Category Archives: Notes from the Field

Exploring the evolution of troglodytes?

Posted on April 10, 2018 by hageyt

This post is by MSU postdoc John Phillips Some of you may be familiar with the term ‘troglodyte’, which is a somewhat old-timey derogatory term for an unintelligent person. The Greek root troglo- means “cave” so a troglodyte is a cave … Continue reading →

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Feral chickens are a-changing: updates on the rapid evolution of Kauai's hybrid Gallus gallus

Posted on March 8, 2018 by hageyt

This post is by MSU research associate Eben Gering. After an hour of trying to trap chickens at Hanalei Beach Park, we had only caught odd looks from locals. Finally, one bold rooster approached our buried net, cautiously tapped the spring-loaded … Continue reading →

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Can birdsong signal immune gene quality?

Posted on February 25, 2018 by hageyt

This post is by MSU postdoc Joel Slade.  “BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!” – I wake up to the dreaded sound of my alarm clock at 3:45 am in my cabin. Even though it’s mid-April at the Queen’s University Biological Station in Elgin … Continue reading →

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BEACON collaboration to study amphibian-associated skin bacteria

Posted on February 21, 2018 by hageyt

This post is by MSU grad student Patric Vaelli Animal bodies are inhabited by diverse communities of microorganisms that we collectively call the microbiome. These communities consist of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, all of which can affect the physiology, behavior, and … Continue reading →

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The phage from the local lagoon

Posted on November 5, 2017 by hageyt

This post is by MSU postdoc Sarah Doore Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post about doing some hunting with a graduate class here at Michigan State University. I’m not talking about hunting in the traditional sense though, since what … Continue reading →

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Beneficial bacteria in Oz

Posted on October 7, 2017 by hageyt

This post is by MSU grad student Colleen Friel Increasing agricultural sustainability is an important research focus in the face of climate change, rapid population increase, and growing food insecurity. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers have fueled a huge boom in agricultural productivity … Continue reading →

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Smells like Mean Sprit

Posted on September 24, 2017 by hageyt

This post is written by BEACON’s own managing director Danielle Whittaker about her work that has been accepted pending minor revisions in a special issue of Journal of Comparative Physiology A.  Fighting is risky – at best, it uses up energy … Continue reading →

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Better Together: Of Hyenas and Men

Posted on November 20, 2016 by hageyt

This post is written by MSU grad student Zachary M. Laubach “A guy needs somebody―to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I … Continue reading →

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Getting to the Stem of Central Nervous System Regeneration

Posted on August 22, 2016 by hageyt

This post is by UW grad student Shawn Luttrell Why do some animals regenerate missing or damaged tissue and organs while others do not? How are animals able to regenerate new tissue and do they all use the same genetic program? Was … Continue reading →

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Male battles split species apart

Posted on April 18, 2016 by hageyt

This post is by MSU postdoc Jason Keagy How do species form? Stated more precisely, how does one species become two? This turns out to be an immensely difficult question to answer, because 1) species are not always distinct entities (species … Continue reading →

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