How the Eyeless Mexican Cavefish came to be: A Q&A with Misty Riddle
Misty Riddle, Ph.D., assistant professor at UNR and founder of The Riddle Labratory, explains the evolution of the Mexican tetra fish. By Elizabeth Walsh.
The chickadee in the snowbank: A ‘canary in the coal mine’ for climate change in the Sierra Nevada mountains
What can we learn about climate change from some of the Sierra Nevada’s tiniest avian residents? By Benjamin Sonnenberg.
Beyond the Bite: UNR Scientists Investigate Mosquito Biology and West Nile Virus Spread
What can the immune system of the Culex mosquito teach us about how to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses? By Elizabeth Walsh.
Nevada Botanist is Creating State’s First Complete Plant List
Jerry Tiehm from the University of Nevada, Reno, has been on a 49-year quest to collect and document every plant species in Nevada. By Vanesa de la Cruz Pavas.
How Fish Use Smell And Magnetic Fields to Navigate
Instead of using Google Maps, imagine how cool it would be to smell your way home — and while we’re at it, imagine “home” is thousands of miles away! In this animated short, Jordan Buxton explains how fish rely on their noses, as well as their sensitivity to Earth’s magnetic fields, to navigate long distances.
Life Finds a Way: How Scientists Could Revive Extinct Animals
Bringing back the wooly mammoth? It’s not just fodder for speculative fiction! In this animated short, Luis Martinez walks us through the theoretical process of restoring an extinct species with the scattered remains of its genetic material.
The Unique Biology Of The Panda From Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’
Red pandas were actually called “pandas” long before their more popular black-and-white cousins. But they aren’t actually closely related to pandas.
‘Asian Glow’ Is The Body’s Warning To Avoid Alcohol
Those have the “Alcohol Flush Reaction” gene may notice their face turns a bright red hue after drinking alcohol. In this short animation, Joffea Burgos demonstrates how this symptom is triggered and “toasts” its purpose to warn individuals with this condition that they are more prone to alcohol-related diseases.
How Do Large Desert Animals Find Water?
Large wildlife have a more difficult time keeping cool and hydrated, and have adapted differently to survive in arid ecosystems. From coyotes to tortoises to camels, Owen Megura explains some unique survival tactics large animals have evolved in the harsh conditions of their desert habitat in this short animation.
What Happens (To Our Bodies) After We Die
There is much speculation about what happens to our consciousness after we die — but there is no debate on what happens to the corpse we leave behind! From death to skeletonization, Amelia Fuentes presents an animated timeline of the various stages of decomposition of the human body.
