Smelling Your Ants and Other Tips from a Myremocologist #ScientistOutLoud

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For our latest installment of Scientist Out Loud, Dr. Terry McGlynn joins us to discuss his research with ants and other insects found in tropical rainforests. Since 1995, Terry has been working out of La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica studying ants as a model system.  Instead of the boring ants we might find in North America, these tropical species are far more interesting, and can teach us a lot about social interactions, organizing behaviors, and balancing ecosystems. Terry joins us to answer all of our ant questions, describe his path to become a myremocologist, and explain why we should care about ants in the world around us.

About our Guest:

Dr. Terry McGlynn is a Professor of Biology at Cal State Dominguez Hills and a Research Associate at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. His research program focuses on the experimental natural history of ants.

Links:

• The McGlynn Lab
• Terry’s blog: smallpondscience.com
• Terry’s new book: The Chicago Guide to College Science Teaching
• Bullet Ants (Wikipedia)
• The Saga of the Cannibal Ants in a Soviet Nuclear Bunker (Atlas Obscura)

Connect with our Guest:

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