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Members of small monkey groups more likely to fight, researchers find
Small monkey groups may win territorial disputes against larger groups because some members of the larger, invading groups avoid aggressive encounters. [...more]
Archive | December, 2011
Two Earth-sized planets discovered orbiting a distant Sun-like star
Astronomers using NASA's Kepler mission have detected two Earth-sized planets orbiting a distant star. This discovery marks a milestone in the hunt for alien worlds, since it brings scientists one step closer to their ultimate goal of finding a twin Earth. [...more]
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Frederick Walpole illustrations recovered
Lodgepole pine drawn in 1898 by U.S. National Herbarium illustrator Frederick Andrew Walpole. [...more]
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Smithsonian research with DNA barcoding is making seafood substitution easier to catch
Both investigations were carried out through DNA analysis of fish tissue performed in a laboratory using a U.S. Food and Drug Administration protocol that originated largely at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. DNA from the fish in question was identified by matching it against a database of DNA fish barcodes that again, has its origins at the Smithsonian. [...more]
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Video: The artistry of Tlingit weaving is practiced by a dedicated few including artists Teri Rofkar and Shelly Laws of Alaska
It takes a Tlingit artist up to 2,000 hours, or 83 days, to weave just one ceremonial robe. Not surprisingly, this art form is practiced by a dedicated few including Tlingit artists Teri Rofkar and Shelly Laws of Alaska. In their presentation for the Smithsonian Spotlight series hosted by the Arctic Studies Center at the Anchorage Museum, Rofkar and Laws discuss the methods and cultural significance of robes, spruce root baskets and more. For more information, go to http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/alaska.htm [...more]
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Mistletoe facts from a Smithsonian botanist
When you’re caught under the mistletoe, the tradition is to kiss the person next to you. But this holiday season you may want to wow them first with some cool mistletoe facts from Smithsonian botanist Sylvia Orli. [...more]
Research Topics, zoology Comments (7)
Reptiles may be spreading deadly amphibian disease in the tropics
Reptiles that live near and feed upon amphibians in the tropics may be spreading the deadly amphibian disease Chytridiomycosis (caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dedrobatidis), holding and transporting reservoirs of the fungus on their skin. [...more]
conservation biology, zoology Comments (0)
Camping With the Sioux: Fieldwork Diary of Alice Cunningham Fletcher
“Camping With the Sioux: Fieldwork Diary of Alice Cunningham Fletcher ” is a Web site of the Smithsonian’s National Anthropological Archives consisting of two fascinating journals kept by American anthropologist Alice Fletcher (1838-1923) during a six-week venture into Plains Indian territory in 1881. Drawings of the plains, Indian reservations, and her many campsites in eastern [...] [...more]
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Meet our Scientists—Videos!
Science Spotlight
Scientists from the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center have found that fledgling catbirds living in the suburbs are extremely vulnerable. Almost 80 percent are killed by predators before they reach adulthood. Nearly half of the deaths are connected to domestic cats. The team studied catbird nests in 3 suburban neighborhoods in Maryland: Spring Park, Opal Daniels Park, and Bethesda. Learn more about this study by clicking here. (Catbird photo by Gerhard Hofmann)
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