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Biodiversity Blog

 
Learning about Central Texas Salamanders through eDNA

Learning about Central Texas Salamanders through eDNA

The word enigmatic may evoke images of mysterious individuals, things that lurk in the shadows, but not usually salamanders. However, if you ask members in the lab of David Hillis to describe the Eurycea salamanders of Central Texas, enigmatic is certainly appropriate.  These creatures are native to aqueous regions of the Edwards-Trinity aquif...
Armadillos to Ziziphus: David Hillis Talks About His New Book

Armadillos to Ziziphus: David Hillis Talks About His New Book

 Courtesy University of Texas Press 2023 With a state as big as Texas is, there is an extremely diverse ecology. From high altitude desert mountains in the west, to our vast coastline, to low-lying swamps in the east. Since most of the residents of the Lone Star State live in urban centers, sometimes it’s difficult to learn about the plants...
The Next Frontier of Science is in your Backyard (with you and your smartphone)

The Next Frontier of Science is in your Backyard (with you and your smartphone)

 Dr. Pauly's talk has been recorded and can be viewed by clicking here   We are pleased to announce that Dr. Greg Pauly is the first spring semester speaker sponsored by the Biodiversity Center, and he will be talking about urban biodiversity. Talk title: The Next Frontier of Science is in your Backyard (with you and your sm...
March of the Central Texas Butterflies

March of the Central Texas Butterflies

  Butterflies never fail to fascinate young and old alike. They are the subject of countless paintings, poems, and for Professor James Glavan's (Head of the Costume Technology program in the Department of Theatre and Dance) class, Fabric Dyeing and Painting, they were the focus of an ambitious costume building project this spring semester. ...
A Northern Cardinal in North Austin

A Northern Cardinal in North Austin

Male cardinal. (Photo: Gary Leavens - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license) I awoke on a Sunday morning last week, started the coffee, then opened the curtains to my backyard. My usual habit, but on this Sunday, I had the surprise of seeing a female Northern Cardinal duck into the tight weave of a climbing rose about seve...