by Audrey Benedict | Apr 20, 2020 | ePostCards
on ePostcard #24: Flightlessness Works (Galápagos) In his seminal work, On the Origin of Species, Darwin suggested that there were evolutionary consequences for animals resulting from what he referred to as “the use and disuse” of various anatomical parts. Unlike...
by Audrey Benedict | Apr 19, 2020 | ePostCards
ePostcard #23: Bodacious Reds (Galapagos Islands) The color red—bold and eye-catching in plants and animals—provokes our curiosity as naturalists in ways that few other colors do. Exploring the evolution and science behind how animals perceive color in their world is...
by Audrey Benedict | Apr 18, 2020 | ePostCards
ePostcard #22: Darwin’s Islands (Galapagos) We begin our Island Biodiversity ePostcard series with a sailing schooner voyage to the Galapagos Islands aboard the S/S Sagitta—a dream come true for any naturalist. The Galapagos Archipelago, a scattering of small...
by Audrey Benedict | Apr 17, 2020 | ePostCards
ePostcard #21: Protea Splendor On the southwestern tip of the African continent, South Africa’s famous Cape Floral Kingdom (or fynbos) is a center of diversity for one of the most spectacular flowering plant families in the world—the Proteaceae. The two main centers...
by Audrey Benedict | Apr 16, 2020 | ePostCards
ePostcard #20: Rock Hyrax (South Africa) If you haven’t heard of hyraxes, which are called “ dassies” in South Africa, you are not alone. Hyraxes inhabit rocky terrain across sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. At first glance, the rock hyrax appears rodent-like...
by Audrey Benedict | Apr 15, 2020 | ePostCards
ePostcard #19: Meerkats (South Africa) My fascination with meerkats goes back nearly fifty years. Spotting my first meerkat standing “sentinel” atop a termite mound in a sea of African daisies brought me to a standstill, binoculars raised. These fascinating...
