The Case of the Pyrenean Ibex: What Can We Learn From Vanishing Wildlife Species
Likely the first extinction event of the 2000s in Europe, the sad history of the Pyrenean Ibex (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) is a powerful example of…
Biodiversity
California Biodiversity “Hotspots” Threatened – Provide Habitat for Rare and Endangered Species
A study of woodland ecosystems that provide habitat for rare and endangered species along streams and rivers throughout California reveals that some of these ecologically…
New Species of Bizarre, Extinct Lizard – So Strange It Was Misidentified as a Hummingbird-Sized Dinosaur
An international research team has described a new species of Oculudentavis, providing further evidence that the animal first identified as a hummingbird-sized dinosaur was actually…
How Did 500 Species of a Fish Evolve in a Lake? Dramatically Different Body Clocks
Scientists discover first nocturnal cichlid species from Africa’s lake Malawi that offers clues into the evolution of sleep. Animals are remarkably diverse in their sleep…
Monitoring Species Condemned to Extinction May Help Conservationists Save Others As Global Temperatures Rise
The White-tailed Swallow, Hirundo megaensis, and Ethiopian Bush-crow, Zavattariornis stresemanni, are living in ‘climatic lifeboats’ with their tiny ranges restricted on all sides by temperature…
Closing “Wet Markets” Is Not an Effective Policy Solution for Safeguarding Human Health, Biodiversity
A better understanding of ‘wet markets’ is key to safeguarding human health, biodiversity. Great uncertainty surrounds the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Early on, some suggested a…
Tackling the Biodiversity and Climate Crises Together, and Their Combined Social Impacts
Global experts identify key options for solutions; First-ever collaboration between IPBES- and IPCC-selected scientists. Unprecedented changes in climate and biodiversity, driven by human activities, have…
Taking a Bite Out of Oddball Tooth Evolution: Frogs Lost Teeth More Than 20 Times
Scientists have long known that frogs are oddballs when it comes to teeth. Some have tiny teeth on their upper jaws and the roof of…
Just a Few Common Bacteria Account for Most of the Carbon Use in Soil
Just a few bacterial taxa found in ecosystems across the planet are responsible for more than half of carbon cycling in soils. These new findings,…
Temperature Explains Why the Greatest Variety of Aquatic Life Resides in the Tropics
Findings indicate global warming could reduce biodiversity in tropics. The bulging, equator-belted midsection of Earth currently teems with a greater diversity of life than anywhere…
Invasive Lionfish Threaten Species Along Brazilian Coast – Voracious Predators Are Negatively Impacting Marine Ecosystems
Researchers say management of the predatory fish is critical to protecting Brazil’s coral reefs and marine biodiversity. Since arriving to the northern Atlantic Ocean less…
UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: UN Urges Intense Restoration of Nature to Address Climate and Biodiversity Crises
Launching the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, UN calls on countries to meet commitments to restore 1 billion hectares of land. Facing the triple threat…
Study Across 60 Cities in 32 Countries and Six Continents Reveals: New Species Are All Around Us!
About 12,000 bacteria and viruses collected in a sampling from public transit systems and hospitals around the world from 2015 to 2017 had never before…
Genomic Research Into Different Ancestries Leads to Better Results and Better Care
Lundquist investigators in global study expanding genomic research of different ancestries. Today The Lundquist Institute announced that its investigators contributed data from several studies, including…
Threat of Major Human Nutritional Shortages From Declining Biodiversity in Wild Amazon Fisheries
A new study of dozens of wild fish species commonly consumed in the Peruvian Amazon says that people there could suffer major nutritional shortages if…
A Seedy Slice of History: Here’s Where Watermelons Actually Came From
Just in time for picnic-table trivia, a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences rewrites the origins of domesticated watermelons….
Mystery Deepens About Evolution of Bees’ Social Behavior
Largest-ever analysis of bees’ morphological diversity paints complicated picture as to whether complex social behavior developed once or multiple times in separate evolutionary branches. A…
Environmental DNA (eDNA) Analysis Could Contribute Towards More Effective Pest Control
Detecting environmental DNA of invasive ant species in soil samples. Researchers have successfully detected the environmental DNA (eDNA)[1] of the Argentine ant[2] in surface soil…