Anna Hiller's guest appearances

Anna Hiller

LSU Experimental

Paige Brown

Sabrina Taylor

Cindy Nguyen

Keith Comeaux

Heidi Nowakowski

Phillip Bart

Valerie Derouen

Rebecca Christofferson

Zack Rodriguez

Hayley Johnson

Mike Polito

Whitney Kroschel

Catherine Deibel

Maria F. G. Wallace

Mette Gaarde

OwlTail

In nature, hybrid zones are where two species or varieties meet and cross-fertilize, such as the classic donkey + horse = mule. A single hybrid zone is scientifically important for understanding how species diverge. So imagine the excitement of finding not just one, but two hybrid zones in the Andes of South America. And even cooler, the hybrid zone is the home of a special type of bird, flowerpiercers, who steal nectar from plants using their pirate-hooked bills. Anna Hiller, LSU Museum of Natural Science PhD candidate, tells us what hybrid zones are, what we can learn from them, and how she is using the flowerpiercers as her model. She also shares adventures from her previous expeditions and how her passion to include women in science is informing her upcoming field trips to Peru and Bolivia.

Episode 32: Anna Hiller - Hybridization in Andean Nectar Bandits