Researcher finds possible ancestor of modern chameleon
A Florida Museum of Natural History researcher has helped discover the fossilized remains of a dozen lizards encased in amber from 99 million years ago.
The findings were published Friday in the journal Science Advances. The fossils were sent to the American Museum of Natural History, said Edward Stanley, a postdoctoral researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History. He and other researchers used a micro-CT scanner to find the small fossils.
A 3-D printer at UF’s Nanoscale Research Facility was used to enlarge the images from the scanner, he said. This helped researchers better understand their anatomy.
“We could dissect them without harming the original specimens,” he said.
The amber, which acted as a protective bubble around the fossilized specimens, preserved the lizards, he said. Researchers could see more detail than in previous fossils.
“This helps us date the age of various different events in the lizard tree of life,” Stanley said.
He said he believes they found the ancestor of the modern chameleon.
“This chameleon is interesting because it isn’t actually a chameleon,” Stanley said. “It is an animal on its way to becoming a chameleon.”
Stanley said he expects these new fossils will help with research.
“This discovery does a lot for us,” he said. “It’s a missing link.”
- Meryl Kornfield
Research shows South Florida buildings at risk of termites
Two UF researchers found half of South Florida buildings could be at risk of infestation from below-ground termites by 2040.
Two invasive termite species, the Asian and Formosan subterranean termites, pose the largest threat, said Nan-Yao Su, a UF professor of entomology. The research team determined the growth of the subterranean termite population by comparing the current population size to the past, using studies conducted in the 1980s, Su said.
The colonies can be up to 300 feet long and contain millions of termites, Su said. The termites live in the ground and eat the wood in buildings.
Su said South Florida is more at risk than other areas of the country because of its high temperatures, which leads to a longer and more active period for termites.
Su said he has seen roofs collapse because of termites.
He said climate change, not rising sea levels, is one reason more South Florida structures will be at risk. Rising temperatures also allow termites to move north.
Subterranean termite populations can be controlled using bait, he said. A slow-acting pesticide is spread throughout the colony, killing the termites.
Pesticides can also be injected into the soil. This is not as effective, however, and they usually move to the next available structure close by, such as a neighbor’s house, Su said.
“Anything that is wood is at risk,” he said.
- John Avery Guyton
Study finds positive relationship between alligators and birds
A study has found there is a positive relationship between alligators and wading birds.
UF researchers knew alligators protected wading birds’ nests from predators, but they were curious to know if alligators benefitted, said Peter Frederick, a researcher and professor in the UF wildlife ecology and conservation department. They found female breeding alligators near nesting sites to be healthier.
To conduct their study, UF researchers caught 39 female breeding alligators in the Everglades, he said. During the two breeding seasons the research was conducted, researchers discovered alligators under a bird colony weighed significantly more.
This was because wading birds produce more chicks than are able to survive, Frederick said. The alligators use chicks who don’t survive as food. This allows the alligators to be healthier for their breeding season.
“I was not surprised by the fact that there are positive interactions,” Frederick said. “But I was very surprised by the strength of the interactions.”
It is estimated that the food produced from the chicks could support the entire female alligator breeding population in the Everglades, said Lucas Nell, a former UF wildlife ecology graduate student who headed the research.
Frederick said the research will help scientists better understand the alligators’ and wading birds’ relationship.
“I think this contributes to our general knowledge about the way ecosystems work,” he said.
- Monica Humphries
