Throw back! Animal behavior research takes us from the labs to field. While the field can be a particularly fun part of research for scientists like PhD candidate Amelia Munson it brings its own unique challenges. Here, Amelia battles wind, temperature and unstable ground to perform in-the-field dissections to better understand how pesticide run off…
Author: Amelia Munson
Field Frame Friday: Mask it to task it!
Coronavirus has changed the “face” of research for many graduate students. Keep those masks on. Graduate students Amelia Munson and HeeJin Chung socially distance in the lab while working on a project designed to understand how recent experiences shape anti-predator behavior in fish. [Photo and Caption by Amelia Munson]
Sunday Sketch: Lamprey Immunity
Suddenly we are all spending a lot more time thinking about our immune systems—but what about the immune systems of the animals around us? For a long time it was thought that only animals with jaws and vertebrates had lymphocytes, but research with sea lampreys suggests otherwise. Researchers found lymphocyte-like cells in the gut of these charming…
Sunday Sketch: Social Distancing
We are all adjusting to a new normal, but for some animals social distancing is a way of life. Take the slow loris for example. These guys are happiest hanging out at home by them selves. One study found that these guys only spend 3% of their time in association with other slow lorises and…
Sunday Sketch: Speedy Beetles
Watch out! Tiger beetles run so fast that they temporarily go blind. To avoid tripping hazards (and find prey!) they run in short bursts, taking breaks to orient.
Field Notes: There is something in the water.
Splish-splashing for science? Researcher Amelia Munson shows the benefits of working in a different type of “field” environment!
Sunday Sketch: Whistling Caterpillars
Many caterpillars have colorful and sometimes toxic defenses against predators, but the North American Walnut Sphinx caterpillar really knows how to startle a would-be attacker. These little guys produce high-pitched whistles that have birds diving away from them in confusion! Fact and sketch contributed by Amelia Munson Source: Bura, V. L., Rohwer, V. G., Martin, P….
Sunday Sketch: Koala Fingerprints
Did you know that koalas have fingerprints that look practically indistinguishable from human prints? This means that there could be some unsolved cases in Australia with koala prints in the database! Fact and sketch contributed by Amelia Munson Source: Henneberg, M., Lambert, K. M., & Leigh, C. M. (1997). Fingerprint Homoplasy: Koalas and Humans. NaturalScience. Available at: http://naturalscience.com/ns/articles/01‐04/ns_hll.html….
Sunday Sketch: Budgie Attraction
Looking for something to impress that special someone with this Valentine’s Day? Female budgies prefer males who successfully solve puzzle boxes. Talk about smart mate choice! Fact and sketch contributed by Amelia Munson Chen, J., Zou, Y., Sun, Y., & Cate, C. T. (2019). Problem-solving males become more attractive to female budgerigars. Science, 363 (6423),…
Sunday Sketch: Firefly squid
As we light the last night of the Hanukkah menorah tomorrow, we look to the animal world to see some of their cool lights. The firefly squid (Watasenia scintillans) produces tiny flashes of light from hundreds of tiny organs on its body. Sketch and fact contributed by Amelia Munson Source: Tsuji, F. I. (1985). ATP-dependent bioluminescence…
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