a strand of mushrooms showing the variability in the field Amanita muscaria young & old shows more variability

Fly Agaric and related death cap mushrooms synthesize dangerous chemicals

Aug. 31, 2021

Amanita species can be described as edible, inedible, poisonous, deadly poisonous, and psychoactive.

A chickadee bird perched on a branch

New grant to study life-and-death trait of chickadees

Aug. 24, 2021

CU Boulder and University of Nevada Reno professors win $2.7 million grant from the NSF to study spatial cognition in chickadees.

a photo of the same flower and 	swallowtail, but showing the ventral side

Western tiger swallowtails sip milkweed nectar and chew aspen leaves

Aug. 5, 2021

Monarch butterflies gained access to milkweeds after they evolved the metabolic trick of absorbing the cardiac glycosides by sequestering them in fat bodies.

Side by Side was created by Beth Osnes, associate professor in theatre, and Rebecca Safran, associate professor in ecology and evolutionary biology, for underserved female-identifying or nonbinary students. Osnes and Safran hope that educating and empowering these students in STEM fields and in the arts will diversify approaches, perspectives and solutions to environmental challenges.

Teen birdwatchers turn research into performance art

Aug. 3, 2021

The Side by Side project teaches high school students about local birds’ ecosystems through performative arts and scientific observation.

Putnam Cicadas

Cicadas plague Boulder

July 22, 2021

Mountain cicadas, Okanagana bella, are also found locally, and it is the only cicada common in the mountains.

Male White faced meadow hawk

White-faced meadowhawks have multiple color patterns

July 21, 2021

A mating wheel allows a precise comparison of the colors and patterns of males and females The little marsh swarmed with insects. Tiny moths popped up from the grass, darted a short distance and then disappeared back into the grass. Small wood nymph butterflies kept searching for the perfect spot...

Funk with a Rosy Finch

Researchers solve puzzle of Colorado songbird’s evolution

July 15, 2021

Mountains both help create new species and subspecies of the rosy finch and keep them distinct, according to new research from CU Boulder

Budgerigar Research

Behavioral ecologist finds parakeet’s intelligence helps in reproduction

July 8, 2021

New research from CU Boulder sheds light on the cognitive functions of male ‘green parakeets’ or budgerigars

Sudings group on Niwot ridge

Longer growing season could transform the tundra

June 11, 2021

Warming temperatures are causing plants across alpine and arctic environments to stay green longer and reproduce earlier, scientists find.

Angela_Theodosopoulos

Evolutionary biologist awarded prestigious naturalist medal

May 24, 2021

The Linnean Society of London recognizes CU Boulder researcher for excellent research in the natural sciences.

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