Articles for author: Jan Otte

Secondary Screwworm Fly (Cochliomyia macellaria)

The Revolutionary Science That Stopped a Livestock-Killing Parasite

Jan Otte

In Texas Hill Country, the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville has been instrumental in combating the New World screwworm fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax), a parasitic insect once responsible for devastating losses in livestock and wildlife across the United States. The Menace of the Screwworm Fly The New World screwworm fly poses a unique ...

Can Brazil’s New Environmental Policies Actually Save the Amazon?

Jan Otte

The Amazon rainforest is burning at an unprecedented rate, with smoke clouds thick enough to block out the sun across entire states. Indigenous communities are fleeing their ancestral lands. Rivers that have flowed for centuries are drying up completely. Yet in the corridors of power in Brasília, there’s a growing sense of optimism about Brazil’s ...

Don't Be Fooled by the Spongy Moth's New Name—It's Still a Tree Killer

Don’t Be Fooled by the Spongy Moth’s New Name—It’s Still a Tree Killer

Jan Otte

In a world where political correctness often trumps practical reality, one of nature’s most destructive invaders just got a makeover. But changing a name doesn’t change the devastating appetite that’s turning North America’s forests into graveyards. The Moth That Got a Marketing Team March 2, 2023, marks one year since a new common name for ...

Heat Dissipation Through Flight Engineering

Arizona’s Hummingbirds Defy the Desert

Jan Otte

Picture this: it’s 115 degrees Fahrenheit in the Arizona , the sun is beating down mercilessly, and most animals have sought shelter in whatever shade they can find. Yet overhead, tiny jewel-like birds are zipping through the scorching air at breakneck speeds, their wings beating up to 80 times per second. These are Arizona’s hummingbirds, ...

Modern Population Status and Distribution

Colorado Lynx Populations Rebound

Jan Otte

The ghostly shadows prowling through ‘s snowy mountain forests tell one of the most remarkable conservation stories of our time. After vanishing from the state’s wilderness for decades, the Canada lynx has made an extraordinary comeback that has wildlife biologists around the world taking notice. This isn’t just another feel-good wildlife story – it’s a ...

Unexpected Challenges and Controversies

Missouri River Otters Return

Jan Otte

Picture this: Over forty years ago, ‘s rivers and streams fell eerily silent where once playful river otters thrived. These sleek aquatic acrobats had nearly vanished, wiped out by decades of unregulated hunting and habitat destruction. What happened next became one of North America’s most remarkable wildlife comeback stories. In the early eighties, when most ...

The Science Behind How the Pyramids Were Really Built

The Science Behind How the Pyramids Were Really Built

Jan Otte

Like ancient constellations guiding travelers across vast deserts, the pyramids of Giza continue to captivate us with their mystery and majesty. Just as Pisces fish navigate the depths of oceans, we’re about to dive deep into the most fascinating discoveries that reveal how these monuments were truly constructed. For decades, theories ranged from alien intervention ...

James Webb Telescope Discovers "Black Hole Stars" in Early Universe

Inside NASA’s Newest Discoveries: 10 Space Breakthroughs Made in U.S. Labs

Jan Otte

The universe has always held secrets that seem just beyond our reach, but in the past year, NASA’s cutting-edge laboratories across the United States have been working overtime to unlock mysteries that would have been pure science fiction just decades ago. From potential signs of ancient life on Mars to revolutionary discoveries about black holes ...

Implications for Cosmic Evolution and Life

The First Stars in the Universe May Have Been Colder Than We Thought

Jan Otte

The universe’s most ancient stars have held their secrets for over 13 billion years, but recent research is forcing astronomers to completely rethink what those earliest celestial beacons were actually like. For decades, scientists believed these primordial giants were uniformly massive monsters that burned bright and died young. Now, cutting-edge computer simulations and unexpected molecular ...