Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Dormancy type, seed traits, and species identity shape seed‐associated fungal community composition in tropical pioneer trees

Seed germination is regulated in many plants by seed dormancy, while postdispersal survival is often determined by soilborne fungi that infect seeds. In tropical forests, seeds in each of three dormancy types (physical, physiologically dormant, or quiescent) often share similar p...

Vocalizations shape roost defence outcomes in a solitary bat

Individuals commonly compete with others that share their ecological niche, both within and among species. To avoid physical confrontations, individuals can use various types of signals to demonstrate their dominance, including vocalizations. Kerivoula hardwickii is a solitary ba...

Quantifying pollen and spore morphology using a language model

In a typical systematic paper, specimen morphology is described with natural language, and taxonomic specialists use glossaries of technical terminology to establish and communicate taxon concepts, using morphology to delimit species. Textual descriptions of specimen morphology a...

Spatial variation in liana effects on host‐tree allometry and biomass in an intact tropical forest

Lianas are increasing in abundance across the tropics, yet local spatial variation in their effects on host‐tree allometry and biomass, and the drivers of this variation within forests, remain poorly understood. Using field inventory, drone photogrammetry, and terrestrial laser s...

Coral community dynamics across anthropogenic and natural stressors in Portobelo National Park, Colon, Panama

Understanding how coral communities respond to overlapping local stressors is essential for identifying potentially resilient reef sites within marine protected areas. In Portobelo National Park, Caribbean Panama, coral assemblages occur under combinations of human and natural pr...

A multiregional serosurvey of RNA virus-reactive antibodies in bats and rodents reveals the enzootic presence of flavi- and paramyxoviruses in African Pteropodidae

Bats and rodents have been identified as reservoir hosts of diverse RNA viruses that pose potential risks to humans. However, overall virus prevalence in wildlife and underlying factors determining the zoonotic potential of reservoir-borne viruses remain poorly characterized. Vir...

Frogs have layers: a comparative histological study of colour polymorphism in Oophaga poison frogs

Background Colour polymorphism in aposematic species is often associated with ecological divergence and predator selection. In amphibians, colouration is achieved through the chromatophore unit, a layered structure of pigment-containing cells (xanthophores, melanophores) and stru...

Comparative gliding performance of Anolis lizards among three Caribbean ecomorphs

Anole lizards (genus Anolis ) have repeatedly and independently occupied arboreal niches, and in parallel have evolved associated morphologies and locomotor behaviors. In arboreal vertebrates more generally, parachuting and gliding have frequently evolved in response to selective...

Prior infection of harlequin toads by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis alters their immune-microbial state and increases mortality upon re-infection

Abstract Strategies to improve survival of wildlife impacted by emerging infectious disease are needed for species of conservation concern. We investigated how prior infection by the skin fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), affected subsequent disease outcomes i...

Fossil denticles reveal how ocean productivity shapes shark baselines and recovery potential

Shark populations on coral reefs have declined globally, but few baselines exist to quantify natural variability before human impact. Using fossil dermal denticles preserved in reef sediments, we reconstructed shark communities across the Isthmus of Panama before substantial expl...

Chiroptera Personality—A Guide for Assessing Personality Variation in Bats: Ecological, Methodological and Statistical Considerations

ABSTRACT Consistent between‐individual differences, that is, animal personality (AP) is among the fastest‐growing topics in behavioural biology, with theoretical and empirical work showing important consequences for ecology, evolution and conservation. Yet bats—the second‐largest...