August General Meeting: “The Potential Ecological Significance of Biofluorescence in Tadpoles”

Biofluorecence occurs when one color of light hits an organism, then that organism re-emits that light at a different color. Under the right lighting, lots of creatures “glow” with biofluorescence, including the Gray Tree Frog, a Minnesota native species complex. The adults fluorescence a bright green, while the tadpoles fluoresce a beautiful bright orange-red on their tails. The purpose behind biofluorescence is unknown.

Morgan Miedema, a recent Master’s of Biological Sciences graduate from St. Cloud State University, will talk about her research into biofluorescence and one possible function for it.