Human impact on biodiversity loss is evident worldwide — from deforestation, the bushmeat and pet trades, to the loss of animals critical to the very survival of the forests themselves — seed dispersers and pollinators. However, hope for species preservation is not entirely beyond our grasp. Along with natural habitat protection, one of the greatest conservation tools we have is maintaining healthy, breeding, captive populations of endangered animals. Perhaps even, one day, they might be released to ‘re-stock’ depleted wild […]
Author Archive | Stephanie Canington
On the Ground in Madagascar with Dr. Mark D. Scherz
Can you describe your role as an evolutionary biologist? What animals do you study? I study the evolution of biological diversity, which includes everything from the process of speciation to the evolution of form and function. I do this mostly in the reptiles and amphibians of Madagascar. These groups are incredibly diverse, and, because the island has been isolated for such a long time, are also globally unique. This makes the herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) of Madagascar an excellent study […]