top of page
Search

The Secret of the Monkeyflower | Tumble Episode

  • Writer: tumblepodcast
    tumblepodcast
  • Oct 18, 2024
  • 2 min read

Updated: Dec 18

"The Secret of the Monkeyflower" artwork. Pictured are cartoon monkeyflowers.

🧬🌸 A mystery is evolving in our latest episode! Come along with plant scientist David Lowry as we explore the secrets hidden within the yellow monkeyflower. We’ll uncover how tiny changes in DNA can lead to massive differences between species. 😲 Tune in to Tumble to discover the incredible story of adaptation and evolution. 


Learn more about David and nature vs nurture in our bonus interview extra on Patreon!


🎧 Listen to the Episode


Photo of David Lowry, monkeyflowers, and the ocean.

🔎About The Featured Expert

David Lowry is a plant biologist and professor at Michigan State University and the Associate Director of the MSU Plant Resilience Institute. David studies plant speciation and genetics, along with how ecological adaptations contribute to the formation of new species.


Hear from David in our previous episode, "The Monkeyflower Mystery." Click here to listen and learn more about part one of this amazing journey!


David is also in "The Seed Treasure Hunt." Click here to listen and read about David's Beal Seed Experiment - which we updated you about in 2022.


Mystery of the Monkeyflower Comic

"Mystery of the Monkeyflower" web comic cover. Pictured are two young scientists looking at monkeyflowers.

David's lab of plant scientists collaborated with MSU's education researchers to make this awesome comic book. The story follows two young field researchers as they learn more about the monkeyflower - just as David did! Click here to read the comic and click here to read the fascinating story behind how it was made.


Monkeyflowers and DNA

In the episode,  David bred the coastal monkeyflower with the inland monkeyflowers. Here's a video of the two flowers growing together. The inland annual is on the right and the coastal perennial is on the left.

Time lapse of two monkeyflowers growing next to each other.

Here is a video that briefly explains seed breeding and how David could have created a hybrid flower:


Here is a great explanation of DNA, Chromosomes, Genes, and Traits from the Amoeba Sisters:


🫶Support Tumble!

Click here to become a Patron! Ad-free early access to episodes is just $1/month, and for just $5/month, get a birthday shout out on our feed!


Click here to visit the Tumble Merch Store! T-shirts and other merch (including merch specific to this episode) are available for purchase.

bottom of page