Fossilized genes
A turtle time capsule: DNA found in ancient shell
September 28, 2023
Paleontologists discover possible DNA remains in fossil turtle that lived 6 million years ago in Panama, where continents collide
Paleontologists discover possible DNA remains in fossil turtle that lived 6 million years ago in Panama, where continents collide
A 13-million-year-old saber-toothed marsupial skeleton discovered during paleontological explorations in Colombia is the most complete specimen recovered in the region
Frogs lay eggs both in the water and in jelly-like masses on plants. Could their flexible behavior help explain how vertebrates moved from life in ocean to life on land?
A new study from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) shows that red-eyed treefrog embryos hatch early when exposed to high ammonia levels — an environmental cue that it’s too hot and dry for the eggs to survive.
Based on clues ranging from microscopic pollen samples to massive petrified trees and larger-than-life-sized turtle and crocodile fossils, my lab pieces together millions of years of evidence to reconstruct the deep-time history of tropical ecosystems. I help to build international networks of...
Exploring the tropical peoples
and ecosystems of the past
A rocky intertidal zone and sandy beach
at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.
Thousands of years of hunting has turned a substantial meal into a bite-sized snack.
Aboard a research vessel in the Gulf of Panama, a Smithsonian research fellow explores the hidden biodiversity of the tropical ocean.
A visiting researcher uses a movie set studio to record how the larvae of sea urchins, starfish, shellfish and corals respond to conditions in a changing ocean.