Hot Protection
Pathogens may have facilitated the evolution of warm-blooded animals
June 11, 2019
Fever may be less effective at repelling infections in cold-blooded creatures
Fever may be less effective at repelling infections in cold-blooded creatures
Imprinting on parental color may be more important than genetics when it comes to the evolution of new species.
Dr. Gina Della Togna has gone a long way in pursuing her love for animals, including amphibians, insects, and reptiles. Last year she received the L'Oreal-Unesco Prize for Women in Science, for her research in assisted reproductive techniques for endangered species, such as the golden frog. This year she was named by Forbes magazine as one of the 100 most powerful women in Central America and the Dominican Republic. Listen to the story of how she became a renowned scientist.
Returning endangered frogs back to nature is not an easy task, particularly when their main threats are not under control. In this talk (Spanish), former STRI fellow and current director of the Summit Municipal Park, Dr. Angie Estrada, explains what is causing so many amphibian species around the world to be at risk for extinction and discusses the different approaches that scientists are exploring to reintroduce these animals back into nature safely.
Join Brian as he gives us an update on the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, its progress over the last 10 years, and its efforts to sustain this collection of living frogs and identify clear solutions to the amphibian crisis.
Over the last 50 years, since 1972, Panama has lost almost 50% of its mangroves primarily due to urban expansion and the conversion of mangroves into agricultural land.
A group of high school students describe how Azteca alfari ants respond to damage to their host plant
After being taught annually for three decades, the Smithsonian Introductory Field Life Sciences Course was suspended due to the pandemic, but it made a digital comeback in 2021.
Understanding when and where trees die in vast tropical forests is a challenging first step toward understanding carbon dynamics and climate change. Researchers explained variations in tree mortality over a five-year period by analyzing drone images of one of the most-studied tropical forests in the world, Barro Colorado Island in Panama.
Botanist Alicia Ibañez hopes the book, which presents new data on the tiny island’s endemic flora and fauna in both Spanish and Ngäbere, will increase awareness of the importance of preserving its biodiversity.