Tupper seminar Tuesday, May 30, noon seminar speaker will be Amy E. Faivre, Ohio State University Ice, tea, and coffee: restoration ecology of prairie valerian and floral reproductive biology of Rubiaceae Methods for the conservation and restoration of endangered species are being developed as habitats become lost and increasingly fragmented. Prairie valerian (Valeriana ciliata) is a rare or threatened species in both the history of the species and the habitat where it occurs; as well as current threats to the habitat. Allozyme electrophoresis was used to determine genetic diversity in prairie valerian populations at the edge of middle of its range. For prairie valerian, as well as for the federally endangered species lakeside daisy and heterostylous Rubiaceae, understanding the intricacies of their floral reproductive biology is essential in their preservation. Floral reproductive biology was examined by identifying the incompatibility systems of these species and their effective pollinators. These ideas reflect some of my current research on BCI. Bambi on Monday Monday, May 29, Bambi seminar speaker will be Robert Dudley, University of Texas at Austin Is alcoholism in modern humans an evolutionary hangover? Transportation and dinner reservations are essential. Please call BCI at 272-2124. STRI news Smthsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama May 25, 2000 Participants of the international conference, “Comparative Arawakan histories: Rethinking language family and culture area in Amazonia” held at the Tupper Center, from Wednesday, May 24 through Friday, May 26, gathered at the Corotú Plaza for the official group photo during the inaugural day. Photo: Marcos A. Guerra Los participantes de la conferencia internacional “Historias comparativas Arawak: Repensando las nociones de la familia lingüística y área cultural en la Amazonía” que se llevó a cabo del miércoles 24 al viernes 26 de mayo en el Centro Tupper, se reunieron para la foto oficial del grupo en la Plaza Corotú, durante el día inaugural de la conferencia. BCI's Derby Day! Bettina Engelbrecht holds a toad during the celebrations of Derby Day, on Saturday, May 13, Barro Colorado Island (Photo: BCI) King and Queen: Scott Mangan and Rachel Goeriz Arrivals Phyllys Coley and Tom Kursar, Unitersity of Utah, May 31 - Jun 20, to continue long term studies of herbivory and pathogen damage to tropical trees, on BCI. Michael Ryan, STRI's research associate from the University of Texas, Jun 1-30, to work on the tungara project, in Gamboa. Scott Nichols, University of California at Berkeley, Jun 1 - Aug 31, to work on phylogeography of marine sponge populations on both sides of the Americas, at Naos. Cummings, Molly, short-term visitor from the University of California at Santa Barbara, Jun 1-15, to work on visual signaling of the tungara frog, in Gamboa. Wayne Sousa and assistants Anne Beaulaurier, Jessica Shors, Jennifer Roelands and Galen Peracca, Jun 1 - Jul 5, to work on the patterns and mechanisms of canopy tree regeneration in a Caribbean mangrove forest, in Galeta. Andy Jones, University of Georgia, Jun 2 - Aug 14, to conduct studies of seed dispersal in Jacaranda coapia, on BCI. Douglas Colwell, Lethbridge Research Centre, Canada, Jun 2-17, to work with Katharine Milton on the effects of parasites on a gree-ranging howler monkey population, on BCI. Mark Wishnie, Yale University, Jun 2 - Dec 15, to work on native species plantations on abandoned agricultural lands of the Panama Canal watershed area, in Gamboa New director at the Natural Metropolitan Park Effective June 1st, Néstor Correa will be the new executive director at the Natural Metropolitan Park, replacing Rita Spadafora. Correa graduated from Law School at the University of Panama, and has a master's degree in environmental policies and management from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain. Nuevo director ejecutivo en el Parque Natural Metropolitano A partir del 1ro de junio, Néstor Correa será el nuevo director ejecutivo del Parque Natural Metropolitano, en reemplazo de Rita Spadafora. Correa se graduó de derecho en la Universidad de Panamá, y tiene una maestría en política y gestión medioambiental de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, España. New STRI publications Backwell, Patricia, Christy, John H., Telford, Steven R., Jennions, Michael D., and Passmore, Neville I. 2000. “Dishonest signalling in a fiddler crab.” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 267: 719-724. Collins, Laurel S., Aguilera, Orangel, Borne, Pamela F. and Cairns, Stephen D. 1999. “A paleoenvironmental analysis of the Neogene of Caribbean Panama and Costa Rica using several phyla.” Bulletins of American Paleontology 357: 81-87. Cotton, Mathew A. 1999. “Neogene planktic foraminiferal biochronology of the southern Central American Isthmus.” Bulletins of American Paleontology 357: 61-80. Dalling, James W., Lovelock, C.E. and Hubbell, Stephen P. 1999. “Growth responses of seedlings of two neotropical pioneer species to simulated forest gap environments.” Journal of Tropical Ecology 15: 827-839. Dudley, Robert. 2000. “Evolutionary origins of human alcoholism in primate frugivory.” The Quarterly Review of Biology 75(1): 3-15. Engelbrecht, Bettina MJ., Velez,V, Tyree Melvin T. 2000 “Hydraulic conductance of two co- occurring neotropical understory shrubs with different habitat preferences.” Annals of Forest Science 57: 201-208. Inoue, T., Roubik, David W. and Suka, T. 1999. “Nestmate recognition in the stingless bee Melipona panamica (Apidae, Miliponini).” Insectes Sociaux 46: 208-218. Nagamitsu, T., Momose, K., Inoue, T. and Roubik, David W. 1999. “Preference in flower vitis and partitioning in pollen diets of stingless bees in an Asian tropical rain forest.” Population Ecology 41: 195-202. Novotny, V. and Basset, Yves. 2000. “Ecological characteristics of rare species in communities of tropical insect herbivores: pondering the mystery of singletons.” Oikos 89: 564-572. Piperno, Dolores R., Andres, Thomas C., and Stothert, Karen E. 2000. “Phytoliths in Cucurbita and other Neotropical Cucurbitaceae and their occurrence in early archaeological sites from the lowland American tropics.” Journal of Archaeological Science 27: 193-208. Summers, Kyle, Symula, Rebecca, Clough, Mark and Cronin, Thomas. 1999. “Visual mate choice in poison frogs.” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 266: 2141-2145. Cumpleaños de mayo Hely Cortez 2 Alana Domingo 2 Erika Garibaldo 2 Plinio Góndola 2 Nereida Hernández 2 Enrique Medianero 2 Argelis Ruiz 2 Rolando Pérez 4 Gabriel Abrego 7 Rigoberto González 10 Klaus Winter 10 Maritza del C. López 12 Maritza Perurena 15 Omar Sousa 16 Aureliano Valencia 16 Kevan Mantell 22 José Barahona 27 Carmen Galdames 27 Miguel Samaniego 27 Leo Van Valkenhoef 28 Eleuterio Santos 29 Carmen Sucre 30