News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 16-Jan-2026 17:11 ET (16-Jan-2026 22:11 GMT/UTC)

17-Mar-2016

New golden frog species discovered in Colombia

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team of scientists including a Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) research associate announced the discovery of a new species of pale-gold colored frog from the cloud forests of the high Andes in Colombia. Its name, Pristimantis dorado, commemorates both its color (dorado means 'golden' in Spanish) and El Dorado, a mythical city of gold eagerly sought for centuries by Spanish conquistadores in South America.

Funder

Bogota's Aqueduct water company, Conservation International from Ecopetrol

3-Mar-2016

Tiny island deer in Panama hunted to extinction thousands of years ago

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Once there was a dwarf deer on an island in the Pacific, but residents hunted it to extinction 6,000 years ago. Knowing this may help to conserve conservation of deer on a neighboring island.

22-Feb-2016

Spanish conquest left its imprint on men's genes in Panama

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

European men who chose indigenous women as the mothers of their children left their mark on men in the New World. Only 22 percent of Panamanian men have Y-chromosomes of native origin, even though most Panamanians are of female indigenous ancestry.

Journal

PLOS One

12-Feb-2016

Scientists in Panama call for alert as cobia, a potentially invasive fish, spreads

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Like the lionfish in the Caribbean, a large fish called Cobia, which has escaped from an aquaculture facility in Ecuador, has the potential to become an important invasive species in the Central and Eastern Pacific

Journal

Biological Invasions

3-Feb-2016

Cause for hope: Secondary tropical forests put on weight fast

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Half of the world's tropical forests are secondary forests, forests that are growing back after being cut or logged. Authors compared the growth of secondary forests across Latin America, finding that most, but not all grow back very quickly. As they put on weight, they pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Journal

Nature

Funder

CIFOR, CONACYT, and others, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, CGIAR-FTA, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-DFAT

28-Jan-2016

New molecular profiling for glioma

University of Sao Paulo Scientific Outreach Unit
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Cell publishes on its Jan. 28th edition the results of the largest study ever performed on the molecular profiles of gliomas -- that represent 80 percent of tumors of the central nervous system.

Journal

Cell

Funder

Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas, São Paulo Research Foundation, National Institutes of Health

28-Jan-2016

International study describes new glioma subtypes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In an international study conducted in Brazil, researchers have identified new glioma subtypes on the basis of epigenetic profile. The new findings serve to stratify glioma patients more accurately and will contribute to an enhancement of treatment protocols.

Journal

Cell

Funder

São Paulo Research Foundation

26-Jan-2016

CIP signs a memorandum of understanding with Georgia

International Potato Center / Centro Internacional de la Papa
Business Announcement

In partnership with the Government of Georgia and its Ministry of Agriculture, the International Potato Center (CIP) has embarked upon an ambitious project to support expansion and diversification of the country's potato crop, as well as that of the Central Asia and Caucuses region.

21-Jan-2016

Smithsonian botanist discovers new ground-flowering plant in Panama

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A young botanist and seasoned plant expert named a new plant species for a Smithsonian herbarium assistant.

Journal

Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas

19-Jan-2016

Photos show elusive bush dog to be widespread in Panama

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New camera trap photos capture the elusive bush dog in Panama on its way North as it expands out of South America.