George Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History, displays shark specimens in Dickinson Hall on the University of Florida campus.
©Florida Museum of Natural History photo by Eric Zamora

The U.S. saw an upturn in attacks with 53, the most since 2000. There were seven fatalities worldwide, which is lower than 2011 but higher than the yearly average of 4.4 from 2001 to 2010. It is the second consecutive year for multiple shark attacks in Western Australia (5) and Reunion Island (3) in the southwest Indian Ocean, which indicates the localities have developed problematic situations, said George Burgess, director of the file housed at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus.

“Those two areas are sort of hot spots in the world – Western Australia is a function of white shark incidents and Reunion is a function most likely of bull shark incidents,” Burgess said. “What I’ve seen in all situations when there’s been a sudden upswing in an area is that human-causative factors are involved, such as changes in our behavior, changes in our abundance, or an overt shark-attracting product of something that we’re doing.”

Burgess displays shark specimens in Dickinson Hall on the UF campus.
©Florida Museum of Natural History photo by Eric Zamora

Eighty unprovoked attacks occurred worldwide, slightly more than 2011. Four attacks were recorded in South Africa, three of which resulted in death, which is higher than its recent average of one fatality per year. Australia had an average year with 14 attacks and two fatalities, despite the media attention regarding incidents in Western Australia that resulted in a government-sanctioned culling hunt for endangered white sharks.

“The concept of ‘let’s go out and kill them’ is an archaic approach to a shark attack problem, and its opportunities for success are generally slim-to-none,” Burgess said. “It’s mostly a feel-good revenge – like an ‘eye for an eye’ approach – when in fact you’re not likely to catch the shark that was involved in the situation. The shark that was involved in the situation also isn’t necessarily likely to do it again.”

Following long-term trends, most shark bites occurred in North American waters (42). The 53 U.S. incidents include Hawaii and Puerto Rico, which are not recorded as occurring in North American waters in the International Shark Attack File database. Florida led the country with 26, followed by Hawaii (10), California (5), South Carolina (5), North Carolina (2) and one each in Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Puerto Rico. One fatality occurred in California, and Hawaii had the highest number of attacks since seven in 2007, more than its yearly average of four. Most incidents in Florida occurred in Brevard (8) and Volusia (7) counties because these central east coast beaches are high aquatic recreation areas, especially for surfers, Burgess said.

“The numbers from an international standpoint were on target for the last couple of years because, in theory, each year we should have more attacks than the previous year owing to the rise of human population from year to year,” Burgess said. “Thus the shark attack rate is not increasing even though the number of shark attacks is rising. Shark attack as a phenomenon is extremely uncommon, considering the millions of hours humans spend in the water each year.”

The 2012 U.S. fatality rate of 2 percent is far lower than the 22 percent for the rest of the world, likely due to superior safety and medical capabilities in the U.S., Burgess said.

“We could reduce risks by avoiding areas and times when sharks are most common, and where danger is at its highest,” Burgess said. “A perfect example of that is in Western Australia, where people have been getting hit in areas of known white shark abundance at times of year when white shark numbers are at their highest – the responsibility is upon us, as humans, to avoid such situations or else pay the consequence.”

Surfers experienced a majority of shark incidents with 60 percent, largely due to the provocative nature of the activity. Swimmers were affected by 22 percent of attacks, followed by divers, with 8 percent.

Burgess said 30 million to 70 million sharks are killed every year in fisheries, and people need to recognize humans pose a greater threat to elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) than sharks do to humans. Worldwide over-fishing, especially to meet demands for flesh and fins used in shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy, continues to contribute to the decline in shark populations, Burgess said.

In the case of a shark attack, researchers advise taking a proactive response, such as hitting the shark’s nose, since they respect size and power.

“Shark attacks are rare and it doesn’t matter whether you call them attacks or bites or bumps – your chances of having any of them are slim,” Burgess said.

For additional safety tips and to view the 2012 Worldwide Shark Attack Summary, please visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/isaf/isaf.htm.

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Writer: Danielle Torrent, dtorrent@flmnh.ufl.edu
Source: George Burgess, 352-392-2360; Cell 352-318-3812; gburgess@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida researchers studying river turtles in Missouri found populations of the northern map turtle have not recovered from harvesting in the 1970s.

Nickerson

Scientists used data collected by Florida Museum of Natural History herpetology curator Max Nickerson in 1969 and 1980 as a baseline, then surveyed the same stretch of river in the Ozarks in 2004 to determine the northern map turtles had not recovered from a previous 50 percent population loss caused by harvesting, likely for food. River turtles help ecosystems function by cycling nutrients and maintaining food web dynamics. Assessment of the northern map turtle, a protected species in some states, is essential as increasing human populations and global warming further alter its habitat. The study was published Sept. 14 in Volume 3 of Copeia, and is scheduled to appear online this week.

“The importance of river turtles is really underplayed,” said lead author Amber Pitt, a Clemson University postdoctoral research fellow who conducted research for the study as a UF graduate student. “River turtles are long-lived, rely on the same water resources that we do and can serve as indicators of water quality. People should be concerned if turtles are impacted by poor water quality because we are likely being affected, too.”

Amber Pitt observes a northern map turtle caught in the North Fork of White River in Ozark County, Mo.
Photo by Jeff Briggler

Inhabiting river systems from southern Arkansas to Quebec, the northern map turtle, Graptemys geographica, is among the most wide-ranging map turtles in the U.S. They are dietary specialists and depend mainly on snails, making the species especially susceptible to biodegradation. Formally known as the common map turtle due to its wide geographic distribution, its name was changed in 2000 so people would not assume it was abundant, Pitt said. The northern map turtle is listed in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and this research may be used as a guideline for conservation or protection of other turtle species.

Scientists determined harvesting was likely the cause of the 50 percent population loss between 1969 and 1980 based on analysis of data published by Nickerson and Pitt in the Florida Museum of Natural History Bulletin in August. Data showed fewer adult females, which are larger than males and preferred for the food trade, and local residents confirmed turtle harvesting occurred in the river, Nickerson said.

“This shows that harvesting, even if it’s a one-time event, can cause a turtle population to significantly decline and remain impacted for decades, because this species doesn’t reproduce quickly,” Pitt said. “It was really discouraging to see that even without the pressure of further harvesting, they couldn’t recover over that long time period, which is partially due to their biology but may also be associated with habitat degradation and disturbance.”

Researchers used similar methods to survey the nearly 3-mile stretch of the North Fork of White River in Ozark County, Missouri, in 2004 by snorkeling to locate, tag and record information about the turtles. Based on the 2004 examination of the river, habitat degradation was apparent because of increased siltation, sedimentation and algal blooms.

“What’s happening in these big spring-fed rivers is very important,” Nickerson said. “When you clear the banks of a river, you increase siltation, which affects the food sources, reproduction, plant growth, species composition and basic ecology of that section of the stream, and perhaps the entire river.”

A new Florida Museum study shows northern map turtle populations in the North Fork of White River in Ozark County, Mo., have not recovered from harvesting
in the 1970s.
Florida Museum of Natural History photo by Amber Pitt

River degradation has been partially caused by human recreation, which drastically increased by 2004, Nickerson said. People swimming and boating also frighten turtles so they may not bask as much as needed to maintain their health and maximize egg production.

Although scientists generally agree many turtle populations are declining worldwide, little has been published on river turtle communities, said Don Moll, a professor emeritus at Missouri State University who co-authored a textbook on freshwater turtles.

“This is a very important study because it follows the dynamics of this turtle community over a more than 30-year time period, and really it’s the only published river turtle study I can think of that does that,” Moll said. “It’s a real contribution in that sense – it’s so unique.”

One concern with attracting conservation efforts to river turtles may have to do with their small size because they do not garner as much public attention as larger marine species, Pitt said. Adult female northern map turtles are about 11 inches long.

“Often times with conservation, you have the charismatic mega fauna that people care about, such as sea turtles – everybody cares about sea turtles, including me,” Pitt said. “But river turtles are facing just as many threats as sea turtles. People are also harvesting river turtles and there are very few laws in place to stop this harvest – it’s a global epidemic that is causing turtle populations to be wiped out.”

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Source: Max Nickerson, 352-273-1946, maxn@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Danielle Torrent, dtorrent@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media contact: Paul Ramey, APR, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

Florida Museum of Natural History visitors will soon be able to learn how our daily actions impact the water supply, and how University of Florida scientists are working to find solutions to global challenges involving water in a free exhibit opening Sept. 29.

“Water: Discovering and Sharing Solutions” illustrates why water is critical for life on Earth and explains UF research involving water, invasive plants and animals, and food production.“Understanding the many facets of Florida’s water issue is critical to our state’s continued growth and quality of life,” said Jack Payne, senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. “It may be the single most important issue facing Florida. UF/IFAS is working diligently to provide scientific resources that help communities make thoughtful decisions about water management. This exhibit is one way to help people understand how water impacts their lives and broaden their perspective about water.”

A young visitor interacts with a hands-on water table component in the “Water: Discovering and Sharing Solutions” exhibit displayed on the National Mall in Washington in June. The Florida Museum of Natural History will display the free exhibit, developed with the University of Florida and UF/IFAS, Sept. 29 through
Jan. 2, 2013.
UF/IFAS photo by Tyler Jones

The exhibit is divided into seven subcategories: water, Cedar Key clams, invasive animals, invasive plants, citrus, recreation and landscaping. It includes interactive displays, live animals and a hands-on Florida spring water table to show visitors how UF is finding solutions to global challenges involving water, invasive plants and animals, and food production.

A collaborative effort of the museum, the University of Florida and UF/IFAS, the exhibit is part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act of 1862, which enabled the creation of land-grant universities, including UF.

The exhibit was displayed during the summer at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, an annual event held at the National Mall in Washington D.C. The Florida Museum will display the exhibit through Jan. 2, 2013.

For more information, visit http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/water/index.html.

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Source: Mary Duryea, 352-392-1784, mlduryea@ufl.edu
Writer: Kate Schofield, kschofield@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media contact: Paul Ramey, APR, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

The 60-year study appearing Tuesday in the Florida Museum of Natural History Bulletin provides a comprehensive taxonomic revision of one of the least-studied groups of cusk-eels, bony fishes distantly related to cod. Although abundant and widespread in the Americas, the fishes in the genus Lepophidium have previously been poorly known to biologists.

“With the recent Gulf of Mexico disaster, one of the first things that people started asking was what impact was had and on what animals, and a lot of biologists said, ‘We don’t know all the animals that are in the Gulf of Mexico because the area hasn’t been studied enough,’ ” said study co-author Rob Robins, ichthyology collection manager at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus. “A number of these species are from the Gulf of Mexico, including some of the new ones, and this paper brings us closer to our ultimate goal of cataloguing the diversity of life so that when we need the information, it’s available.”

In addition to describing the new species, the study includes new descriptions of all members of the genus and elevates two sub-species to species, bringing the number of Lepophidium species to 23. The research included observations of the fish in the wild, X-rays of their internal anatomy and close examination of thousands of museum specimens.

Lead author C. Richard “Dick” Robins, University of Kansas curator emeritus, completed much of the fieldwork and collected many examples of cusk-eels as a professor of marine science at the University of Miami. Miami’s fish collection was later transferred and is now part of the Florida Museum’s ichthyology collection, one of the five largest in the nation.

“I think it’s amazing that there is a group of fishes that is really common in shallow water that had so many undescribed species,” Dick Robins said. “It just shows the state of the art is really poor and unfortunately, I think it’s really typical. I’d hate to hazard a guess about how many undescribed species of fish there are in really shallow waters, but people don’t seem to work on them that much.”

The genus Lepophidium includes smaller species of cusk-eels that live on the Continental Shelf, from shallow coastal water to about 600 feet deep.

“Since these are soft-bottom fishes and some of these occur in shallow waters, you’re dealing with man’s effect on the environment, what pollution does to some of these environments and how it affects the animals that live there,” said California Academy of Sciences research associate Robert Lea, a marine biologist who specializes in another genus of cusk-eels. “Some of these are going to be Gulf of Mexico species and probably many of these are going to be indicators of environmental quality also.”

Because they are benthic, meaning they live near the bottom, and burrow in sand, cusk-eels are particularly difficult to collect, Lea said.

“This is a group that we’ve needed additional knowledge on, and this study provides a tremendous amount of information for people studying soft-bottom fishes in the Americas,” Lea said. “This is a milestone work because it’s a lifelong study and it answers a lot of questions. It’s the end of a chapter for that group of animals.”

Cusk-eels are plainly colored, typically with a beige body and some degree of black pigment in the fins. They also have a rostral spine, a sharp point found on their snout. Major differences in the cusk-eels include features of their internal anatomy, such as number of vertebrae or gut color. Fin ray counts are also important for distinguishing the various species.

“This is not a case of just working with specimens in a museum – it’s important to know these animals and where they live,” Dick Robins said. “I think it’s important that we know about the animals that we share this planet with.”

Cusk-eels may reach 6.5 feet in South America, where they are an important food source in some regions, but the Lepophidium species, which do not exceed 1 foot, are generally too small for human consumption, researchers said. Dick Robins became interested in studying cusk-eels in the early 1960s because he encountered so many undescribed species, he said.

“This was a group of fish that turned me on at some point and nobody else was working on them,” Dick Robins said. “The more I worked, the more undescribed species I found. So I just got more and more involved with it. I’m very happy to have this opportunity to bring it all together in this paper.”

Florida Museum volunteer Mary Brown is also a study co-author.

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Writer: Danielle Torrent, dtorrent@flmnh.ufl.edu

Media Contact: Paul Ramey, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu, 352-213-0999

Source: Rob Robins, rhrobins@flmnh.ufl.edu, 352-273-1957

Scientists at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus examined the internal anatomy of the 164.5-pound snake Friday. The animal was brought to the Florida Museum from Everglades National Park as part of a long-term project with the U.S. Department of the Interior to research methods for managing the state’s invasive Burmese python problem. Following scientific investigation, the snake will be mounted for exhibition at the museum for about five years, and then returned for exhibition at Everglades National Park.

“This thing is monstrous, it’s about a foot wide,” said Florida Museum herpetology collection manager Kenneth Krysko. “It means these snakes are surviving a long time in the wild, there’s nothing stopping them and the native wildlife are in trouble.”

Krysko said the snake was in excellent health and its stomach contained feathers that will be identified by museum ornithologists. Burmese pythons are known to prey on native birds, deer, bobcats, alligators and other large animals.

“A 17.5-foot snake could eat anything it wants,” Krysko said. “By learning what this animal has been eating and its reproductive status, it will hopefully give us insight into how to potentially manage other wild Burmese pythons in the future. It also highlights the actual problem, which is invasive species.”

Native to Southeast Asia and first found in the Everglades in 1979, the Burmese python is one of the deadliest and most competitive predators in South Florida. With no known natural predator, population estimates for the python range from the thousands to hundreds of thousands. They were determined to be an established species in 2000 and are a significant concern, Krysko said.

“They were here 25 years ago, but in very low numbers and it was difficult to find one because of their cryptic behavior,” Krysko said. “Now, you can go out to the Everglades nearly any day of the week and find a Burmese python. We’ve found 14 in a single day.”

Museum researchers Rebecca Reichart (from left), Leroy Nunez, Nicholas Coutu, Claudia Grant and Kenneth Krysko examine the internal anatomy of a 17-foot-7-inch Burmese python weighing 164 pounds. © Florida Museum photos by Kristen Grace

Everglades National Park and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are partnering with other agencies to address the increasing populations.The rapid population growth led to recent state laws prohibiting people from owning Burmese pythons as pets or transporting the snakes across state lines without a federal permit. Florida residents also may hunt pythons in certain wildlife management areas during established seasons with a hunting license and required permits.

Skip Snow, a park wildlife biologist, said research of the snake’s biology is important for understanding how to curtail the future spread of invasive species.

“I think one of the important facts about this animal is its reproductive capability,” Snow said. “There are not many records of how many eggs a large female snake carries in the wild. This shows they’re a really reproductive animal, which aids in their invasiveness.”

Non-native species are considered invasive if they have a negative impact on native species or habitat, cause economic damage or pose a threat to human health and safety. Exotic snakes found in Florida are often the result of pet owners accidentally or intentionally releasing the animals. Citizens may dial 1-888-IVE-GOT1 to receive removal assistance by trained handlers.

Florida Museum Herpetology Collections Manager Kenneth Krysko displays three of the state-record 87 eggs found in the largest Burmese python from Florida.

Florida has the world’s worst invasive reptile and amphibian problem. Krysko led a 20-year study published in September 2011 in Zootaxa showing 137 non-native species were introduced to Florida between 1863 and 2010. The study verified the pet trade as the No. 1 cause of the species’ introductions and the Burmese python was one of 56 non-native species determined to be reproducing and established in the state.”I’m really happy to be part of this team of researchers working on the Burmese python problem in Florida, and have been for a number of years,” Krysko said. “But when I’m able to conduct this type of research here at the university, I’m able to teach new students and new researchers about python anatomy and discuss the problem with invasive species. We need all the help we can get, we really do.”

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Writer: Danielle Torrent, dtorrent@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media Contact: Paul Ramey, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu, 352-213-0999
Source: Rob Robins, rhrobins@flmnh.ufl.edu, 352-273-1957

Researchers say discovery of the bones from an ancient Mayan archaeological site in Guatemala provides evidence of domestication, usually a significant mark of civilization, and the earliest evidence of the Mexican turkey in the Maya world. The study appears online in PLoS ONE today.

The discovery of the turkey bones is significant because the Maya did not use a lot of domesticated animals. While they cultivated domesticated plants, most of their animal protein came mostly from wild resources, said lead author Erin Thornton, a research associate at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus and Trent University Archaeological Research Centre.

“We might have gotten the timing of the introduction of this species to the ancient Maya wrong by a significant chunk of time,” Thornton said. “The species originates from central Mexico, outside the Maya cultural area. This is the species the Europeans brought back with them to Europe – all domestic turkeys originated from Mexico.”

Using archaeological evidence, comparisons of bone structure and ancient DNA analysis, scientists determined the turkey fossils belonged to the non-local species Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo, which is native to central and northern Mexico. The Mexican turkey is the ancestor of all domestic turkeys consumed in the world today and Mesoamerica’s only indigenous domesticated animal. The discovery of the bones south of the turkey’s natural range shows animal exchange occurred from northern Mesoamerica to the Maya cultural region during the Late Preclassic period from 300 B.C. to A.D. 100.

“This research has consequences for understanding Maya subsistence because they would have had access to a controlled, managed resource,” Thornton said. “The turkey bones came from right within the ceremonial precinct of the site, so these are probably the remains of some sort of elite sacrifice, meal or feast.”

The bones were recovered from the El Mirador archaeological site, one of the largest and most developed Preclassic locations found in the Maya lowlands. The site contains massive temple complexes, some of the largest Maya architecture ever constructed.

“Plant and animal domestication suggests a much more complex relationship between humans and the environment – you’re intentionally modifying it and controlling it,” Thornton said.

Researchers assumed turkey bones previously recovered from Maya sites belonged to the native ocellated turkey, Meleagris ocellata. The new evidence means researchers may need to re-examine previously recovered bones, said Florida State University anthropology professor emeritus Mary Pohl.

“This study is extremely significant and I think it opens up a whole new perspective on the Maya and animal domestication,” Pohl said. “I find it especially interesting that these turkey bones are in this very special pyramid context because people often think of turkeys as something to eat, but they were probably making some sort of special offerings of them, which would go along with the fact that they brought them in from a long distance.”

Florida Museum researchers hope a new two-year, $185,000-grant from the National Science Foundation will help answer some of the questions the study has raised about the history of turkey rearing and domestication in Mesoamerica.

“The turkeys were brought in, they weren’t local, but we don’t know if they were brought in and then killed shortly after, used as a trade item or bred on-site after an even earlier introduction,” Thornton said. “The El Mirador study is really just a tantalizing piece of the puzzle and we still have a lot left to learn and explore.”

While the fossils were originally excavated in the 1980s, they were displayed in the Brigham Young University Museum of Peoples and Cultures until being sent to Thornton for identification in 2004.

Study co-authors include Kitty Emery and David Steadman of the Florida Museum of Natural History, Camilla Speller and Dongya Yang of Simon Fraser University, and Ray Matheny of Brigham Young University.

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Writer: Danielle Torrent, dtorrent@flmnh.ufl.edu
Source: Erin Thornton, eekthornton@gmail.com

The two-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities coincides with the museum’s new temporary exhibit “An Early Maya City by the Sea: Daily Life and Ritual at Cerros, Belize,” open through Oct. 7. Florida Museum curator of Latin American art and archaeology Susan Milbrath and Debra Walker, a museum courtesy assistant curator who has worked extensively in Cerros, received the grant. University of Florida anthropology graduate students Jeffrey Vadala and Lucas Martindale Johnson developed the exhibit under their direction.

“Some of the artifacts being displayed are shell trumpets, jade beads, very early cooking pots that date back to 350 BC, lip-to-lip caches, masks and a huge vessel which originally contained a cache of jade heads in it,” Milbrath said. “One of the interesting things about Cerros is that a lot of the deposits are caches that are specifically very ritual – in other words, they put things in a certain spot, in a certain way and people are able to recover it because the site was pristine and there wasn’t a lot of looting.”

Meaning “hills” in Spanish, Cerros is located on the coastal edge of the Corozal Bay, in modern-day Belize. As a trade port, it was a significant locale for the late pre-classic Mayan civilization during its height from 50 B.C. to A.D. 300. It also saw a renaissance as a fishing community at the end of the classic era, about A.D. 800-1500.

The Florida Museum’s Cerros Research Online Catalogue was initiated through funding from UF’s Faculty Enhancement Opportunity Fund in May 2011 and includes more than 700 high-resolution photographs of artifacts from the site that will help researchers understand the factors that led to the prosperity of the Mayan civilization. The national grant includes digitization of the collection’s more than 2,800 objects, field notes, publications and maps, as well as about 50 3-D images of the finest pieces, Milbrath said.

“The quality of the digital photos is such that if you go in and do a search, you can really get quite close and do research that you normally couldn’t do with ordinary pictures,” Milbrath said. “For example, you can actually count the number of wires on a copper bell.”

Based on radiocarbon dating, Cerros occupants mysteriously abandoned the site in about A.D. 375, and re-inhabited it around A.D. 800, during the collapse of other Mayan sites.

“Cerros is a very cool time capsule because it was occupied for a relative short time period then abandoned, so you don’t get any confusion about the chronology in terms of what belongs where,” Milbrath said. “This is also the only major complete Mesoamerican late pre-classic collection available for study in the United States – not only will it be the only broadly accessible digital archive from the period when foundation of the Maya civilization took place, but it’s also the only large scientifically excavated collection that’s physically here in a museum.”

To access the Florida Museum’s Cerros Research Online Catalogue, visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/latinarch/cerros/gallery.htm.

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Source: Debra Walker, 305-453-9683, debraswalker@gmail.com
Writer: Danielle Torrent, dtorrent@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media contact: Paul Ramey, APR, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

The research shows different species exhibit unique foraging behaviors, and the study may be used to build more effective, species-specific synthetic lures for understanding pollinators, insects on which humans depend for sustaining many crops.

In a study appearing online in April in the journal Psyche, researchers used multi-colored landing pads and baits in the Florida Museum of Natural History’s McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity on the UF campus to determine that some butterflies use both sight and smell to locate food, while others rely primarily on smell.

“Butterflies are a great model for studying the environment and we can move in different directions from here in terms of application,” said Florida Museum collection coordinator and study co-author Andrei Sourakov. “We’ve shown choosing certain scents or colored plants might depend on what species you want to attract – if we can determine how to attract butterflies, perhaps we can also trap pest moths that lay eggs in agricultural fields.”

Alexandra Sourakov began the research for a local science fair competition in 2009, spending weekends and after-school hours conducting experiments in the Florida Museum’s Butterfly Rainforest exhibit.

“In eighth grade, we had to design a project, and I spend a lot of time around butterflies because my dad works with them,” said Eastside High School sophomore Alexandra. “I’ve always been curious how they were able to locate their food, whether they fed on flowers or fruit, and so I started looking at it in the Butterfly Rainforest.”

Alexandra placed red, yellow and black cardboard landing pads covered with honey, and observed flower-feeding species had a greater preference for the red color. But the exclusively fruit-feeding Blue Morpho showed no preference for a particular color. Mango, honey and green, ripe and fermented bananas were presented to fruit-feeding butterflies, and fermented bananas proved most attractive.

After winning first prize in eighth grade at the state science fair, Alexandra Sourakov was invited by study co-author and science fair judge Adrian Duehl to expand her study and conduct chemical analysis at the U.S. Department of Agriculture on UF’s campus.

“Of about 600 butterflies attracted to bait, half of them were the Blue Morphos, so it was a logical species to focus on for the chemical part of the study,” Andrei Sourakov said.

Gas chromatography coupled with parallel detection by mass spectrometry and electroantennography (measuring antennae output to the brain) were used to determine which chemicals that smelled like fermented bananas cause reactions in the Blue Morpho butterflies’ body parts, including antennae, proboscis, legs and labial palpi, which are small projections protruding from the head. Surprisingly, all the organs reacted to the same range of chemicals except the labial palpi.

“It might have been expected that the results were species-specific because each species feeds on different food, but I was surprised by the results from the body parts because I wasn’t even sure if any of them except the antennae would react to the volatile chemicals,” Alexandra Sourakov said. “That was interesting because it shows a joint message may be sent to the brain from these different organs. This expands our understanding of butterflies’ sense of smell.”

Little is known about the function of the labial palpi and their contrasting reaction to the chemicals poses new questions about how different organs are used in finding food, said Adriana Briscoe, an associate professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California Irvine who studies how color vision affects foraging behavior in butterflies.

“What’s nice about this study is that it’s multi-disciplinary, in that it looks at both vision behavior and olfactory behavior and physiology,” Briscoe said. “It’s very interesting that they found the different compounds in fruit are sensed by different body parts of the butterfly and it suggests that different organs are specialized for detecting different compounds.”

Andrei Sourakov initiated the study as a means to involve young people in research and Briscoe agrees that, “the more young kids or high school kids that can get involved in doing science, the better off we are as a society.”

“I would love to see more of this sort of thing done,” Briscoe said. “It’s challenging to engage high school students with science, and I think butterflies are a wonderful way to draw them in.”

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Source: Andrei Sourakov, 352-273-2013, asourakov@flmnh.ufl.edu
Alexandra Sourakov, alexandra.sourakov@gmail.com
Writer: Danielle Torrent, dtorrent@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Area residents who have discovered a mysterious fossil while gardening or hiking and would like to learn more about it now have the perfect opportunity.

The Florida Museum of Natural History is hosting “Ask a Paleontologist” events from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 12), March 4, April 15 and May 6.

Florida Museum vertebrate paleontology collections manager Richard Hulbert and Florida Museum invertebrate paleontology collections manager Roger Portell will identify fossils for visitors and share information about paleontology March 4 and May 6. Hulbert is also scheduled for Feb. 12 and Portell for April 15.

“The best way for people to learn is to communicate with those doing the research,” said Florida Museum education assistant Amanda Erickson Harvey. “This is a great opportunity for kids and adults alike to learn about our state’s prehistoric life. Florida is rich with fossils, and research by museum paleontologists continues to expand our knowledge about the animals and plants that lived here millions of years ago. ”

Some fossils commonly found in Florida include bones of large animals, such as 15- to 20-foot-tall giant ground sloths and glyptodonts, 10-foot-long relatives of the armadillo, as well as shark teeth and numerous aquatic invertebrates.

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Source: Amanda Harvey, 352-273-2052, aerickson@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Kate Martin
Media contact:  Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

The field of restoration ecology, in which native flora and fauna are re-established to create more sustainable environments, is taking off in the 21st century as researchers become more aware of the potentially negative impacts of invasive, non-native species. Humans are among the “non-natives” in many areas, having taken over as apex predators in many situations. In the Bahamas, the arrival of humans about 1,000 years ago led to a considerable disruption of the natural food chain.

Florida Museum ornithologist David Steadman rinses fossils collected on Abaco Island in the Bahamas. © Photo by Janet Franklin

“People arrived in the Bahamas and soon they wiped out the tortoises, they wiped out the crocodiles, and became a new apex predator capable of eating just about anything, marine or terrestrial,” said Steadman, Florida Museum natural history department chair. “People are also warm-blooded, or homeotherms, so we need more energy per pound of body weight to keep going. This requirement rearranges energy flows. All that gets complicated even further by people wiping out certain species, whether they’re prey species or other predators, and introducing non-native plants and animals.”

Steadman’s research, a collaborative project with two Arizona State University geography professors, focuses on the fossil record of Eleuthera and the two Abaco islands in the Bahamas. The project began in January with a trip to Abaco for the Abaco Science Alliance Conference, a meeting held every two years that involves scientists and includes outreach to local residents and students of all ages.

Scientists and divers recovered fossils including crocodiles, tortoises, snakes and bats from this sinkhole in the Bahamas. © Photo by Curt Bowen, Advanced Diver Magazine

“The conference this year was unbelievably good,” said Steadman, who presented new research showing ancient tortoises were the largest herbivores and “Cuban” crocodiles were the apex terrestrial predators, rather than marine. “It’s not just a scientific conference — you talk to the students and they pick up on so many refreshing ways of looking at things. My best conversation during those two days was with three 11-year-old boys who came up to me afterward and just had these great questions about blue holes (flooded sinkholes containing fossils) that they know of in their neighborhood.”

Because the Bahamas are comprised of 100 percent limestone, or raised carbonate coral sand, plant and animal fossils are exceptionally well-preserved, he said.

“The organic fractions of the plants and animals there are still intact, so we can do radiocarbon dating to get a precise chronology,” Steadman said. “Then, we can analyze stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen to tell us how these animals are functioning in terrestrial ecosystems versus freshwater versus marine, and who’s eating who.”

The idea for the project was spurred by scuba divers’ recent discoveries of abundant fossils in blue holes, named for their deep blue color caused by the shadows of their surrounding walls. Steadman has studied some fossils from blue holes, including two extinct tortoise species and other animals no longer found on the islands, including the Cuban Crocodile and Cooper’s Hawk, among other birds, snakes, bats and lizards.

Steadman measures the width of trees on Abaco Island in the Bahamas. © Photo by Janet Franklin

Other terrestrial specimens, including charcoal, pollen, spores and plant macrofossils, will be used to evaluate rates of biological change. Steadman plans to begin excavations in Eleuthera during the University of Florida’s 2012 spring break, when he will lead fieldwork with his island biogeography class.

“I’ll have a lot of eager minds and strong backs to excavate fossils in dry caves,” he said. “We’ll have the scuba divers there to bring fossils out of blue holes and we’ll be surveying modern lizards, birds and plants to give the students a pretty intense six days of digging up the past, as well as understanding what’s happening on the islands today.”

As low-lying oceanic islands, the Bahamas are particularly vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, and Steadman hopes the research on how prehistoric and contemporary plant and animal communities responded to long-term environmental fluctuations will shed light on how they might respond to climate change in the future.

“Some islands are pretty well trashed now, while on other islands, the ecosystem is still functioning in a fairly natural way,” he said. “But even on the most ‘pristine’ islands, the ecosystems are functioning differently than in pre-human times. If we can determine the natural background level of change that these surviving plants and animals can adapt to, we can use the information to try to come up with conservation programs that would actually improve the future of these islands.”