South America | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/south-america-1/RSS feed for South AmericaenWed, 27 May 2026 13:00:23 +0000Daddy Longlegs Seem to Hunt Frogs in South America, Revealing the Gangly Arachnids as Overlooked Predatorshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/daddy-longlegs-seem-to-hunt-frogs-in-south-america-revealing-the-gangly-arachnids-as-long-overlooked-predators-180988810/A new study suggests that harvestmen actively attack the slippery amphibians, rather than just scavenging them. The findings hint that the spineless creatures have a more complex relationship with vertebrates than previously thoughtWed, 27 May 2026 13:00:23 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/daddy-longlegs-seem-to-hunt-frogs-in-south-america-revealing-the-gangly-arachnids-as-long-overlooked-predators-180988810/Potatoes Didn't Just Feed Ancient Indigenous Communities in the Andes—the Tasty Tubers Also Reshaped People's DNAhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/potatoes-didnt-just-feed-ancient-indigenous-communities-in-the-andes-the-tasty-tubers-also-reshaped-peoples-dna-180988732/A new study finds that Indigenous Andeans living in what is now Peru have extra copies of a gene called AMY1, which helps the body digest starchTue, 12 May 2026 21:13:28 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/potatoes-didnt-just-feed-ancient-indigenous-communities-in-the-andes-the-tasty-tubers-also-reshaped-peoples-dna-180988732/A New Big Database of DNA From Indigenous Americans Shakes Up Scientists' Theories About Human Settlement of South Americahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-big-database-of-dna-from-indigenous-americans-shakes-up-scientific-theories-about-human-settlement-of-south-america-180988628/Genomic data provides evidence for a previously unknown wave of migration, with Indigenous groups living in central and southern Mexico spreading into South America and the Caribbean starting around 1,300 years agoTue, 28 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-big-database-of-dna-from-indigenous-americans-shakes-up-scientific-theories-about-human-settlement-of-south-america-180988628/A Rare 'Cloud Jaguar' Was Spotted in Honduran Mountains for the First Time in a Decade, Representing a Win for Conservationistshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-cloud-jaguar-was-spotted-in-honduran-mountains-for-the-first-time-in-a-decade-representing-a-win-for-conservationists-180988595/The big cats are rarely seen at high elevations, so the sighting suggests that efforts to protect a wildlife corridor in the region are workingThu, 23 Apr 2026 15:37:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-rare-cloud-jaguar-was-spotted-in-honduran-mountains-for-the-first-time-in-a-decade-representing-a-win-for-conservationists-180988595/Colombia Plans to Euthanize Dozens of 'Cocaine Hippos,' Descendants of Animals Brought by Notorious Drug Trafficker Pablo Escobarhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/colombia-plans-to-euthanize-dozens-of-cocaine-hippos-descendants-of-animals-brought-by-notorious-drug-trafficker-pablo-escobar-180988548/If nothing is done to control the invasive creatures, officials estimate the population could grow to 1,000 animals by 2035. So, they aim to cull about 80 individuals later this yearTue, 14 Apr 2026 21:15:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/colombia-plans-to-euthanize-dozens-of-cocaine-hippos-descendants-of-animals-brought-by-notorious-drug-trafficker-pablo-escobar-180988548/