Expedition uncovers four new tarantula species in Colombia"s biodiversity hotspot
The Colombian Pacific region, nestled within the heart of the Chocó Biogeographic Region, has unveiled some of its remarkable biological wonders. Recognized as one of the world's most enigmatic biodiversity hotspots, this area has remained largely u.....»»
Endangered species rebounds in California a century after being wiped out
All on its own, an endangered species is making a fierce comeback in California, newly published state wildlife data show......»»
Private astronauts on daring trek ahead of historic spacewalk
A private crew set out on an audacious orbital expedition Tuesday, journeying deeper into the cosmos than any humans in half a century as they prepare for the first ever spacewalk by non-professional astronauts......»»
X-ray footage shows how Japanese eels escape from a predator’s stomach
It took escaping eels 56 seconds on average to free themselves from death. Enlarge / "The only species of fish confirmed to be able to escape from the digestive tract of the predatory fish after being captured.” (credit: Hasega.....»»
Whales are recovering from near extinction, but industrial fishing around Antarctica competes for their sole food source
The Southern Ocean encircling Antarctica is the world's largest feeding ground for baleen whales—species like humpbacks that filter tiny organisms from seawater for food. In the 20th century, whalers killed roughly 2 million large whales in the Sou.....»»
Opinion: Researchers don"t take enough account of variation in biology—doing so could unlock new understanding
The natural world is filled with variety. Ecological systems can look very different in different parts of the Earth. Every species has genetic variation, which means individuals can look and behave very differently. Diseases can affect people differ.....»»
Researchers sequence the genome of the spur-thighed tortoise
Like many threatened land turtle species, the spur-thighed tortoise had no complete genome. Now for the first time, researchers from the Ecology departments at Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the University of Alicante (UA) have succe.....»»
How viruses move through insects for transmission of diseases
Viruses are master parasites that have adapted to infect many host species. Some viruses even use multiple hosts to spread their infections—such as arboviruses that use insects to move their infections to mammalian hosts like humans. Understanding.....»»
Study finds tire abrasion particles threaten fresh water habitats
A research team led by Prof. Dr. Markus Pfenninger from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center Frankfurt (SBiK-F) has investigated the effects of tire-abrasion particles on freshwater ecosystems......»»
Jellyfish under attack: Study uncovers parasitic spillover of a burrowing sea anemone
Many marine organisms, like sea anemones, struggle to spread across the ocean, especially if they lack long, mobile larval stages. Unlike their jellyfish relatives, sea anemones do not have a medusa stage, making their dispersal challenging. Their on.....»»
SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission aiming for history with first private spacewalk
The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, a daring multiday orbital expedition that will feature the first-ever spacewalk by private citizens, is targeting liftoff early Tuesday, though weather could play spoilsport......»»
Genetic analysis reveals new giant fanged frog species in Philippines that is nearly identical to even larger species
Researchers from the University of Kansas have published findings in the journal Ichthyology & Herpetology describing a new species of fanged frog, named Limnonectes cassiopeia, from the Philippine island of Luzon......»»
Farming at the edges of nature reserves is helping exotic species invade New Zealand, finds study
Native shrublands were once common across the Canterbury Plains, but over time, conversion of land to other uses, including irrigated pasture, has contributed to their gradual decline. Now, a new study by scientists at Manaaki Whenua—Landcare Resea.....»»
Video evidence: Japanese eels escape from their predator"s stomach
Many prey species have defensive tactics to escape being eaten by their would-be predators. But a study published in Current Biology on September 9, 2024 has taken it to another level by offering the first video evidence of juvenile Japanese eels esc.....»»
Study fills in gaps and biases in plant biodiversity data
It is hard to protect something if you don't know where it is. Yet many people who study and want to safeguard native plants are faced with this exact problem......»»
To save its tigers, India has relocated thousands of people—it could enlist their help instead
British colonialism turned India's tigers into trophies. Between 1860 and 1950, more than 65,000 were shot for their skins. The fortunes of the Bengal tiger, one of Earth's biggest species of big cat, did not markedly improve post-independence. The h.....»»
Bunyip birds and brolgas: How can we better protect species important to Indigenous people?
Kamilaroi Country lies in far northwest New South Wales, past Tamworth and crossing over the Queensland border. Here, the bunyip bird (Australasian bittern, Botaurus poiciloptilus), and the brolga (Grus rubicunda or burraalga in Kamilaroi) have been.....»»
Protecting just 0.7% of world"s land could help save a third of unique and endangered species
Conservation efforts directed towards just 0.7% of the world's land mass could help protect one third of the world's threatened and unique tetrapod (four-limbed vertebrate) species, new research by Imperial College London, On the Edge, and ZSL has sh.....»»
Tagged fish help scientists improve restoration efforts
NOAA scientists are collaborating with some unique partners to learn more about how several Chesapeake Bay species use natural and restored areas near Poplar Island, on Maryland's Eastern Shore......»»
New firmoss species found in Guizhou, China
Huperzia is a genus of lycophyte plants, sometimes known as the firmosses or fir clubmosses. It contains about 25 species that mainly occur in temperate and boreal climatic zones of the world......»»
Islands are engines of linguistic diversity, study shows
Islands drive language change and generate language diversity in similar ways to how they drive species diversity, according to research from The Australian National University (ANU) that analyzed languages from over 13,000 inhabited islands. The res.....»»