In previous
years we have had some difficulties maneuvering the trailer to launch the boat
and/or get all the gear (motor, gas tank, ect) from the trunk of the car to the
boat. Well finally the ramp has been re-done. Please see above the new boat
ramp. The best description I can give is a water hole. My prediction is that
there would be a lot of trailers and cars that will end-up at the bottom of the
hole (i.e., six to eight feet under water).
Today was another busy day at Snake Creek. Jason and I
visited two more islands, Buddy and Y5, and re-visited, 6, 5, 1, and X3. First,
the good news: the density of anoles on Buddy is comparable to last year. The
same is true for 5 and X3, and possibly 6. The density of 1 is in the low side;
we found only eight anoles and three curlies. The news for Y5 are not as
positive, after a lot of searching we only found two anoles (one male and one
female). I am hopeful that the population size is larger than two, but I would
be highly impressed if the population size is bigger than 15.
Dave hard at work preparing sticky traps that are used to
census insect density and diversity at our study sites.
Tom
with his paint-gun ready to census anoles at N3, which is one of the islands from the founder experiment.
The field season for our
Bahamas project began yesterday. This is the 5th year of the experiment and our
first "real" visit after Hurricane Irene visited this region in
August of 2011. As you might recall, the path of Hurricane Irene was directly
over Snake Creek. Therefore, we are all extremely anxious to see if Irene had a
major impact on the anoles and/or curlies. In general terms there seems to be
relatively little damage to vegetation of the islands, however, the densities
of both A. sagrei and curlies seem
to be down in most of the islands we have visited. Also, so far there is only one cay (X0) where we have found
no lizards.
Please welcome the newly minted Dr. Brian "Ace" J. Powell.Brian has successfully defended his dissertation work on the cognitive ecology of anoles.He is so happy that at the moment he is doing his signature dance -- check it out--
To celebrate such a momentous occasion, we all dusted off our finest formal wear...
This is a bitter-sweet moment for the Chipojo Lab. I am extremely happy that Brian was able to complete an ambitious dissertation, one that I am positive will be setting the standard for future work on the cognitive ecology of lizards, and cognition in general. To be clear, this is not a "proud" advisor blowing "hot air" about his first graduate student. If you don’t believe me, please check out our previous blog "Chipojo Lab Goes Viral" or take a look at this short promo for the "Mystery of the Animal Minds" hosted by David Suzuki.
I do have to say, we are going to miss Ace a lot. For my part, I have learned “as I’ve went” about what to do and what not to do as an advisor. It is funny that we get a degree and, if lucky, have the opportunity to train graduate students; but no one provides a course on how to be a successful advisor. This is a “learn on the job”, major responsibility. Ace and I have had many hours of discussion on cognitive ecology and neuroanatomy, which have provided significant insights and direction for how we designed and conducted our work.
Outside academic discussions, Ace was the first to teach me that it is important to pack a lunch when you are in the field all day. I used to survive on Pop-tarts and raisins. However, the first time I took Ace to the field, he would pack a gigantic sandwich and his signature can of Dr. Pepper each day. Furthermore, he would always find a great spot in the forest to enjoy lunch. Two concepts that were not part of my daily fieldwork, and which early on, I felt were a waste of time. He also showed me that it is fine (well, maybe) to relax and go back inside when it is raining. That was also a novel concept for me. More generally, Ace has been extremely supportive of my lack of advisor skills. He has never complained when I have asked him to do the same experiment over and over, although we were both convinced that it would not work. Nor has he complained about the fact that I have never said, "this is a great manuscript and is ready to be submitted". As he kindly told me recently "I hope your advisor didn't make as many comments on the manuscripts as you make on the ones I give you." I finally got it, I was going over the top.
Finally, I am going to miss Halloween, I have never seen anyone with such a gifted ability to dress-up. Ace is like a chameleon from "House" the somewhat unpredictable doctor (above picture) to "赤堤ももこ" the self-proclaimed leader of PPGZ (below). No character is beyond his reach.....
Elise, just received an NFS PRE-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP. This is the second PRE-DOC for our small lab. In case you are wondering, Elise's goal is to solve the "mystery" of individual recognition signals.
For those of you who have been dying to hear some results from the many ongoing projects in the Bahamas, your wait is over. Manuel and colleagues have recently published a paper in Science Express, which demonstrates that "both founder effects and natural selection jointly determine trait values in [the studied] populations". Very cool. Below, you can find some previously unreleased "behind the scenes" photographs of the research. I've also provided a smattering of links to some media articles about the study. Others are certainly out there, but these seemed the most unique in terms of content and language. And don't forget to watch a great video clip at Duke Today or on OnePakistan. Enjoy!
Manuel Leal pushes the crew onward to another cay when the tide is low ...
"Buddy provides valuable logistical support, including making sure that Jonathan and Tom don't miss any lizards." - ML
"We go to great lengths to ensure that the lizards are kept alive and healthy, while we collect the necessary morphological data." - ML
Today's post has a very special meaning to me. If you follow our blog, you have seen numerous blogs in which I poke fun at JBL, better known as Chester or Señor.It is my great pleasure to post that Dr. Losos recently received the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal from the National Academy of Sciences. The medal is awarded every four years for “meritorious work in zoology or paleontology published in a three- to five-year period.” Below is the description from the NAS website. Also, take a look at previous recipients; I am going to go out on a limb here and say that, in the near future, I will be posting about the fact that Señor has been elected to join the NAS.
Jonathan B. Losos is recognized for his novel and penetrating evolutionary studies of adaptive radiation in vertebrates, notably his comprehensive study of anolis lizards in tropical America, as summarized in his recent book, Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree: Ecology and Adaptive Radiation of Anoles.
It is fitting that the medal is sufficiently big, to possible function as a dewlap.
I met JBL when I was Master's student at UPR - Rio Piedras. I remember mentioning to JBL that I was considering going for a PhD and that Harry W. Greene was at the top of my wish-list. It took only a day for JBL to realize that there was no way I would make it to Berkeley, and in a very polite manner, he suggested that I should also consider his lab. I was not completely sold on the idea, because JBL’s main focus was on comparative work and my interests were mostly in behavior. Well, the rest is history: I didn't make it to Berkeley, U. Michigan took forever to inform me that I had received the Rackham Fellowship, and JBL pulled some strings at WASHU & opened the door of his lab. I have the feeling that he has regretted that decision many times, and if he had to do it all over again, his decision might be very different. At the time, I believe he was impressed by my lizard-catching skills (which were a little better than his) and the stubborn way I’d call myself a Natural Historian. Every time I described myself as a Natural Historian, he would remind me that saying such things would never get me a job.
Having JBL as an advisor greatly shaped my academic career. He gave me the freedom to pursue my interest in behavior and more importantly made me feel like a colleague. We have learned to agree to disagree, and to do so while enjoying a heated discussion. I will always be grateful for the fact that he opened the door and has been willing to provide many hours of advice.
One final word: It is only fitting that Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree: Ecology and Adaptive Radiation of Anoles is strongly anchored in Natural History. Maybe Natural History can get you a job after all.
For those of you who have been dying to hear some results from the many ongoing projects in the Bahamas, your wait is over. Manuel and colleagues have recently published a paper in Science Express, which demonstrates that "both founder effects and natural selection jointly determine trait values in [the studied] populations". Very cool. Below, you can find some previously unreleased "behind the scenes" photographs of the research. I've also provided a smattering of links to some media articles about the study. Others are certainly out there, but these seemed the most unique in terms of content and language. And don't forget to watch a great video clip at Duke Today or on OnePakistan. Enjoy!
Manuel Leal pushes the crew onward to another cay when the tide is low ...
"Buddy provides valuable logistical support, including making sure that Jonathan and Tom don't miss any lizards." - ML
"We go to great lengths to ensure that the lizards are kept alive and healthy, while we collect the necessary morphological data." - ML
