Author Archives: Jess Ritsche

Carbon Dioxide’s Greenhouse Effect Confirmed

Scientists, working for the Department of Energy’s ARM (Atmospheric Radiation Measurement) Program, have for the first time observed an increase in carbon dioxide’s greenhouse effect at the Earth’s surface (Nature Article, 2015). The research was conducted using data from the ARM Climate Research Facility. The data was used by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists

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Writing Grants – Quick Tips

Quick Tips for Grant Writing Write multiple drafts – Track changes for different grant sources. Also, it’s great to look back and see which changes were made to improve your writing Schedule time – Scheduling time on top of your regular coursework is important to keep you ahead of the deadline and allots time specifically for writing Trade drafts – Trading with colleagues

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Book Review: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

Elizabeth Kolbert, author of “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History”, is a staff writer at The New Yorker, who has focused her recent books on climate change and the consequences the Earth and its inhabitants face. “The Sixth Extinction” delivers in providing a simple conceptual overview of the Earth’s five mass extinctions and how these past events may illustrate current

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Island Biogeography – Madagascar

The island of Madagascar began to split from continental Africa during the Jurassic period, approximately 135 million years ago! By 70 million years ago, it was completely separated from the continent. This separation has allowed for extensive amounts of adaptive radiation. This is a process in which organisms diversify rapidly into a multitude of new forms that can exploit different environmental

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Terciopelo – My First Encounter With A Venomous Snake

We arrived at the Costa Rica field site late at night, groggy from traveling and completely overwhelmed by the pitch black of night. The sounds of the forest alive erupted at the back of our cabins. We secured our headlamps and shuffled quickly into our beds, kicking out unwanted insect-friends and wrapping ourselves tightly in our mosquito nets. Early the

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Resume vs Curriculum Vitae

To decide whether to submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV), it is important to determine which criteria fits the position you are applying most appropriately. Resumes tend to be non-academic, while CVs are used for academic, and in some cases, government positions. It is important to know the difference because each position may be looking for specific information about

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GIS Use in Primatology

What is GIS? GIS (Geographic Information System) is “a collection of hardware and software for the storage, retrieval, mapping and analysis of geographic data” (Setchell and Curtis, 2011). The spatial information in a GIS specify a particular location represented in a coordinate system. GIS data comes in two different types: vectors (points, lines, and polygons) and raster (grid of pixels)

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Resources for Jobs and Funding – Primatology

Finding where to begin in the field of Primatology can be a hard task in itself, but looking for funding can be another struggle while pursuing research topics. Here I list a few key resources to assist in these important steps. Primate Info Net provides information on internships, field work positions, field schools, animal care jobs, and professional opportunities. It is

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Why Lemurs Are Different

Long-term studies have contributed invaluable data regarding distribution, biogeography, physiology, behavior, and ecology of Madagascar’s primates. Lemurs contrast with many other primates in several behavioral features. What are these features? 1. Females Dominate Males Female dominance is variable, but still the common pattern 2. Female-Female Aggression Some lemurs have dominance hierarchies, some only seasonally Targeted and severe aggression emerges seasonally

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