https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/blog/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/RSS feed for Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteenThu, 03 Sep 2026 14:50:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/09/03/studying-the-holistic-health-habits-of-tropical-bats/What do bats do when they feel ill? SELFCURE, a multi-disciplinary project taking place in Gamboa, Panama, tracks the behavior of tropical bats when immune-challenged to understand how they take care of themselves, and what lessons we can learn from themThu, 03 Sep 2026 14:50:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/09/03/studying-the-holistic-health-habits-of-tropical-bats/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/08/25/climate-change-temperatures-can-modify-tiny-structures-such-as-the-scales-of-the-dazzling-morpho-butterflies/Hot temperatures during development can alter the scales that create Morpho butterflies’ brilliant blue iridescence, leaving adults with duller colorsTue, 25 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/08/25/climate-change-temperatures-can-modify-tiny-structures-such-as-the-scales-of-the-dazzling-morpho-butterflies/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/08/14/two-oceans-one-country-and-twenty-times-the-sharks/Fossil shark scales from Panama’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts show that the two seas never held the same number of sharks and that borrowing a conservation target from one ocean could be wrong by an order of magnitudeFri, 14 Aug 2026 16:06:30 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/08/14/two-oceans-one-country-and-twenty-times-the-sharks/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/08/13/smithsonian-and-nasa-collaborate-to-understand-tropical-forests-on-different-continents/Distinct climate histories across continents have shaped the nature of forest biomass around the worldThu, 13 Aug 2026 22:22:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/08/13/smithsonian-and-nasa-collaborate-to-understand-tropical-forests-on-different-continents/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/08/13/your-photos-can-help-make-scientific-discoveries/Scientists combined iNaturalist photos and scientific observations to uncover the possible evolution of a very particular behavior: egg-caring in a group of arachnidsThu, 13 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/08/13/your-photos-can-help-make-scientific-discoveries/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/08/07/archaeologists-analyze-how-diseases-impacted-indigenous-populations-in-the-americas-during-colonial-times/A new study examines the history of smallpox epidemics brought to America by European colonists, the absence of archaeological evidence associated with those epidemics and whether ancient DNA might offer new insightsFri, 07 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/08/07/archaeologists-analyze-how-diseases-impacted-indigenous-populations-in-the-americas-during-colonial-times/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/07/29/does-helping-your-mom-pay-off-queen-bee-pheromones-help-daughters-decide-whether-to-stay-or-leave-the-nest/Queen pheromones in Megalopta bees tell daughters when it's worth sacrificing their fertility to help their momWed, 29 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/07/29/does-helping-your-mom-pay-off-queen-bee-pheromones-help-daughters-decide-whether-to-stay-or-leave-the-nest/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/07/28/a-mountain-expedition-in-panama-to-test-new-insect-monitoring-technology/A new, jungle-proof automated light trap for insect monitoring documented in Methods in Ecology and Evolution and Integrative and Comparative Biology. The Mothbox is like a mammal trail camera but designed for large-scale insect monitoringTue, 28 Jul 2026 15:01:02 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/07/28/a-mountain-expedition-in-panama-to-test-new-insect-monitoring-technology/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/06/12/fungi-expert-is-on-a-mission-to-protect-the-global-natura-underground-networks/The youngest woman to receive the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers was also the youngest student on Barro Colorado Island when she first burrowed underground into the fascinating and complex world of fungiFri, 12 Jun 2026 14:55:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/06/12/fungi-expert-is-on-a-mission-to-protect-the-global-natura-underground-networks/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/05/14/camera-traps-at-smithsonians-barro-colorado-island-research-station-bci-in-panama-reveal-wildlife-stories-that-inspired-a-new-generation-of-tropical-scientists/The long-term mammal monitoring project on Barro Colorado Island is one of the most unique camera trap systems in the tropics and the first of its kindThu, 14 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/05/14/camera-traps-at-smithsonians-barro-colorado-island-research-station-bci-in-panama-reveal-wildlife-stories-that-inspired-a-new-generation-of-tropical-scientists/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/04/29/cerro-la-vieja-cocoa-that-protects-nature-chocolate-that-feeds-the-soul/Dedication to protecting key bird habitats and biodiversity made possible the first Bird Friendly cocoa certification in Panama, marking a milestone for conservationWed, 29 Apr 2026 15:58:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/04/29/cerro-la-vieja-cocoa-that-protects-nature-chocolate-that-feeds-the-soul/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/04/23/connected-forests-favor-more-diverse-disease-preventing-microbes/New research shows that forest connecting different types of habitats may help frogs fight a deadly amphibian fungusThu, 23 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/04/23/connected-forests-favor-more-diverse-disease-preventing-microbes/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/03/16/a-new-endemic-tree-species-discovered-in-an-indigenous-area-is-already-threatened/Botanists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) named the new species, Clusia nanophylla, because of the tiny size of the leaves, the smallest within the genus. This species has only been found in PanamaMon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/03/16/a-new-endemic-tree-species-discovered-in-an-indigenous-area-is-already-threatened/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/02/26/smithsonians-panama-amphibian-rescue-and-conservation-project-releases-panamas-critically-endangered-golden-frogs-into-the-wild/After disappearing from the wild due to a deadly fungal disease, the Panamanian golden frog is being reintroduced through the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project (PARC). In a recent trial, 100 captive-bred frogs were released to study rewilding strategies.Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:36:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/02/26/smithsonians-panama-amphibian-rescue-and-conservation-project-releases-panamas-critically-endangered-golden-frogs-into-the-wild/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/02/06/ants-in-the-spotlight-the-hidden-gaps-in-neotropical-ant-behavior-research/A recent study from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) reveals that, despite their outsized ecological impact, the diversity of ants in the American tropics and their behavior remain understudiedFri, 06 Feb 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2026/02/06/ants-in-the-spotlight-the-hidden-gaps-in-neotropical-ant-behavior-research/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2025/12/03/digging-deeper-into-aguada-fenix-the-oldest-and-largest-maya-monument-in-mexico/Recent discoveries in an archaeological site in Mexico sheds new light into the beginning of the Maya civilization, and how they perceived the passage of timeWed, 03 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2025/12/03/digging-deeper-into-aguada-fenix-the-oldest-and-largest-maya-monument-in-mexico/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2025/11/19/a-new-species-of-fossil-fish-from-panama-named-after-stri-ngabe-researcher/An analysis of marine fossils from the Upper Miocene Chagres Formation in Panama, most belonging to the Myctophidae family, discovered four new species, one of which has been named in honor of Brigida de Gracia, the first Ngäbe marine paleontologistWed, 19 Nov 2025 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2025/11/19/a-new-species-of-fossil-fish-from-panama-named-after-stri-ngabe-researcher/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2025/10/08/leafcutter-ants-have-blind-spots-just-like-truck-drivers/Scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama discovered that carrying oversized loads limits the ability to perceive the trail in leafcutter ants, akin to blind spots while we are drivingWed, 08 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2025/10/08/leafcutter-ants-have-blind-spots-just-like-truck-drivers/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2025/08/27/smithsonian-bird-friendly-celebrates-25-years-setting-the-gold-standard-for-sustainable-coffee-and-cocoa-production/What does it take to grow coffee in a way that is good for birds and other wildlife? The birth of the Bird Friendly certification program brought to reality an effort to make the coffee supply chain more sustainable and protect migratory birds and their habitats at the same timeWed, 27 Aug 2025 15:10:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2025/08/27/smithsonian-bird-friendly-celebrates-25-years-setting-the-gold-standard-for-sustainable-coffee-and-cocoa-production/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2025/08/11/a-comparison-of-colorful-hamlets-from-the-caribbean-challenges-ideas-about-how-species-arise/Scientists have been thinking about how new species evolve since Darwin wrote On The Origin of Species in 1859. The results presented here call into question some of the most common explanations of how species originate.Mon, 11 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute/2025/08/11/a-comparison-of-colorful-hamlets-from-the-caribbean-challenges-ideas-about-how-species-arise/