Okay, just 8 possible nicknames left. Does our hypothetical common placental ancestor look more like a Placentor or a Mancestor? Nova or Hypotheshrew? Make your vote today for a final, furry 4!

Watch the 2013 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate, moderated by Hayden Planetarium Director Neil deGrasse Tyson at the American Museum of Natural History, on Wednesday, March 20, at 7:30 pm EDT on amnh.org/live. 

Tama Matsuoka Wong did not set out to be a professional forager. But, slowly, as the then-corporate lawyer lived internationally, she developed an obsession for eating wild plants. Today, it’s her vocation as well. Wong will give a talk and tasting this Thursday, March 21, 2013, as part of the Museum’s monthly Adventures in the Global Kitchen series. We recently talked with her about her approach to eating from “nature’s garden.”

Nearly 3,000 people cast their vote during our first round of March Mammal Madness, narrowing the possible names for our hypothetical common placental ancestor down to 16. Help us narrow down the choices even further by voting for your favorites below. You have until 5 pm EDT on Tuesday, March 19, to make your selections.

On March 14, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order setting aside Pelican Island, Florida, as the very first national wildlife refuge. Today, it remains an essential breeding ground for migratory waterfowl—and one of 561 wildlife refuges overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Daniel M. Ashe, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, recently discussed what Pelican Island is like today.