Episode 5

Squash, Bees and Mastodons!

Published on: 14th June, 2021

Squash and mastodons? Do bumble and honey bees collect Cucurbit pollen? What does some of the current research suggest about the history of squash distribution and Cucurbit bee (Peponapis pruinosa) habitat expansion?

Opening and closing tune: 'Beeloved' by Carmen Porter

References:

Logan Kistler, Lee A. Newsom, Timothy M. Ryan, Andrew C. Clarke, Bruce D. Smith, George H. Perry. Gourds and squashes (Cucurbita spp.) adapted to megafaunal extinction and ecological anachronism through domestication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dec 2015

Brochu, K.K., van Dyke, M.T., Milano, N.J. et al. Pollen defenses negatively impact foraging and fitness in a generalist bee (Bombus impatiens: Apidae). Scientific Reports 10, Article 3112 (2020)

Horticulture Seminar Series Fall 2020: Margarita Lopez-Uribe, Penn State University: https://media.oregonstate.edu/media/t/1_1k6dxy8h

Cucurbitacin: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/cucurbitacin

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About the Podcast

Song and Plants
Botanical musings and music
Learning the binomial nomenclature (scientific names) of biota is a fascinating way to glean insight into the natural world. Though daunting at first, they can become familiar and accessible with the help of melody and context. This podcast will present tunes where the scientific names of species comprise the lyrical content. Episodes will describe habitats, growing conditions, nutritional information, and locate species within their taxonomic hierarchy. Historical significance, interviews and anecdotal stories will also be presented. Each musical release will inspire eight weekly episodes. Come grow with me!

About your host

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Carmen Porter

Growing up, my playground was the forest and orchard behind my house which were teeming with fascinating flora and fauna. I was the little girl singing to her extensive plant collection and pet caterpillars. After leaving home for too many years to pursue higher education and wander around the world, I returned to plant a garden. There are currently more than 500 cultivars of fruits and vegetables growing around my house.

'Song and Plants' came about when I started writing music to help me learn the binomial nomenclature (scientific names) of local biota. The podcast accompanies the tunes by providing information that extends beyond the lyrical content.