In the News: Birds and the Bees (and the Butterflies)

Fig.1. A staff member at the American Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Conservatory can identify the animal in this picture in 139 different languages (Credit: Puparrazi via Flickr, 2009)

For this week's Follow Friday, learn about ongoing studies that highlight SciColl's four research initiatives, including protecting bee colonies, analyzing bird beaks, saving dental plaque, and more:

• Inside the American Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Conservatory is one woman who has 139 different ways to talk about this collection: “Amid Butterflies, A Bit Of A Lingua Franca At The Natural History Museum,” New York Times (20 May 2015)

• As pollinators face a deadly decline, the USDA and other federal agencies are working to protect colonies which remain vital to food security and biodiversity:“Buzzing Into Action To Support Pollinator Health Through Research,” USDA Blog (27 May 2015) 

• Bird beaks can be used to study more than just evolution in the Galapagos. Scientists discovered a link between larger bird beak sizes and increasing global temperatures: “Bird Beaks Feeling The Heat Of Climate Change, Say Scientists,” Phys Org (28 May 2015) 

• Canada’s first “plaque bank” provides a unique take on sampling microbiomes, as well as a new way to detect diseases:“Diagnosing Disease Through Dental Plaque,” Medical Design Technology (16 April 2015)

• Whole-genome sequences from 225 people helped to answer the long-standing question of how -- and where -- humans migrated out of Africa, “Humans Migrated North, Rather Than South, In The Main Successful Migration From Cradle Of Humankind,” Phys Org (28 May 2015)