Australian footprints are the oldest known evidence of birds from southern regions
Early birds had made it to southern polar environments by 120 million years ago, according to a study published November 15, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Anthony Martin of Emory University, U.S. and colleagues......»»
NASA satellites reveal abrupt drop in global freshwater levels
An international team of scientists using observations from NASA-German satellites found evidence that Earth's total amount of freshwater dropped abruptly starting in May 2014 and has remained low ever since. Reporting in Surveys in Geophysics, the r.....»»
Study uncovers earliest evidence of humans using fire to shape the landscape of Tasmania
Some of the first human beings to arrive in Tasmania, over 41,000 years ago, used fire to shape and manage the landscape, about 2,000 years earlier than previously thought......»»
Troubled waters: How to stop Australia"s freshwater fish species from going extinct
Three-quarters of Australia's freshwater fish species are found nowhere else on the planet. This makes us the sole custodians of remarkable creatures such as the ornate rainbowfish, the ancient Australian lungfish and the magnificently named longnose.....»»
Study confirms Egyptians drank hallucinogenic cocktails in ancient rituals
A University of South Florida professor found the first-ever physical evidence of hallucinogens in an Egyptian mug, validating written records and centuries-old myths of ancient Egyptian rituals and practices. Through advanced chemical analyses, Davi.....»»
Rainforest protection reduces the number of respiratory diseases, research suggests
Rainforest protection is not only good for biodiversity and the climate—it also noticeably improves the health of humans who live in the corresponding regions. This is the conclusion drawn by a current study by the University of Bonn and the Univer.....»»
These Bird Nests Show Signs of an Architectural ‘Culture’
Culture may play a role in how birds build collectively in the Kalahari Desert.....»»
Water under Threat, Wooden Satellites and a Mud Bath for Baseballs
Droughts in 48 of 50 U.S. states, evidence of microplastics mucking up wastewater recycling and the science of a baseball mud bath in this week’s news roundup......»»
Experiments show backyard birds learn from their new neighbors when moving house
Scientists have found a trigger for social learning in wild animals. An experiment on great tits has pinpointed a single factor—immigration—that can cause birds to pay close attention to others, leading them to rapidly adopt useful behaviors......»»
Scientists identify flaw in astrophysics models of massive stars and supernovae
An international team of researchers has uncovered evidence that astrophysics models of massive stars and supernovae are inconsistent with observational gamma-ray astronomy......»»
Meteorite contains evidence of liquid water on Mars 742 million years ago
An asteroid struck Mars 11 million years ago and sent pieces of the red planet hurtling through space. One of these chunks of Mars eventually crashed into the Earth somewhere near Purdue University and is one of the few meteorites that can be traced.....»»
More evidence that Europe"s ancient landscapes were open woodlands: Study finds oak, hazel and yew were abundant
In 2023 a research group from Aarhus University in Denmark found that light woodland and open vegetation dominated Europe's temperate forests before Homo sapiens. In a new study, recently published in the Journal of Ecology, they take a closer look a.....»»
Archaeologists excavate earliest known ancient Maya salt works
A team of archaeologists from LSU and the University of Texas at Tyler has excavated the earliest known ancient Maya salt works in southern Belize, as reported in the journal Antiquity......»»
Global convection-permitting model accurately predicts plum rain event
The plum rain is a persistent and extensive rainfall phenomenon that frequently occurs in East Asia during summer, primarily affecting regions along the latitudes of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China to the Kyushu Island in J.....»»
Birds, bees and bats working together means more macadamia nuts
An international research team led by the universities of Göttingen and Hohenheim in Germany has gained new insights into how the interaction of birds, bees and bats significantly increases the quantity and quality of macadamia nuts. Furthermore, th.....»»
Uncovering health impacts of forever chemicals on freshwater turtles
A study in Science of the Total Environment has measured concentrations of PFAS—also known as forever chemicals—in Australian wildlife, following an analysis of freshwater turtle (Emydura macquarii macquarii) populations in Queensland......»»
Great Britain lags behind Europe on restricting gambling marketing, new research shows
A new study, by the University of Bristol and Ipsos, adds to mounting evidence showing gambling marketing needs much stricter national regulation......»»
Was "Snowball Earth" a global event? New study delivers best proof yet
Geologists have uncovered strong evidence from Colorado that massive glaciers covered Earth down to the equator hundreds of millions of years ago, transforming the planet into an icicle floating in space......»»
Arctic raptors study reveals a new migration pattern, highlighting potential errors in range mapping
Traditionally, migratory birds are thought to arrive at their wintering grounds after fall migration and remain there until the spring migration back to breeding sites. This assumption forms the basis for determining over-wintering ranges and shaping.....»»
Satellite data analysis shows wildland-urban interface areas have grown by 35% over past two decades
A trio of environmental scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, working with a colleague from China's Ministry of Education, has found evidence via satellite analysis that global.....»»
Woolly rhino discovered in Siberia in 2020 has a fatty hump on its neck
A team of geologists, paleontologists, and mammoth fauna studies specialists, affiliated with several institutions in Russia, has found evidence that a woolly rhino found in the Siberian ice back in 2020 had a fatty hump on its neck. Their findings a.....»»