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Advertise with Googlier.com KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum https://biodiversity.ku.edu/ en KU researcher Rafe Brown receives Fulbright Award to the Philippines https://biodiversity.ku.edu/node/1388 KU researcher Rafe Brown receives Fulbright Award to the Philippines Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-06-07T13:08:23-05:00" title="Friday, June 7, 2024 - 13:08">Fri, 06/07/2024 - 13:08</time> <figure role="group" class="align-center"><img alt="Rafe Brown, professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and winner of a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award, in the Philippines." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2a0bd3f4-9303-4d95-83c1-54580ae637e8" height="700" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/01hzqe6yehwa4yyqb1q0rcmjt5.jpg" width="1200" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Rafe Brown, professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and winner of a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award, in the Philippines.</figcaption></figure>LAWRENCE — Rafe Brown, professor of ecology & evolutionary biology at the University of Kansas, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to travel to the Philippines to study biodiversity.The Fulbright award will allow Brown to spend a year in the Philippines conducting fieldwork to sample amphibians and reptiles. The research studies the biodiversity of a rare stretch of pristine tropical forest that extends from a volcanic peak to the sea.For more than 20 years, Brown has studied the evolution, distribution, dispersal and diversity of land vertebrates in the archipelagos of the Philippines, Indonesia and the Solomon Islands.Brown said the Fulbright award supports his “dream sabbatical,” providing an opportunity to remain in the Philippines through the monsoon season to witness the weather system’s effect on amphibian activity in the rainforests. The Philippines has the highest concentration of endemic land vertebrate species in the world.“This opportunity means the world to me and is something I have been imagining for more than two decades,” Brown said. “I’m thrilled that it is coming to fruition and looking forward to the year ahead.”Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards are prestigious and competitive fellowships that provide unique opportunities for scholars to teach and conduct research abroad, as well as forge partnerships with international institutions. Brown is one of 800 U.S. citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad for the 2024-2025 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.The award expands upon a successful, long-term partnership among KU, Partido State University and Ateneo de Naga University, including faculty and student exchanges.While in the Philippines, Brown will be based at PSU, which has campuses in the city of Goa and the coastal town of Caramoan, a day’s drive south of Manila. Michael Clores, a marine ecologist and vice president of PSU, reciprocally visited KU in 2018 as a visiting scholar. Brown will teach a biogeography and field sampling methodology course at PSU while conducting research on a multidisciplinary project with Michael Cuesta, a professor from nearby AdNU in Naga City on Luzon Island.Conceived before the pandemic, the multidisciplinary project is a collaboration among the three universities and studies the biodiversity along a rare, continuously forested stretch of habitat in the Caramoan Peninsula. The area extends from the volcanic peak of Mount Isarog through the pristine coastal forests of Caramoan National Park to the Pacific Ocean’s reefs, seagrass beds and small islands.Much of the naturally forested habitat under study is unprotected and threatened by the harvesting of timber and forest products such as rattan, abaca, banana and coconut, as well as forest clearing for growing rice and vegetables. Spurred by the TV series “Survivor Philippines,” the area has also seen a rapidly expanding adventure tourism industry.Brown’s sampling will create a baseline for annual comparisons and follow-up surveys. The data could one day be used for conservation efforts and establishing a peninsula-wide management plan.By providing information, images and videos on the species that are unique to the region, the project aims to promote a shared Caramoan identity and increase pride in these species, which will drive a coordinated effort to sustainably manage the region’s natural resources.The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries. Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given more than 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and scientists the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Christine Metz Howard <time datetime="2024-06-07T12:00:00Z">Fri, 06/07/24</time> <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/herpetology" hreflang="en">herpetology</a><a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/news" hreflang="en">News</a> <img loading="lazy" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/2024/01hzqe6yehwa4yyqb1q0rcmjt5.jpg" width="1200" height="700" alt="Rafe Brown, professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and winner of a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award, in the Philippines." typeof="foaf:Image"> Yes Fri, 07 Jun 2024 18:08:23 +0000 Natalie Vondrak 1388 at https://biodiversity.ku.edu Museum staff member helps researchers connect with the public https://biodiversity.ku.edu/node/1386 Museum staff member helps researchers connect with the public Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-05-30T13:06:12-05:00" title="Thursday, May 30, 2024 - 13:06">Thu, 05/30/2024 - 13:06</time> <meta charset="UTF-8"><img alt data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3b1f4529-c6df-4305-b022-65d86c4e08d6" height="675" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/01hz50h663dp90p2tv6m8artfd.jpg" width="1200" loading="lazy"> Eleanor Gardner | Outreach & Engagement Coordinator | KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History MuseumEleanor Gardner brings KU research to the public.Gardner has been the outreach and engagement coordinator at KU’s Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum since 2017. She holds a master’s degree in geology from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Agnes Scott College.“Eleanor’s background in science is an important aspect to creating engaging visitor experiences and outreach activities,” said Teresa MacDonald, associate director of informal science education at the KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum. “Her science knowledge — alongside years of experience, enthusiasm for sharing science and willingness to try new things — produces successful outreach programming and creates a positive and productive working environment with colleagues.”Gardner’s responsibilities include helping researchers plan and execute <a href="https://new.nsf.gov/funding/learn/broader-impacts">broader impacts activities</a>, which are required for National Science Foundation grants. These activities can include events and other educational programming aimed at enhancing scientific literacy, bolstering STEM education or increasing participation of underrepresented communities in science — anything that leverages research to provide tangible societal benefits.One of the broader impacts activities that Gardner manages at the BI/NHM is the <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/education/scout-programs">Scout Program</a>. She works with local troops to pique young people’s interest in science while they earn badges. She also coordinates the <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/mobile-museum">Mobile Museum Program</a>, which brings museum collections and hands-on activities to communities throughout Kansas. One mobile museum tour included specimens and casts of more than 90 species that allowed families who may not be able to visit the museum to explore microorganisms found in their local environments.“Eleanor’s position involves coordinating a lot of different elements with multiple entities for our outreach programming, such as recruiting facilitators, liaising with numerous partners for onsite and offsite activities, providing support to presenters, setting up spaces and much more,” MacDonald said.“She is adept at the patience, persistence and flexibility required to organize and plan all these moving parts to ensure a successful and positive experience for visitors and collaborators.” Vince Munoz <time datetime="2024-05-30T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/30/24</time> <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/news" hreflang="en">News</a> <img loading="lazy" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/2024/01hz50h663dp90p2tv6m8artfd.jpg" width="1200" height="675" alt="On the left, Eleanor Gardner stands and smiles for a photo. On the right a graphic of Dyche Hall in the background and the text "Unsung Hero: Eleanor Gardner, KU Natural History Museum" is layered in front. " typeof="foaf:Image"> Yes Thu, 30 May 2024 18:06:12 +0000 Natalie Vondrak 1386 at https://biodiversity.ku.edu Grotesque Renewal Project honored with historic preservation award. https://biodiversity.ku.edu/grotesque-renewal-project-honored-historic-preservation-award Grotesque Renewal Project honored with historic preservation award. Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-05-24T09:32:05-05:00" title="Friday, May 24, 2024 - 09:32">Fri, 05/24/2024 - 09:32</time> <figure role="group"><img alt="Eight limestone grotesques stand on display in the Panorama Gallery at the KU Natural History Museum. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b6f0ea95-94e5-4036-8d8a-4c5d60d59d5b" height="3024" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/IMG_7057.JPG" width="4032" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Eight newly carved limestone grotesques on display at the KU Natural History Museum. (Photo/Meg Kumin)</figcaption></figure>LAWRENCE – The Dyche Hall Grotesque Renewal Project received the Medallion Award, the highest award bestowed by the Kansas Preservation Alliance, at the 2024 Kansas State Preservation Conference on May 17 in Newton. The project led by local artists Karl and Laura Ramberg and KU architecture faculty Keith and Amy Van de Riet began in 2017 and combined traditional stonecraft with modern 3D imaging to re-carve the eight limestone grotesques perched on Dyche Hall, which houses the Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas.The original grotesques were created by Joseph Roblado Frazee and his son Vitruvius and kept a watchful eye over Jayhawk Boulevard for over 100 years. In 2017, the limestone creatures were removed due to deterioration and were on view at the KU Natural History Museum, while the new, hand-carved statues were created by the Rambergs. By November 2020, all eight grotesques were completed thanks to the skills and dedication of Karl, Laura, Keith and Amy and by 2022, they were placed atop Dyche Hall. <figure role="group"><img alt="Individuals pose for a photo while on stage accepting the Medallion Award, the highest award bestowed by the Kansas Preservation Alliance, at the 2024 Kansas State Preservation Conference." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="429f49b3-e8bb-453d-a9c5-aca83237b1ad" height="2592" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/IMG_5587.JPG" width="4608" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Team members of the Grotesque Renewal Project accepting the Medallion Award at the 2024 Kansas State Preservation Alliance on Friday, May 17, 2024. Standing from left to right: Steve Bagwell, Kansas Preservation Alliance (KPA) President, Amy Van de Riet, Lori Schlenker, Laura Ramberg and Melina Stewart, KPA Vice President.</figcaption></figure>“Having the Medallion Award bestowed to the Grotesque Renewal Project is the perfect ending to an amazing project,” said Amy Van de Riet. “This award is a reflection of the stewardship of the KU Biodiversity Institute, the generosity of donors, and the community of Lawrence to have retained such talented stone carvers."This project’s success is shared among many, including project manager Lori Schlenker, associate director of collections and facilities at the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum; project consultant and architect Julia Manglitz at TreanorHL; and especially the 80 plus donors who contributed to the overall rejuvenation project.The KU Natural History Museum is part of the KU Biodiversity Institute, a KU designated research center studying the biological diversity of the planet. The museum is open to the public Tuesday-Saturday, 9 PM-5 PM, and Sunday, 12-4 PM, and is free, though donations are welcome. Learn more by visiting the <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu">KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum's website</a>.  Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-05-24T12:00:00Z">Fri, 05/24/24</time> <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/news" hreflang="en">News</a> <img loading="lazy" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/2024/IMG_7061.JPG" width="4032" height="3024" alt="Three grotesques on display in the Panorama Gallery in the KU Natural History Museum." typeof="foaf:Image"> No Fri, 24 May 2024 14:32:05 +0000 Natalie Vondrak 1385 at https://biodiversity.ku.edu New study on bees’ physiological response to extreme temperatures. https://biodiversity.ku.edu/node/1384 New study on bees’ physiological response to extreme temperatures. Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-05-21T12:28:06-05:00" title="Tuesday, May 21, 2024 - 12:28">Tue, 05/21/2024 - 12:28</time> <figure role="group"><img alt="Lasioglossum malachurum (sweat bee) on a flower. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="051c3204-cfb4-47d4-bf0e-958df07fd4cd" height="791" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/Mailchimp%20Image%20%281200%20x%201200%20px%29.png" width="791" loading="lazy"><figcaption>The study focused on six wild bee species including the sweat bee Lasioglossum malachurum, a very small, social, and ground-nesting species found across England, continental Europe, and Northern Africa.</figcaption></figure>LAWRENCE – A recent University of Kansas study revealed that bees have limited capacity to enhance their heat tolerance via acclimation or prior heat exposure making them vulnerable to climate change. The findings were <a href="https://journals.biologists.com/bio/article/13/3/bio060179/344191/Bees-display-limited-acclimation-capacity-for-heat?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Read%20Article&utm_campaign=G-ZYR1V1922P">published in the journal Biology Open</a>.“Bees are the most important pollinators of plants, and understanding their responses to climate change is critical to be able to predict potential impacts on agriculture and food security,” said lead author Victor Gonzalez, associate teaching professor in Biology at the University of Kansas and research associate at the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum. The research team, led by Gonzalez, studied six wild bee species from the Greek Island of Lesvos by measuring changes in their heat tolerance in response to elevated temperatures and simulated heat waves. The study involved capturing live specimens in the field and conducting thermal experiments in the lab. The team discovered that bees were sensitive to the change in temperature and exhibited limited capacity to increase their heat tolerance.<figure role="group"><img alt="Natalie Herbison is a senior Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology student who recently joined KU faculty, Victor Gonzalez, in Greece this summer for a National Science Foundation REU program on pollinators and climate change. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="eba0e73a-5410-4787-a505-c486e8eb85c2" height="827" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/Natalie_.jpg" width="620" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Natalie Herbison is a 2024 KU graduate of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. Natalie was a part of Victor Gonzalez's research team in Greece studying pollinators and climate change.</figcaption></figure>“Bees must rely on their behavior, not on their physiology, to cope with heat waves,” Gonzalez said. We can help bees by conserving and restoring native vegetation that provides thermal refuges during these extreme weather events.Gonzalez’s team included co-authors Natalie Herbison, a University of Kansas undergraduate biology student researcher, and Thomas Tscheulin and Theodora Petanidou, both from KU’s international partner, the <a href="https://www.aegean.edu">University of the Aegean</a>. Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-05-21T12:00:00Z">Tue, 05/21/24</time> <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/entomology" hreflang="en">entomology</a><a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/news" hreflang="en">News</a> <img loading="lazy" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/Mailchimp%20Image%20%281200%20x%201200%20px%29.png" width="1200" height="1200" alt="Bee resting on a flower. " typeof="foaf:Image"> Yes Tue, 21 May 2024 17:28:06 +0000 Natalie Vondrak 1384 at https://biodiversity.ku.edu KU Mammalogy trains next generation of "full stack" biologists https://biodiversity.ku.edu/node/1382 KU Mammalogy trains next generation of "full stack" biologists Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-05-08T10:01:11-05:00" title="Wednesday, May 8, 2024 - 10:01">Wed, 05/08/2024 - 10:01</time> <figure role="group"><img alt="""KUG38-Spring20234-f-hubofdiscovery-banner SPECIMEN DISCUSSION: Robert W. and Geraldine Wilson Assistant Professor Jocelyn Colella shows student researchers (from left) Alex Hey, Daniel Ibañez IV and Ben Wiens what types of information the skull of a small mammal can reveal." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9e2125a9-0f4c-4a49-8673-866694496178" height="1130" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/KUG38-Spring20234-f-hubofdiscovery-banner%20%281%29.jpg" width="2500" loading="lazy"><figcaption> SPECIMEN DISCUSSION: Robert W. and Geraldine Wilson Assistant Professor Jocelyn Colella shows student researchers (from left) Alex Hey, Daniel Ibañez IV and Ben Wiens what types of information the skull of a small mammal can reveal. Image courtesy of KU Giving Magazine.</figcaption></figure><h2 style="margin-bottom: 11px;">A Hub of Discovery </h2>LAWRENCE - In the <a href="https://kuendowment.org/ku-giving-article/ku-faculty-research/">Spring 2024 issue of KU Giving magazine</a>, Jocelyn Colella, Robert W. and Geraldine Wilson Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and curator of mammalogy at the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, discusses the benefits of offering "full stack" biology experiences to students looking to have dynamic, modern careers in biological science. The Colella Lab combines elements of museum collections with molecular biology, fieldwork and computer science to help students develop career-relevant skill sets.Intergenerational interactions among students, faculty, collaborators and community members on campus and in the field sets the Colella Lab apart, and takes students across Kansas and around the world to participate in cutting-edge molecular research.<figure role="group"><img alt="Jocelyn Colella checks team progress as Ben Wiens pipettes a solution containing DNA and Alex Hay prepares the sequencer for analysis. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="081095d6-28a6-4056-ad33-888c079eb3f0" height="667" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/KUG38-Spring20234-f-hubofdiscovery-image7.jpg" width="1000" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Jocelyn Colella checks team progress as Ben Wiens pipettes a solution containing DNA and Alex Hay prepares the sequencer for analysis. </figcaption></figure>Colella is a collections-based evolutionary biologist and is actively mentoring several students working in her lab, including Ben Wiens (EEB PhD Candidate), Catherine Dhority (MUSE MA Graduate Student), Alex Hey (EEB MA Graduate Student), Xavier Murray (EEB Undergraduate), Bailey Dixon (BioGEMs Postbaccalaureate Scholar), Priscilla Muñoz (KU Undergraduate Emerging Scholar) and Daniel Ibañez IV (EEB MA Graduate Student). Learn more about Mammalogy students' research and experiences working in the Colella Lab in the latest issue of <a href="https://kuendowment.org/ku-giving-article/ku-faculty-research/">KU Giving magazine</a>.To support mammal research, visit <a href="https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1312/lg21/form.aspx?sid=1312&gid=1&pgid=650&cid=1568&dids=2699&bledit=1&sort=1&appealcode=WEB">kuendowment.org/colella</a> to designate a gift to Mammalogy (12550), or contact Curator of Mammals, Jocelyn Colella, at <a href="mailto:colella@ku.edu">colella@ku.edu</a> or contact Michael Arp, AVP, Development at <a href="tel:+1-785-832-7410">785-832-7410</a> or <a href="mailto:marp@ku.endowment.org">marp@ku.endowment.org</a>.  Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-05-08T12:00:00Z">Wed, 05/08/24</time> <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/mammalogy" hreflang="en">mammalogy</a> <img loading="lazy" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/2024/KUG38-Spring20234-f-hubofdiscovery-banner%20%281%29.jpg" width="2500" height="1130" alt="Robert W. and Geraldine Wilson Assistant Professor Jocelyn Colella shows student researchers (from left) Alex Hey, Daniel Ibañez IV and Ben Wiens what types of information the skull of a small mammal can reveal." typeof="foaf:Image"> Yes Wed, 08 May 2024 15:01:11 +0000 Natalie Vondrak 1382 at https://biodiversity.ku.edu Botany Bios: Katherine Merrill https://biodiversity.ku.edu/node/1381 Botany Bios: Katherine Merrill Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-05-02T11:21:10-05:00" title="Thursday, May 2, 2024 - 11:21">Thu, 05/02/2024 - 11:21</time> If you had attended KU in the 1800s, you probably would have taken a botany class as part of your course of study. (Those were the days!) In Botany, students were required to collect and identify plant specimens. We still have several dozen of these specimens in the McGregor Herbarium. Each is mounted on a sheet with a preprinted label marked with the anticipated year of graduation. The <a href="https://biimages.biodiversity.ku.edu/fileget?coll=Vascular+Plant&type=O&filename=sp62534894111776108041.att.jpg&downloadname=KANU00049173.jpg">specimen</a> featured in this blog is marked “Class of 1890” and was collected by <a href="https://gec150.web.illinois.edu/pre-1900s/katherine-merrill/">Katherine “Kate” Merrill</a> in 1887. <figure role="group"><img alt data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fb9419e7-493a-4c68-9626-11240f6e509d" height="378" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/Merrill%20Calystegia%20specimen.jpg" width="252" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Specimen sheet of Merrill Calystegia. Collection Object: 000049173. More information on the <a href="https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/176898698">gbif database.</a> </figcaption></figure>An accomplished vocalist, Kate Merrill participated in concerts as a student at KU in 1884–1885. After a year here, she departed to study music in New York City, only to return after an ailment required her to give up singing. Merrill received her B.S. as a member of the KU class of 1889. Following graduation, she held fellowships in English at Bryn Mawr and Radcliffe College and became the first woman hired as a faculty member at the University of Illinois in 1892, where she served as an assistant professor of literature. Although she did not pursue botany after college, her collection of 26 specimens remains a contribution to our early knowledge of Kansas plants. Several of her specimens appear to be the first records for the state. <figure role="group"><img alt=""Katherine Merrill as a young women wearing a white dress."" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="70cdfdca-8415-4709-84d5-c6c1583079cb" height="260" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/Website%20Image.png" width="260" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Katherine Merrill. Courtesy of the University of Illinois.</figcaption></figure>The specimen highlighted in this blog, which Merrill discovered on Mount Oread on May 29, 1887, is the first collection of Calystegia macounii (Macoun’s false-bindweed, a member of the morning-glory family) in Kansas. Nevertheless, it took almost one hundred years for the specimen to be correctly named. Identified by Merrill as Calystegia spithamaea and later as C. sepium, it wasn’t until 1980 that it was determined to be C. macounii by specialist Daniel F. Austin. Merrill’s specimen helps document the biodiversity of the tallgrass prairie that once covered the KU campus and most of eastern Kansas. Although not uncommon elsewhere in the state, the species has not been collected in Douglas County since 1941. Contributed by Caleb Morse, KU Botany Collection Manager Caleb Morse <time datetime="2024-05-02T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/02/24</time> <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/botany" hreflang="en">botany</a> <img loading="lazy" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/2024/Website%20Image_0.png" width="1140" height="1140" alt="Portrait of Katherine Merrill as a young women wearing a white dress." typeof="foaf:Image"> Yes Thu, 02 May 2024 16:21:10 +0000 Natalie Vondrak 1381 at https://biodiversity.ku.edu Researchers parse oddity of distantly related bats in Solomon Islands that appear identical https://biodiversity.ku.edu/node/1380 Researchers parse oddity of distantly related bats in Solomon Islands that appear identical Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-04-30T09:37:02-05:00" title="Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - 09:37">Tue, 04/30/2024 - 09:37</time> LAWRENCE — A <a href="https://academic.oup.com/evolut/advance-article/doi/10.1093/evolut/qpae039/7624587">study</a> of body size in leaf-nosed bats of the Solomon Islands has revealed surprising genetic diversity among nearly indistinguishable species on different islands. The research team behind the study from the University of Melbourne, Australia, included several evolutionary biologists from the University of Kansas — who collected specimens in the field, conducted genetic analysis and co-wrote the research appearing in the journal Evolution. <figure role="group"><img alt data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="eecf0db5-b30a-4df0-86a7-61e7358da8bf" height="700" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/01hwnv459s73p1wsasgsh5dd57.jpg" width="1200" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Islands in the Vona Vona Lagoon of the New Georgia Group, Solomon Islands. This island group hosts four species of Hipposideros bats, including the two featured in the study of convergent evolution across the archipelago. Credit: RG Moyle</figcaption></figure>“This is genus of bats called Hipposideros with multiple species all over Southeast Asia in the Pacific,” said co-author Rob Moyle, senior curator of ornithology with the KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, whose lab conducted much of the investigation. “In the Solomon Islands, where we've been doing a lot of fieldwork, on each island there can be four or five different species, and they parse out in terms of body size. There's a small, medium, large — or if there's more than three species, there's a small, medium, large and extra large. On one island there's five, so there's an extra small.” According to Moyle, who also serves as professor of evolutionary biology at KU, previous generations of researchers reviewed the bats’ morphology, or physical traits, and concluded they’re one species. “You go from one island to the next, and the medium-sized species is identical to the other islands,” he said. “Biologists have always looked at those and said, ‘OK, it's obvious. There's a small, medium and large size species distributed across multiple islands.’” <figure role="group"><img alt data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f660876b-28c7-4cd0-914e-5fec5976c84e" height="1406" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/01hwe3bnnn6qtj5seh9hedf8g6.jpg" width="1030" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Photographs from a Guadalcanal field site demonstrating the size difference between sympatric species H. diadema and H. dinops. Credit: Lavery et al</figcaption></figure>However, Moyle and his collaborators had more modern analysis at their disposal. In sequencing the DNA of bats they collected from the field (along with specimens from museum collections), the team found the large and extra large bat species weren’t actually closely related. “That means that somehow these populations arrived at this identical body size and appearance not by being closely related — but we usually think identical-looking things are that way because they're really closely related,” Moyle said. “It brings up questions like what's unique about these islands that you’d have convergence of body size and appearance into really stable size classes on different islands.” The team performed precise measurements on bats from different islands, confirming previous work by scientists in the Solomon Islands.“All the large ones from different islands all clustered together in their measurements,” Moyle said. “It's not just that the earlier biologists made a mistake. They looked at them and said, ‘Oh, yeah, they're the same.’  And they're actually not. We measured them, and they're all clustered together, though they’re different species. We verified — sort of — that earlier morphological work.”Moyle’s collaborators included lead author Tyrone Lavery of the University of Melbourne and KU’s Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum. Other KU co-authors include Devon DeRaad, doctoral student, and Lucas DeCicco, collections manager, both of the Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum; and Karen Olson of both KU and Rutgers University. They were joined by Piokera Holland of Ecological Solutions Solomon Islands; Jennifer Seddon of James Cook University and Luke Leung of the Rodent Testing Centre in Gatton, Australia.Genetic analysis that revealed the bats weren’t closely related was performed at <a href="https://gsc.ku.edu/">KU’s Genome Sequencing Core</a>.“When we created family trees using the bats’ DNA, we found that what we thought was just one species of large bat in the Solomon Islands was actually a case where bigger bats had evolved from the smaller species multiple times across different islands,” Lavery said. “We think these larger bats might be evolving to take advantage of prey that the smaller bats aren’t eating.”DeRadd said the work could be “highly relevant” for conservation efforts in identifying evolutionarily significant units in this group.“Body size had misled the taxonomy,” DeRadd said. “It turns out every island's population of extra-large bats is basically genetically unique and deserving of conservation. Understanding that is really helpful. There are issues with deforestation. If we don't know whether these populations are unique, it's hard to know whether we should be putting effort into conserving them.”According to DeCicco, the new understanding of leaf-nosed bats was fascinating on a purely theoretical level. “We study evolutionary processes that lead to biodiversity,” he said. “This shows nature is more complex. We humans love to try to find patterns — and researchers love to try to find rules that apply to broad suites of organisms. It's super cool when we find exceptions to these rules. These are patterns that you see duplicated over lots of different taxa on lots of different islands — a large and a small species, or two closely related species that differ somehow to partition their niches. We're seeing there are lots of different evolutionary scenarios that can produce that same pattern.” Brendan M. Lynch <time datetime="2024-04-30T12:00:00Z">Tue, 04/30/24</time> <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/ornithology" hreflang="en">ornithology</a> <img loading="lazy" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/2024/01hwnv459s73p1wsasgsh5dd57.jpg" width="1200" height="700" alt="Islands in the Vona Vona Lagoon of the New Georgia Group, Solomon Islands. This island group hosts four species of Hipposideros bats, including the two featured in the study of convergent evolution across the archipelago. Credit: RG Moyle" typeof="foaf:Image"> Yes Tue, 30 Apr 2024 14:37:02 +0000 Natalie Vondrak 1380 at https://biodiversity.ku.edu KU Biodiversity Institute to host Digital Data Conference https://biodiversity.ku.edu/node/1379 KU Biodiversity Institute to host Digital Data Conference Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-04-26T13:46:44-05:00" title="Friday, April 26, 2024 - 13:46">Fri, 04/26/2024 - 13:46</time> Lawrence – The KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum will host the 8th Annual iDigBio Digital Data in Biodiversity Research Conference in collaboration with the Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA) from May 29 through 31, 2024. The conference will take place both as a virtual event via Zoom and an in-person event at The Burge Union at the University of Kansas.The theme of the conference is, "Synthesizing & Harmonizing Data for Integrated Biodiversity Research," and will highlight the uses of digitized data across all biodiversity disciplines, with an emphasis on digitized specimen data and the potential for big data analytics in organismal biology. This hybrid event will draw national and international participants and speakers to Lawrence for three days of oral sessions, posters, collection tours, and social events. The conference will provide an opportunity to explore digital data tools, techniques, discoveries, and outcomes across the biodiversity sciences.  <img alt data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ee51f84b-708e-492e-9674-78097defa5a6" height="450" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/Maroon%20and%20White%20Photo%20Heavy%20FaminePoverty%20Crisis%20Hub%20Facebook%20Post%20%281200%20x%20700%20px%29.png" width="771" class="align-center" loading="lazy"> Esteemed plenary speakers include KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum curators <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/people/town-peterson" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Town Peterson</a>, <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/people/bruce-lieberman" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Bruce Lieberman</a>, and<a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/people/jocelyn-colella" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank"> Jocelyn Colella</a> as well as <a href="https://molecularbiosciences.ku.edu/people/joanna-slusky" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Joanna Slusky</a> from KU Molecular Biosciences. Presentations will focus on connecting biodiversity to other disciplines, facilitating ecological discovery and understanding, managing systematic collections, and more. Registration for the event is now open and accessible <a href="https://digitaldata2024.sched.com/" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline">online</a>. Registration fees range from $25.00-$175.00, depending on virtual or in-person participation. Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-04-26T12:00:00Z">Fri, 04/26/24</time> <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/data-management" hreflang="en">data management</a><a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/news" hreflang="en">News</a> <img loading="lazy" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/2024/Maroon%20and%20White%20Photo%20Heavy%20FaminePoverty%20Crisis%20Hub%20Facebook%20Post%20%281200%20x%20700%20px%29_0.png" width="1200" height="700" alt="Conference logo with Dyche hall and KU campus in the background." typeof="foaf:Image"> Yes Fri, 26 Apr 2024 18:46:44 +0000 Natalie Vondrak 1379 at https://biodiversity.ku.edu New book gathers insights, methods from rising generation of Indigenous archaeologists https://biodiversity.ku.edu/node/1378 New book gathers insights, methods from rising generation of Indigenous archaeologists Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-04-16T14:07:13-05:00" title="Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 14:07">Tue, 04/16/2024 - 14:07</time> LAWRENCE —  A new book co-edited by a University of Kansas scholar that collects the experiences and know-how of younger Indigenous archaeologists, titled “<a href="https://upf.com/book.asp?id=9780813069869">Indigenizing Archaeology: Putting Theory into Practice</a>,” will be published today by the University Press of Florida.  Carlton Shield Chief Gover, acting assistant professor of anthropology and acting assistant curator of archaeology at KU, conceived and co-edited the new volume. Its chapters include lessons and case studies from the discipline. “This is the first book to our knowledge completely comprised of Indigenous scholars in archaeology, including our copy editors,” said Shield Chief Gover. “What makes this form of archaeology different within the field is its methods. This book is the ‘how-tos’ of Indigenous archaeology. It reflects how different people from different tribes do their version of archaeology. There’s not just some monolith of Native Americans. Rather, each nation has its own way of doing archaeology based on their own cultural practices.”Shield Chief Gover said the book’s contributors were mostly scholars in early stages of their careers.  <figure><img alt="Carlton Shield Chief Gover photo" height="468" src="https://news-archive-assets.ku.edu/data/e4/62/01hvh1j4jvqjf4y08j0dhdm7md.jpg" width="627" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Carlton Shield Chief Gover. Credit: First Nations and Education Center at Indiana University. </figcaption></figure>“My colleague and co-editor (Emily Van Alst, anthropologist at Washington State University) and I started this project when we were early in our Ph.D.s,” he said. “Everyone’s contributions in this volume are based either on their master's thesis or doctoral work. So, we’re all junior academics reflecting on how we were able to get through school and the methods that it took.” According to Shield Chief Gover, the new tome is geared toward a general readership as a practical guide to Indigenous archaeology rather than a theoretical treatise. He said the rise of the field of Indigenous archaeology can be traced to passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act in the 1990s. <figure><img alt=""Indigenizing Archaeology" book cover" height="292" src="https://news-archive-assets.ku.edu/data/24/c1/01hvhjyqfrzj45z5mbt7fvjets.jpg" width="200" loading="lazy"></figure>“That’s what forced archaeologists and Indigenous people to sit down at the table with one another as equals to actually explore, ‘OK, well, how do we get these individuals and their grave goods back home to their communities — and which communities do they belong to?’” he said. “A lot at the base level of Indigenous archaeology is communication and collaboration. It's just engaging with the communities that you used to do research ‘on.’ Now you're doing research ‘with’ and having communities incorporated from beginning to end so they're part of the entire process, not just this little back-end piece, which was called ‘consulting.’ You did all the work; you did the research questions. Then, at the end you'd ask, ‘OK, hey, what do you guys think about this?’ You know, just to check a box.” Shield Chief Gover said his fellow contributors’ insights and experiences especially benefit Indigenous cultural staff at institutions around the country and internationally.“We’re hoping this book could be a tool for them to replicate our work through their own nationhood and to move their nations forward with archaeology,” he said. “It's really distinct from what’s been published before, which have been mostly theoretical ideas by well-established authors writing for scholars in this field. But our book is meant for the average NAGPRA officer or tribal historic preservation officer or early rising students in the field of archaeology, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.” Shield Chief Gover’s own contributed chapter reflects on his experiences as a graduate student on his way to becoming the first Pawnee academic archaeologist (as well as a member of a profession that often collided with Indigenous interests historically).“It was difficult,” said the KU researcher. “My chapter reflects on how I did my master’s thesis. I struggled to communicate my thesis to my community and family, because it was so dense with statistics and the lexicon. So, I really looked at this chapter as an opportunity to say, ‘Well, this is how I went about it. This is why this is important. This is what it means. And this is how other cultural staff can utilize it to serve their own tribes’ purposes.’ At Wyoming, I was the only Indigenous graduate student there. I didn't even know there was a field of Indigenous archaeology.” Shield Chief Gover said it wasn’t until he started working on his doctorate later at the University of Colorado at Boulder that he encountered a body of scholarly work by Indigenous archaeologists. In part, he hopes his new volume will make the field more accessible to young academics in a similar position. “Until then, I had no idea of these resources — I was just on my own, or at least I thought I  I was,” he said. “Then I realized there was already literature about Indigenous archaeology and there were already people doing what I had ‘Forrest Gumped’ myself into on my own. I felt having a book dedicated less to the theory, but more to the methods would help other folks realize, ‘Oh, this is the actual nuts and bolts of how to do this’ — rather than, ‘Well, this is why you should do it and why it's important.’ Instead, we talk about where the rubber meets the road.” To ensure the volume will be available to all with an interest in Indigenous archaeology, Shield Chief Gover and his colleagues made a point of providing a digital <a href="https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00092058/00001/pdf">open-access copy</a>.“You can get an online copy of this book for free from the University Press of Florida,” he said. “We wanted to make our content freely accessible to disadvantaged communities that might not have $30 to spend, and we really wanted this accessible to cultural staff in Indian Country so they can readily have it to be employed by their offices.” Brendan M. Lynch <time datetime="2024-04-16T12:00:00Z">Tue, 04/16/24</time> <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/archaeology" hreflang="en">archaeology</a> <img loading="lazy" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/2024/Untitled%20design.png" width="1140" height="1140" alt="Plant with green leaves above the soil and a yellow and red bulb with roots growing from it below the soil." typeof="foaf:Image"> No Tue, 16 Apr 2024 19:07:13 +0000 Natalie Vondrak 1378 at https://biodiversity.ku.edu Rice paddy snake diversification was driven by geological and environmental factors in Thailand, molecular data suggests https://biodiversity.ku.edu/node/1377 Rice paddy snake diversification was driven by geological and environmental factors in Thailand, molecular data suggests Natalie Vondrak <time datetime="2024-04-02T17:14:56-05:00" title="Tuesday, April 2, 2024 - 17:14">Tue, 04/02/2024 - 17:14</time> <figure role="group"><img alt data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="262a5b78-4b1c-4192-a4ac-056a72cebe7e" height="365" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/01hrynwdfhzdvqtz6361p200kw.jpg" width="687" loading="lazy"><figcaption>A University of Kansas study of rice paddy snakes in Southeast Asia gives key details to their diversification and natural history. This photo shows Hypsiscopus murphyi sensu, a rice paddy snake. Photo credit: Bryan Stuart</figcaption></figure>LAWRENCE — A University of Kansas study of rice paddy snakes in Southeast Asia gives key details to their diversification and natural history, adding molecular evidence that the rise of the Khorat Plateau and subsequent environmental shifts in Thailand may have altered the course of the snakes’ evolution some 2.5 million years ago. The findings were <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-54744-z">published today in the journal Scientific Reports</a>.Researchers say the implications could help tell the story of diversification more broadly in the region.“This paper concerns mud snakes typically found in aquatic systems across Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Australia and New Guinea,” said lead author Justin Bernstein, a KU Center for Genomics postdoctoral researcher. “Deeper-level relationships regarding their evolution have recently begun to be studied, particularly through genome-scale data. However, finer-scaled evolutionary patterns remain to be fully revealed.” Bernstein, who currently serves at the University of Texas-Arlington, said the mud snakes, a family known as the Homalopsidae, are commonly found today in aquatic systems. Bernstein’s newest work on the homalopsids focuses on a subgroup called rice paddy snakes that are commonly found in agricultural fields and freshwaters streams in Southeast Asia. Although recent research has touched on the diversity of rice paddy snakes, their geographic distribution has touched off scientific speculation: One hypothesis suggests that around 2.5 million years ago, a plateau in Central Thailand, known as the Khorat Plateau, emerged from the ground, leading to the separation and subsequent diversification of snake populations over time. Indeed, molecular data provided insights into the timing of species diversification that aligned with the formation of the plateau.However, a later genome-scale study challenged this hypothesis by pushing the divergence date backward, predating the plateau's formation.“This discrepancy raises questions about the accuracy of different datasets in determining evolutionary timelines,” Bernstein said. “To address this, our paper employs more limited molecular datasets but with more robust analyses and denser sampling to test the hypothesis. Our results suggest that the group indeed diversified after the Khorat Plateau rose, and environmental changes over time further contributed to their divergence.”Past that, the research team found varied differences in preferred habitats among different snake species using past and present niche models, hinting that other environmental factors might have influenced their routes toward diversification and geographic distribution. Bernstein’s collaborator included co-author Rafe Brown, KU professor of ecology & evolutionary biology and curator-in-charge of the Herpetology Division at KU’s Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Institute. Other co-authors included Harold Voris and Sara Ruane of the Field Museum in Chicago; Bryan Stuart of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences; the late Daryl Karns of Hanover College; Jimmy McGuire of the University of California-Berkeley, Djoko Iskandar of the Institut Teknologi Bandung in Indonesia; Awal Riyanto of the National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia; Camilo Calderón‐Acevedo of the State University of New York: College of Environmental Science and Forestry; Marcelo Gehara of Rutgers University-Newark; and J. Angel Soto‐Centeno of Rutgers University-Newark and the American Museum of Natural History. Bernstein and his collaborators relied on molecular data along with ecological niche modeling to shed new light on the rice paddy snakes, which depended on data about where specimens were located in the field. This approach could help conservation efforts going forward, or predictions of how species might fare in climate change scenarios.“The whole point of ecological niche modeling, put simply, is if I take, say, 100 occurrence points for those snakes, and then I use 19 environmental data layers that correspond with each point, and compare it to a background — which would be the landscape with its environmental data regardless of snake occurrence points — do we see correlations and patterns?” Bernstein said. “You're trying to determine the habitat suitability of your species of interest across a broad landscape, including areas where they have not been recorded from."He said the environmental data includes variables like temperature differences, seasonality and precipitation at different points in time, such as quarterly, monthly or annually. "These 19 layers containing the environmental factors are ‘stacked’ in a way that each GPS coordinate — where a snake occurrence record is — has a set of 19 environmental variables associated with it,” Bernstein said.For instance, via this approach Bernstein said while these rice-paddy snakes don't exist in the Philippines, there are suitable habitats based off of where they live in Indochina. “Hypothetically they could live there,” he said. “That doesn't mean they do. There is no evidence suggesting they are able to get across ocean waters and enter the Philippines, and it would be highly unlikely for that scenario to occur. But the analysis is just indicating there is suitable habitat elsewhere, in addition to where we find them now, and that can be really useful. If it's a continuous landscape and you haven't found any individuals of a species in a particular area, but you see high habitat suitability, maybe you can go find a population that is presently unknown to exist.”The research builds on two of Bernstein’s earlier works. <a href="https://ssbbulletin.org/index.php/bssb/article/view/9393">One study</a> combines genetic analyses of older museum specimens' mitochondrial DNA with fresher genetic samples from recent field collections of mud snakes to learn more about diversity of homalopsids, including rice paddy snakes. <a href="https://meridian.allenpress.com/copeia/article-abstract/110/3/561/487334/Undescribed-Diversity-in-a-Widespread-Common-Group">The other study</a> is a more focused study that described a new rice paddy snake species and posited the hypothesis of the Khorat Plateau based on current data but lacked the power to test it.While many species of the mud snakes are drab, Bernstein said others are highly charismatic.“Some have tentacles as appendages on their face,” he said. “You could find two of the same species in one hole, like a mud lobster hole, where one is white and black, and the other is bright red and black — very striking. Some have speckled yellow bellies, while others are black with bright orange flecks and stripes down their back. And other species have unique behaviors that are not seen in the 4,000-plus species of snakes. They are truly stunning snakes.” Ultimately, the mud snake’s value may be in serving to show how species, and their morphological diversity, evolves over time, as well as how other organisms may react to changes in the ecosystems they live in.“I saw a lot of opportunity in them as a model system for investigating biogeography,” Bernstein said. “Honestly, using them more as a model system for understanding how species change or remain stable over time has been really valuable. We have several studies we want to pursue further, and many more in the works, and it all begins with understanding their evolutionary relationships.”<a href="https://news.ku.edu/" title="link to Brendan M. Lynch page">Brendan M. Lynch</a> KU News Service <a href="tel:1+785-864-8855" title="call Brendan M. Lynch">785-864-8855</a> <a href="mailto:brendan@ku.edu" title="e-mail brendan@ku.edu">brendan@ku.edu</a>  Brendan M. Lynch <time datetime="2024-03-12T12:00:00Z">Tue, 03/12/24</time> <a href="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/news-article-tags/herpetology" hreflang="en">herpetology</a> <img loading="lazy" src="https://biodiversity.ku.edu/sites/biodiversity/files/images/Maroon%20and%20White%20Photo%20Heavy%20FaminePoverty%20Crisis%20Hub%20Facebook%20Post%20%281200%20x%20700%20px%29%20%281200%20x%20641%20px%29.png" width="1200" height="641" alt="This photo shows Hypsiscopus murphyi sensu, a rice paddy snake." typeof="foaf:Image"> No Tue, 02 Apr 2024 22:14:56 +0000 Natalie Vondrak 1377 at https://biodiversity.ku.edu