to secure a better future for himself and his family. At different points in his life he said yes to the opportunities that were presented to him, with a curious heart. This led him to learn from world-class experts, get training abroad and become a paleontologist at the Smithsonian (STRI) working in the Panama Paleontology Project. Listen to him describe his anecdotes and experiences as a paleontologist in the tropics.
Male Wrinkle-faced bats lower a flap of skin resembling a face mask when they are ready to mate according to a rare sighting of a lek of bats in Costa Rica.
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.
Male Fringe-Lipped bats smear a sticky, odorous substance on their forearms. When this was discovered, researchers guessed that it might play a role in mating. Post-doctoral fellow Mariana Muñoz-Romo has confirmed that the presence and size of the forearm "crust" is, indeed correlated with other reproductive traits.
The strong relationship formed between two female adult vampire bats may have motivated one of the bats to adopt the other’s baby.
At the Smithsonian’s Bocas del Toro Research Station, in Panama, marine biologist Rachel Collin runs an educational program that recruits international experts to teach and create videos about how to collect, preserve and observe marine invertebrates, passing down their very specific knowledge to aspiring taxonomists.