STRI is hosting Dr. Anna Mežaka, originally from Latvia and currently employed at the University of Marburg (UMR), Germany, who is doing a project called “Life on a leaf: species interactions and community dynamics in epiphyll communities” funded by a Marie Skłodowska - Curie Global Fellowship from the European Union.
White-faced capuchin monkeys in Panama’s Coiba National Park habitually use hammer and anvil stones to break hermit crab shells, snail shells, coconuts and other food items, according to visiting scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). This is the first report of habitual stone-tool use by Cebus monkeys.
From tiny banana seeds to giant coconuts, it’s tough for seeds to survive in tropical soils where they are under attack by fungi, bacteria, insects and animals. By understanding how seeds defend themselves, tropical biologists contribute to reforestation, crop management and sustainable agriculture in the tropics.
Human sisters may look extremely different from one another. What does that have to do with gold, black and red beetles?
Attacks on humpback whales may be on the rise, according to an analysis of scars on humpback whales published in Endangered Species Research.
Not only does it take energy to make weapons, it may take even more energy to maintain them. Because leaf-footed bugs drop their legs, it is possible to measure how much energy they allocate to maintaining this appendage that males use to fight other males.
How do animals adapt to urban environments? In the case of the Tungara frog, city males put on a more elaborate display than males in forested areas.
The epidemic of obesity-related diseases such as heart disease and type-2 diabetes may be a result of an advantageous process gone awry as the body stores excess energy as visceral adipose tissue, fat surrounding the internal organs in the abdomen.
How flexible are bird brains in response to hormones?
For these four women, the Smithsonian Institute’s internship program represented an opportunity to explore their research questions in the field
