Botanists name astonishing new species of "fairy lantern" from Malaysian rainforests
Oxford University Scientist Dr. Chris Thorogood from Oxford Botanic Garden teamed up with Siti-Munirah at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia, and local explorer Dome Nikong to describe a strange plant from the depths of the Malaysian rainforest......»»
Ants might be pushing montane birds higher up, study finds
Mountains are home to 85% of the world's amphibian, bird, and mammalian species, despite covering only 25% of the Earth's surface. This makes them a highly diverse ecosystem and a key focus for conservation efforts......»»
Octopuses work together with fish to hunt—and the way they share decisions is surprisingly complex
A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution lifts the veil on what happens when octopuses and fish hunt together. As it turns out, this cross-species relationship is more complex than anyone expected......»»
Forest loss forces langur species to interbreed, study shows
Research shows a threatening development for two endangered primate species in Bangladesh: Phayre's langurs (Trachypithecus phayrei) and capped langurs (Trachypithecus pileatus). In mixed groups of these two species, hybrids have been found and genet.....»»
How climate change affects deer—experts draw findings from 20 years of research
Temperature, rainfall, snow and extreme weather events are all factors linked to climate change that directly affect wildlife. Understanding the impact of these factors on the physiology, population dynamics and distribution of different deer species.....»»
Seal species carries "genetic scars" after being hunted to the edge of extinction, new research reveals
Northern Elephant seals have staged a remarkable comeback after narrowly escaping extinction by hunting, but new research reveals lasting genetic effects in the present population......»»
Climate change accelerates vulnerability and loss of resilience of a key species for the Mediterranean ecosystem: Study
A study by the University of Barcelona has analyzed the ability of red gorgonians (Paramuricea clavata), a key species for the Mediterranean marine ecosystem, to resist and recover after marine heat waves......»»
New research offers fresh hope to curb illegal orchid trafficking in Vietnam
Orchids, with their captivating beauty, have become a multi-billion-dollar industry. Unfortunately, many species are on the brink of extinction, particularly in Vietnam, due to unsustainable wild harvesting and minimal enforcement of laws restricting.....»»
Team is first to find invasive hydrilla plant in Canada
Hydrilla verticillate (hydrilla), one of North America's most invasive species, has been found for the first time in Canada. Dr. Rebecca Rooney, a biology professor, and members of her Waterloo Wetland Laboratory were surveying a secluded section of.....»»
"Extinct" snails found breeding in French Polynesia following a successful reintroduction project
A species of tropical tree snail is no longer extinct in the wild following a successful reintroduction project......»»
30 years ago, Tim Burton offered his most adult, bittersweet fairy tale
With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice now in theaters, let's revisit one of director Tim Burton's best movies, which turns 30 this week......»»
New fossil species reshapes understanding of grape family history
Until now, it was believed that plants of the grape family arrived at the European continent less than 23 million years ago. A study on fossil plants draws a new scenario on the dispersal of the ancestors of grape plants and reveals that these specie.....»»
Researchers name beetle after National Geographic photographer
A new beetle species has been named to honor a fellow Husker, bridging the worlds of academia and wildlife conservation......»»
New study backs conservation at landscape scale to protect a near threatened bird species
Understanding the factors that influence how species select their habitats is crucial to inform conservation strategies, especially for vulnerable species. A new study about how wintering individuals of the Kirtland's Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) i.....»»
Can the "hard steps" in the evolutionary history of human intelligence be recast with geological thresholds?
What took so long for humans to appear on Earth? The Earth is 4.6 billion years old, and life began about 4 billion years ago, yet humans—the only intelligent, technological species we know of in the universe—have existed only for the last 200,0.....»»
Medicinal tree successfully grown from 1,000-year-old seed found in cave
An international team of botanists, agriculturists and historians has successfully grown a mature tree from an ancient seed found in a cave in Israel. In their paper, published in the journal Communications Biology, the group describes where the seed.....»»
New evolutionary model revises the origins of biodiversity
An international team of scientists has made a discovery that could reshape our understanding of how global biodiversity evolved. By reconstructing the evolution of species over the past 45 million years, researchers found that the geographic origins.....»»
Signs of hope for endangered Maugean skate
For the first time in nearly a decade, scientists have recorded an increased presence of young Maugean skates—a ray of hope for the survival of the endangered species......»»
New shark species named for late Microsoft co-founder
A hammerhead shark species discovered by FIU scientists finally has a name and its namesake is the late Paul G. Allen, philanthropist and cofounder of Microsoft......»»
New Zealand scientists discover ghostly "spookfish"
Scientists in New Zealand said Tuesday they have discovered a new species of "ghost shark", a type of fish that prowls the Pacific Ocean floor hunting prey more than a mile down......»»
New study shows that word-initial consonants are systematically lengthened across diverse languages
Speech consists of a continuous stream of acoustic signals, yet humans can segment words from each other with astonishing precision and speed. To find out how this is possible, a team of linguists has analyzed durations of consonants at different pos.....»»