Just like sea horse dads, some poison dart frog dads take a hand in helping to raise their children. We talk about a Stanford University study designed to figure out how and if these little tropical frogs have a mental map of their environment.
image from: Andrius Pašukonis Stanford University (Dad frog wearing his kids and a radio tracker speedo)
Evolutionarily Ecology article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10682-019-09994-z
And just in case you were wondering like we were, it is possible to handle some poison dart frog species bare handed BUT it can damage the very delicate skin of the frog and if you have cuts on your hands they could make you sick. Brain Junk does not condone the holding of poisonous frogs without gloves on. Stay safe out there kids.
#71 Ants with Stilts episode if you're curious about how cringe science can be.
Amy's University bee research: https://www.gonzaga.edu/news-events/stories/2017/5/1/gonzaga-becomes-a-certified-bee-campus-usa
Amy and Trace dug deep into their "this is too gross for a podcast" files and decided there was just too much quality disgustingness...
In 1964 researchers discovered the sharp beaked ground finch aka the vampire finch. FOR REAL!!! These finches have adapted to long hot dry seasons...
Pavlov’s dogs, Enclothed Cognition, and that phantom buzzing phone in your pocket feeling are just a taste of what we cover in this episode...