Origins of Species and Societies
Tremendous biodiversity is a defining characteristic of tropical ecosystems. Thousands of tree and plant species inhabit small areas of rainforest while coastal and coral reef environments teem with life. And that’s just what we can see with the human eye—a handful of soil contains so many living creatures that scientists haven’t named them all yet. Our scientists are piecing together the story of how such diverse life evolved, in environments of mutual cooperation and tough competition. We also study the peoples who first inhabited these ecosystems, in search of lessons about the economic, cultural and social importance of the tropics.
Potential caterpillar mimicry in White-necked Jacobin chicks discovered in Panama.
Six new species named: 3 from Panama, 3 from Colombia
Rediscovering the Undiscovered: Revitalizing the Cerro Juan Diaz Archaeological Ceramic Collection (Presentation in Spanish)
Language and cultural “intercambios” bring the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute community together