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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Hello! My name is Allysa Hallett, and I will be contributing scientific and artistic illustrations to the DANTAisms blog, most of which will highlight tropical plant and animal species. Sometimes these drawings will focus on subjects that are important to tropical ecological communities, and at other times they might focus on subjects that are important to tropical agriculture. Wherever they
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Prevention is the best medicine, for both medical and behavioral problems. Identifying problems early allows you to respond appropriately the first time an undesired behavior occurs. This will prevent the likelihood of it happening again. These parrot behaviors are not mutually exclusive, and many can be addressed once you know some basic principles. Most aggression arises from some sense of
Read moreBy Lisa Barrett We are in the wake of a sixth mass extinction due to human activity (hunting, habitat degradation, etc.) and climate change. Humans not only put species in danger of becoming extinct in the first place, but we also decide which species “deserve” to be saved. While some endangered species enjoy population revivals, others do not make the
Read moreFor the first 22 years of my life, I spent the holiday season with family in Michigan. Last year, the holidays were a bit out of the ordinary for me. I spent it with the CABS (Comparative Analysis of Baboon Sociality) research crew in Ethiopia. We took a break from work and travelled around the country. The first two legs
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New Year’s Resolutions! Weight Loss! Making More Money! Traveling the World! And everything else that fits in our year’s goals. With the New Year many of us create a resolution that can be life-changing and requires massive commitment. But how do we maintain these goals as the New Year’s wonder begins to drift away? Make a goal that is attainable
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While working a school fair and representing “Anthropology” as a whole and as a major, I met many students who did not know what anthropology was and what it meant. I feel it is important for people to understand exactly what it entails and the potential it has for better understanding the human condition and what makes us who we
Read moreBy Lisa Barrett Working for Think Elephants International was a very unique experience, so I wanted to share what an average day was like. Follow the below instructions to gain the perspective about life as an elephant researcher in the Golden Triangle of Thailand (Warning: Do not approach an elephant without its mahout present). Wake up to the sound of
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Phantom was sprawled out on a rock, his legs and arms stretched out. Uzat was grooming him; she was focused and working diligently. She also had a really nice estrous swelling. It was a beautiful day and the baboon pair was content. But then, another young female with an estrous swelling named Uganda approached. She went up to Phantom and
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As an organism grows and develops, chemical reactions activate and deactivate parts of the genome at specific locations at critical times. Epigenetics is the study of these chemical reactions and the factors that influence them. Here is a great video that outlines the basic principles of Epigenetics: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/intro/ Why is epigenetics important? It goes against the idea conventional thought that inheritance
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