Cindy Bick is on a mission. The University of Michigan evolutionary biologist scans her surroundings as she treks through the forested valleys on the north side of Tahiti. Most visitors come to this South Pacific island to enjoy its beaches and clear water, but Bick is here for another reason. She spots her quarry: a bean-sized dot of white on a sunlit leaf. It’s Partula hyalina, a small snail with a big story about risk and resilience in island species. With the aid of miniature computers about the size of…
