Egged on
How frogs’ superpowers may have led to life on land
July 31, 2024
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?
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.
Ancient, fossilized grape seeds from Panama, Colombia and Peru, provide perspective on the evolution of plants after the extinction of the dinosaurs.
To create a global standard for forest carbon storage, we need boots on the ground. The GEO-TREES system of forest plots offers this immediately: establishing a single method for forest carbon estimation at existing on-the-ground forest study sites around the world.
Plant collections are full of surprises. It may take decades to id plant samples, but it’s worth the effort, especially when some of these species are not known from anywhere else on Earth.
Through a course in dendrology, the study of the taxonomy of woody plants in the absence of flowers or fruits, two experts in forest diversity seek to leave a legacy of knowledge for future generations.
A rocky intertidal zone and sandy beach
at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.
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.
Male fiddler crabs’ large claws may look unwieldly, but a new study demonstrates that these large weapons are not only for show.