This episode is brought to you with the help of National Geographic and Bentzen Ball, featuring Dr. Danielle N. Lee, a biologist and expert on small rodents.

Dr. Lee is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer, and a professor of mammalogy and ecology at Southern Illinois University. Dr. Lee focuses her research on comparing the behavior of urban and rural rodents, and is learning more about the impact of ecology on mating behavior, personality, and other aspects of rodents’ lifestyles. Within that, Danielle is prioritizing female biology, which is has often been under-researched in the animal kingdom. She is also studying African giant pouched rats to learn more about their natural history and their potential to sniff out landmines in Tanzania.

Why it matters:

According to Dr. Lee, rodents and humans have had intertwined lifestyles throughout most of human history. And for the entirety of that relationship, humans have never been able to successfully manage rodents. Understanding the relationship between humans and rodents will, according to Danielle, “give us a lot of answers to understanding ourselves, like our own habits.”

Further reading:

A National Geographic interview with Dr. Lee on her work as an urban scientist

https://voices.nationalgeographic.org/2017/06/01/national-geographic-emerging-explorer-danielle-lee-finding-natural-wonders-hidden-in-the-city/

Follow Danielle:

Her blog, The Urban Scientist: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/urban-scientist/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dnlee5?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dnlee5/

This week’s episode is coming to you from Caveat Theater in NYC, featuring Shara Bailey, a paleoanthropologist. Dr. Bailey studies dental morphology and morphometrics in order to learn more about the origin and evolution of modern humans.

Dr. Bailey received her BA, MA, and PhD from Arizona State University. She is currently a professor at NYU and an Associated Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. Through her work, Dr. Bailey has studied a large collection of both human and ape dental specimens from many points in history. Currently, Dr. Bailey is studying the “evolution of childhood” through a comparative study of different species’ baby teeth at various points in human evolution.

Why it matters:

Ancient teeth are able to reveal new information about the lives of early humans, including diet, age, and overall health. Dr. Bailey uses these teeth to learn more about the evolution of humans, including their taxonomy and migration patterns. With this information, scientists can discover how early humans evolved to where we are now.

Further reading:

Comparing the tooth shape and crown outlines of Neanderthals and humans:

http://www.academia.edu/23585426/Allometry_Merism_and_Tooth_Shape_of_the_Lower_Second_Deciduous_Molar_and_First_Permanent_Molar

Using early dental specimens to determine the time of arrival of modern humans in Western Europe:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25908660

Using an upper molar to determine the time of the first early hominid presence in Central Africa:

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0084652

To learn more about Dr. Bailey’s External Affiliations:

Center for the Study of Human Origins

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany,

This episode is brought to you from the Just for Laughs Festival in Toronto. Our expert is Dr. Suzanne MacDonald, a psychology and biology professor at York University. Dr. MacDonald studies animal behavior.

Dr. MacDonald received her PhD from from the University of Alberta, and focuses the majority of her research on the psychology of animals and human-wildlife interactions. In addition to raccoons, Dr. MacDonald has studied orangutans, lions, hyenas, elephants and more to learn about their cognition. Testing animal cognition includes evaluating problem-solving abilities, ability to adapt to new environments, memory and more. Not only does Dr. Macdonald evaluates the cognition of wildlife, she also studies reproductive biology to determine population health and fitness.

Why it Matters:

Understanding the minds and behavior of animals can help us more easily protect and coexist with wildlife populations. Since not all animals are as adaptable and resourceful as raccoons, who have thrived in man-made environments, wildlife conservation and is an important task for scientists and non-scientists alike.

Further Reading:

On orangutans ability to evaluate risk and reward:

https://www.academia.edu/1478069/Orangutans_pongo_abelii_play_the_odds_Information-seeking_strategies_in_relation_to_cost_risk_and_benefit

An examination of orangutan responses to different genres of music:

https://www.academia.edu/27499614/Music_as_enrichment_for_Sumatran_orangutans_Pongo_abelii_

On the reproductive patterns of the Vancouver Island marmot:

https://www.academia.edu/488971/The_reproductive_behavior_and_endocrinology_of_Vancouver_Island_marmot_Marmota_vancouverensis_

Follow Suzanne:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yorkpsyc?lang=en

Her website: http://suzannemacdonald.ca/

More about Dr. Danielle Lee

More about ancient teeth and Dr. Shara Bailey

More about raccoons and Dr. Suzanne MacDonald