News from Latin America

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-Jul-2025 16:11 ET (23-Jul-2025 20:11 GMT/UTC)

1-Jun-2009

Temporary infidelity may contribute to the stability of ancient relationships

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Partner switching between fungus farming ants and their fungal clones during nest establishment may contribute to the stability of this long-term mutualistic relationship.

Journal

Evolution

Funder

National Science Foundation, Lundbeck Foundation, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Danish National Research Foundation

14-May-2009

Andes Mountains are older than previously believed

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Much is known about the rise of the central Andes mountains, but a new study of the eastern Andes in Colombia indicates that mountain building began much earlier there.

Journal

Geological Society of America Bulletin

Funder

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, German Academic Exchange Service, Instituto Colombiano de Petroleo, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Potsdam University

14-May-2009

Genital stimulation opens door for cryptic female choice in tsetse flies

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Manipulation of male and/or female genitalia results in a suite of changes in female reproductive behavior in tsetse flies, carriers of African sleeping sickness.

Journal

Journal of Evolutionary Biology

Funder

International Atomic Energy Agency, University of Costa Rica, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

4-May-2009

First jaguar photo taken at Smithsonian Research Station in Panama

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Business Announcement

The first photo of a jaguar on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, home of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's premier tropical biology research station was taken on April 20, 2009.

20-Apr-2009

Live-in domestics: Mites as maids in tropical rainforest sweat bee nests

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mites not only inhabit the dust bunnies under your bed, they also occupy the nests of tropical sweat bees where they keep fungi in check. Bees and their young are healthier when mites live-in, report researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and the University of Texas at Austin.

2-Apr-2009

Food security for leaf-cutting ants: Workers and their fungus garden reject endophyte invaders

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New diseases affect human survival and food security, especially as population density climbs. Leaf-cutting ants, one of a few groups of social insects to cultivate crops and live in dense colonies, harvest plant material to fertilize underground fungal gardens. New results from the Smithsonian show that both the ants and their fungal crop actively combat fungi coming into the nest inside leaves.

Funder

National Science Foundation, American Association of University Women, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, World Cacao Foundation

24-Mar-2009

Smithsonian scientist warns that palm oil development may threaten Amazon

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Oil palm cultivation drives forest destruction across Southeast Asia. Proposed change in Brazil's legislation, new infrastructure and the influence of foreign agro-industrial firms in the region, may create a similar situation in the Amazon.

Journal

Tropical Conservation Science

13-Mar-2009

First successful transvaginal nephrectomy performed using advanced surgical concepts' tri-port

Instituto Medico La Floresta
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Dr. Rene Sotelo performs the world's first successful live human transvaginal nephrectomy using Advanced Surgical Concepts' unique Tri-port access port.

19-Feb-2009

Cleaning the atmosphere of carbon: African forests out of balance

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Carbon held in African forests is on the rise, but there's no simple explanation. The two most likely explanations are that forests are responding to high atmospheric carbon dioxide or that they are recovering from a previous natural or human-induced disturbance.

Journal

Nature

Funder

HSBC Climate Partnership

13-Feb-2009

AAAS Symposium: Emerging threats to tropical, temperate and ocean ecosystems

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Three conservation scientists describe new threats and research needs for tropical, temperate and ocean ecosystems.

Meeting

2009 AAAS Annual Meeting