Ant-plant mutualisms are ubiquitous in tropical areas. In these examples of cooperation in nature, plants provide nutrition and shelter for ants that live on their leaves and branches. In return, the ants provide defense, kicking out (or even killing) any… Read more ›
Like all ectotherms, lizards gain energy to go about their business by absorbing heat from their surrounding environment. Often lizards bask in the sun to maximize their heat absorption. But there are other, subtler things that can also affect how… Read more ›
How Rocky Mountain lakes fight back against pollution [ 9:30 | 8.7 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadLeora Nanus of the USGS Water Resources Division joins us in the June edition of Field Talk. Nanus studied the ability of alpine lakes in the national parks of the Rocky Mountains to buffer against harmful acidic pollution from the… Read more ›
In this edition of Field Talk, we catch up with Ethan Temeles, a biologist at Amherst College, who tells us a tale of competition among the sexes in Caribbean hummingbirds – competition so severe that it drives their evolution. The… Read more ›
Tropical reefs are known to be teeming with biological diversity and density, which can make life difficult for a little fish trying to make it. Add in competition from mom and dad and nowhere to hide from predators, and you’ve… Read more ›
Rising temperatures as a result of climate change promise to alter the behaviors of temperature-sensitive organisms. But climate change is also affecting the timing of seasons, which can throw off the alarm clock for critical behaviors, such as breeding. In… Read more ›
The success of an animal or plant is determined by how many offspring it produces. But in some cases, not all offspring are created equal. In the February edition of Field Talk, Jaboury Ghazoul of the Swiss Federal Institute of… Read more ›
Lizard Evolution and the Ants In Your Pants Dance [ 9:36 | 8.78 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadInvasive red fire ants from South America have become a major pest in southwestern U.S., bringing their stinging venom and crop-destroying ways. In this edition of Field Talk, we catch up with Tracy Langkilde, assistant professor of biology at Penn… Read more ›