Tupper 4pm seminarTuesday, January 18, 4pmseminar speaker will be GertFricker, University ofHeidelberg, GermanyBenefits and risks ofphytopharmaceuticals

Bambi seminarPlease check Group Wise forinformation on the nextBambi.

ArrivalsFernando Soley, intern fromthe University of Costa Rica,Jan 15 - Mar 15, to study thepossible role of substratevibration in social dominanceinteractions and foodexchange in female bees withBill Wcislo, at Tupper.

Corinne Richards, Universityof Michigan, Jan 15 - Feb 13,to use mark-recapture andmatrix modeling techniques toanalyze population structureand dynamics of thePanamanian golden frog, at ElValle and El Cope.

Adriana Bravo, volunteerfrom Louisiana StateUniversity, Jan 16, to workwith Christoph Meyer, onBCI.

Angela Sjollema, intern fromWisconsin, Jan 17 - Feb 17, towork with Elisabeth Kalko, onBCI.

Chrystal Healy, NEO fellowfrom McGill University, Jan18 - Aug 31, to work on theSardinilla Project.

Rachel Page, University ofTexas at Austin, Jan 18 - May15, to predator assessment ofprey cues: Frog-eating batsand frog calls, on BCI.

STRI newsSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá www.stri.org January 14, 2005

Jaramillo selected forposition of paleobiologist

Biostatigrapher Carlos Jaramillo, 35, from InstitutoColombiano de Petróleo [Oil Colombian Institute] inBucaramanga, was selected to fill STRI's new endowed Chair ofPaleobiology, effective April, 2005. Jaramillo was born inSantafé de Bogotá. He is married to Maria Ines Barreto, and hasa three-year old son, Camilo Ivan. Jaramillo graduated inGeology at Universidad Nacional de Colombia in 1992,followed by a master's degree in Geology from the Universityof Missouri-Rolla, in 1995. In 1999, he obtained a Ph.D. inGeology/Botany from the University of Florida.

His undergraduate and master papers were related toCretaceous-Paleogene dinoflagellate cyst paleoecology fromtropical and subtropical latitudes. His doctorate dissertationfocused on the response of tropical plants to the Eocene globalwarming. Jaramillo studies the causes, patterns, and processesof tropical biodiversity at diverse scales of time and space. He intends to address questions from apaleobiological perspective (mainly using pollen, spores and dinoflagellates), a point of view that islargely needed to understand and predict the behavior of biota in tropical ecosystems.

Currently, Jaramillo conducts the projects “Paleogene palynology of Colombia, South America:Biostratigraphic, sequence stratigraphic and paleogeographic”; “Evolution of the mangroveecosystem during the Quaternary in the Tribuga Gulf, Choco, Colombia”; and Tectonism and itsrole in the evolution of the Andes biota. More information at http://cgares.org.carlos/

Carlos Jaramillo, 35,bioestatígrafo del InstitutoColombiano de Petróleo enBucaramanga, fue seleccionadopara ocupar la nueva posiciónde paleobiólogo en STRI, apartir de abril de 2005. Nacidoen Santafé de Bogotá, estácasado con María Inés Barretoy tiene un hijo de tres años,Carlos Iván. Se graduó deGeología en la UniversidadNacional de Colombia en 1992,seguido por una maestría enGeología en la Universidad deMissouri en Rolla, en 1995. En1999, obtuvo su doctorado enGeología/Botánica, de laUniversidad de Florida.

Sus tesis de licenciatura ymaestría estuvieronrelacionados con lapaleoecología de esporasdinoflageladas del Cretáceo-Paleogeno de latitudestropicales y subtropicales. Sutesis de doctorado se concentróen la respuesta de plantastropicales al calentamientoglobal del Eoceno. Jaramilloestudia las causas, patrones yprocesos de la biodiversidadtropical a diversas escalas entiempo y espacio. Su objetivo esresponder cuestionamientos conuna perspectiva paleobiológica(usando mayormente polen,esporas y dinoflagelados), un

punto de vista muy necesariopara entender y predecir elcomportamiento de seres vivosen ecosistemas tropicales.

Actualmente, Jaramillo llevaa cabo los proyectos deinvestigación “Palinología delPaleoceno de Colombia, SurAmérica: Bioestatigrafía,secuencia estratigráfica ypaleogeográfica”; Evolución deecosistemas de manglares en elPeríodo Cuaternario en el Golfode Tribuga, en el Chocó deColombia”; y Tectonismo y supapel en la evolución de la floray fauna de los Andes. Másinformación en la pagina de webhttp://cgares.org.carlos/

More arrivalsAlexandre Monro, NaturalHistory Museum, London,UK, Jan 18 - Mar 15, toconduct a Flora Mesoamericanacollecting trip to CerroFábrega, Parque Nacional LaAmistad.

Stefan Schnitzer, University ofMinnesota, Jan 21, to studythe ecology of lianas and theirrole in forest regeneration, atGigante.

DeparturesEldredge Bermingham, Jan 16- Feb 10, to the US onvacation, and to WashingtonDC, on official business at SI.

John Christy, Jan 19-22, toLincoln, Nebraska, to presentseminars to staff and studentsof the University of Nebraska.

Congratulations!To Stefan Klose from theUniversity of Ulm, Germanydoing bat research on BCIwith Elisabeth Kalko, whowas granted an EndeavourAustralian-Europe Post-graduate Student Award. Hewill study the relationshipbetween physiology and lifehistory in the context ofglobal climatic change, usingthe endemic Australian grey-headed flying fox (Pteropuspoliocephalus) as a model systemto investigate the physiologicalplasticity, constraints andlimits inherent to life histories.

New publicationsAndrefouet, Serge, andGuzman, Hector M. 2004."Coral reef distribution, statusand geomorphology-biodiversity relationship inKuna Yala (San Blas)archipelago, CaribbeanPanama." Coral Reefs Online.

NEO studentsparticipate inMcGill annualsymposium

Four of the five speakers thatparticipated in McGill University BiologyDepartment’s Graduate StudentsResearch Symposium “Conservation,Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour(CEEB)” held last month in Montreal,are members of STRI's McGillNeotropical Environmental Option(NEO).

Panamanian Luis Fernando De Leonand Canadian Nathan Millar, whoseadvisor is STRI deputy director EldredgeBermingham, presented “Testing forincipient speciation: Gene flow betweenbeak morphs in Darwin's finches” and“Visual selection and private signaling inthe guppy Poecilia reticulata”, respectively.

Meaghan Murphy, from the US,talked about “Neighbor effects, treediversity and soil respiration in aPanamanian plantation” and MalenaSarlo, Panama, spoke on “Soil litterfauna in a biodiversity plantation.” Theiradvisor is STRI research associateCatherine Potvin, from McGill.

Cuatro de los cinco expositores del simposio anualde estudiantes graduados del Departamento de Biologíade la Universidad de McGill “Conservación, Ecología,Evolución y Comportamiento” que se llevó a cabo elmes pasado en Montreal, son miembros del ProgramaNEO de STRI y McGill.

El panameño Luis Fernando De León y NathanMillar de Canadá, cuyo asesor es Eldredge Berminghampresentaron “Examen de especiación incipiente: flujogenético entre la morfología de picos y los pinzones deDarwin” y “Selección visual y señalización particular enPoecilia reticulata”, respectivamente.

Meaghan Murphy, de EU presentó “Efectos decercanía, diversidad de árboles y respiración de suelos enuna plantación panameña”, y Marlena Sarlo, de Panamáhabló sobre “Fauna de material orgánico de suelos enuna plantación de biodiversidad. La asesora de Murphyy Sarlo es Catherine Potvin, investigadora asociada aSTRI de la Universidad de McGill.

STRI-Elektra fellows fromColon graduateDenis Gomez and Haidy Perez obtained theirbachelor's degree in Biology from the University ofPanama Regional Center, Colon, in December 2004.Their thesis “Estimate of macro-algae richness andabundance in Punta Galeta coral reefs: Fifteen yearsafter an oil spill” is based on the methodology andinformation gathered by STRI staff scientist John Cubit,who conducted research projects in Galeta from the late1970's to 1989. Gomez and Perez are the firstbiologists of the Colon campus graduated thanks toSTRI-Elektra Fellowships in Marine Science, thatallowed them to conduct their research at Galeta. The

photo show the new biologists presenting a copy of their thesis to OCAPP director StanleyHeckadon-Moreno.

Denis Gómez y Haidy Pérez obtuvieron su licenciatura en Biología de la Universidad de Panamá enel Centro Regional de Colón, en diciembre de 2004. Su tesis “Estimación de la riqueza y abundanciade macroalgas en los arrecifes de Punta Galeta, 15 años después de un derrame de petróleo” se basaen la metodología e información obtenida por el científico de STRI, John Cubit, quien realizóinvestigaciones en Galeta desde finales de los '70 hasta 1989. Gómez y Pérez son las primerasbiólogas del campus universitario de Colón que se graduán gracias a las Becas STRI-Elektra enCiencias Marinas, permitiéndoles hacer investigación en Galeta. La foto muestra a las nuevasbiólogas entregando copia de su tesis al director de OCAPP, Stanley Heckadon-Moreno.

Frugivores and SeedDispersal workshop The 4th International Symposium and Workshop onFrugivores and Seed Dispersal: Theory and itsapplication in a changing world” will be held from July 9-16, 2005 at the Nathan Campus of Griffith University,Brisbane, Australia. There will be approximately 35plenary speakers as well as open sessions, poster sessionsand workshops. The plenary speakers have been selected to cover a broad range of geographicalareas, plant and animal groups, and approaches, e.g. evolutionary aspects, field ecology,genetics, modelling. For more information please visit:http://www.learnaboutwildlife.com/frugivory2005.htm

Game Wardens DaySTRI and Panama's EnvironmentalAuthority (ANAM) will celebrateGame Wardens Day on Tuesday,January 18, at the Fire DepartmentGym in Gamboa. The event will beattended by representatives ofANAM game wardens and theEcological Police. Also attendingare ANAM general administratorLigia Castro and Stanley Heckadon-Moreno, director of STRI's Officeof Communications and PublicPrograms. Welcoming remarks andwords by officials and game wardenrepresentatives will be followed bya series of sports events.

STRI celebrará el Día del Guardabosques el martes, 18 de enero, en el Gimnasio del Cuerpo deBomberos en Gamboa. El evento contará con la asistencia de representantes del Cuerpo deGuardaparques de la Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente de Panamá (ANAM) y la PolicíaEcológica. También asistirán Ligia Castro, administradora general de ANAM, y StanleyHeckadon-Moreno, científico y director de la Oficina de STRI de Divulgación y ProgramasPúblicos. Luego de un acto con palabras de bienvenida por funcionarios y representantes de losguardabosques y guardaparques, se llevarán a cabo una serie de eventos deportivos.

STRI Volleyball season 2005STRI is opening its Volleyballseason on Friday, January 14 at5pm at the Tupper Centerparking lot. All members of theSTRI community are invited tojoin the STRI’s summerVolleybal League. Interested injoining the different teams,please contact Oris Acevedo, onBCI (212-8901), Axel Calderon,at Naos (212-8826), and ErickLam (212-8078) Luis Turner(212-8122) or Jennifer Saucedo(212-8188), at Tupper. Pleasewear your STRI ID.

STRI inaugurará la temporadade Volleybal el viernes, 14 deenero, en el Estacionamiento delCentro Tupper. Todos losmiembros de la comunidad deSTRI están invitados a unirse a la Liga deVerano de Volleyball de STRI. Los queestán interesados en unirse a losdiferentes equipos, favor ponerse encontacto con Oris Acevedo, en BCI(212-8901), Axel Calderón en Naos (212-8826), y Erick Lam (212-8078) LuisTurner (212-8122) ó Jennifer Saucedo(212-8188), en Tupper. Favor de portar elcarnet de identificación de STRI

More publicationsHugues, William O.H., Peterson,Klaus S., Ugelvig, Line V.,Pedersen, Dorthe, Thomsen, Lene,Poulsen, Michael, and Boomsma,Jacobus J. 2004. "Density-depend-ence and within-host competitionin a semelparous parasite of leaf-cutting ants." BMC EvolutionaryBiology Online.

Langer, Philipp, Molbo, Drude,and Keller, Laurent. 2004. "Poly-morphic microsatellite loci inAllodapine bees for investigatingthe evolution of social behaviour."Molecular Ecology Notes 4(2): 303-305.

Lessios, Harilaos A. 2004."Diadema antillarum populations inPanama twenty years followingmass mortality." Coral Reefs Online

Meinzer, Frederick C., James,Shelley A., and Goldstein,Guillermo. 2004. "Dynamics oftranspiration, sap flow and use ofstored water in tropical forest can-opy trees." Tree Physiology 24(8):901–909.

Moran, Amy L. 2004. "Egg sizeevolution in tropical Americanarcid bivalves: The comparativemethod and the fossil record."Evolution 58(12): 2718-2733.

Weinbeer, Moritz, and Kalko, Elis-abeth K.V. 2004. "Morphologicalcharacteristics predict alternateforaging strategy and microhabitatselection in the orange-bellied bat,Lampronycteris brachyotis." Journalof Mammalogy 85(6): 1116-1123.

MiscellaneousAlbrook apartment for rent,two bedrs, one bath, furnished..Quiet area. Available immediately$600. Please call Chimene at 276-6621 or cel. 674-6621

For sale: Toyota 4-runner 1988,4wd; $2,700 negotiable, availableimmediately. Rhett Harrison at.314-9237 harrisonr@si.edu

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Sixth census of BCI's Forest Dynamic Plot just beganSTRI's Center for Tropical Forest

Science (CTFS) began the sixth census ofBarro Colorado Island 50 hectare ForestDynamic Plot (FDP) this month, under thesupervision of Rolando Pérez and SalomonAguilar. The team also includes nineresearch technician from Panama, avolunteer from Canada, and a biologistfrom Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon.

The first census of the BCI plot wasdone in 1981-83. Studies based oninformation gathered from censuses on 17FDP plots in 14 countries throughout LatinAmerica, Asia and Africa, show howtropical forests regenerate, how they can bemanaged and conserved, and how tomaintain their rich diversity.

During the census, every woody stemwith a one centimeter diameter at breastheight and above (1.33m) is tagged,measured, mapped and identified to thespecies level. CTFS researchers use the dataas basis for silvicultural, socio-economic,and ecological research, providinginformation for environmentaldecision-making.

El Centro de Ciencias Forestales del Trópico de STRI (CTFS) inició el sextocenso de la Parcela de Dinámica deBosques (FDP) este mes, bajo lasupervisión de Rolando Pérez y SalomónAguilar. El equipo también incluye a nuevetécnicos de investigación panameños, unavoluntaria de Canadá y un biólogo deIquitos, del Amazonas peruano.

El primer censo de la parcela de BCI sellevó a cabo en 1981-83. Estudios basadosen información obtenida de censos en 17parcelas de 14 países en América Latina,Asia y Africa, muestran cómo los bosquestropicales se regeneran, cómo debenmanejarse y conservarse, y cómo mantenersu rica diversidad.

Durante los censos, cada especie deárbol con más de un centímetro dediámetro es marcado, medido, localizado eidentificado. Los investigadores del CTFSutilizan la información como base deinvestigaciones silviculturales,socioeconómicas y ecológicas,suministrando información para la toma dedecisiones ambientales.