My lab group looks at small stuff–for example, our organisms of choice are microscopic, single-celled plantlike creatures called diatoms. But because gosh darn it that just ain’t small enough, we like to look at the genetic machinery (DNA, RNA, all that jazz) inside those organisms. So a lot of our time is spent in the … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Galapagos
Lonesome George No More
Extinction is alive and well at the American Museum of Natural History. A stroll through the famous NYC institution passes fearsome skeletons that wouldn’t have let you walk by 300 million years ago, as well as more diminutive critters better resembling prehistoric pets. For the most part, these remains are ghostly embodiments of eras far … Continue reading
Conservation Minded: The Galapagos and changing the focus of conservation practices
What do you think of when you think about the Galapagos? Darwin, finches, tortoises, blue-footed boobys? What else comes to mind? The word pristine, perhaps? How many people do you think live on the Galapagos (a volcanic archipelago owned by Ecuador, but located well off of the coast)? In 1970 there were around 4,000 … Continue reading
Darwin’s Paradise Lost
Written by UNC Undergraduate Katie Overbey What do you think of when I say the Galápagos Islands? Maybe you think of a pristine, uninhabited, untouched natural habitat, populated with animals like the blue footed boobie and the Galápagos sea lion. Or you think of a tropical paradise with gorgeous beaches. Maybe it conjures up images … Continue reading