How the age of mammals could end
Throughout the past 500 million years, our planet has experienced a total of five mass extinctions. One of these—the Permo-Triassic mass extinction event—led to the demise of roughly 90% of Earth's species......»»
A jaw-dropping conundrum: Why do mammals have a stiff lower jaw?
From the 20-foot-long jawbones of the filter-feeding blue whale to the short, but bone-crushing, jaws of the hyena and the delicate chin bones of a human, the pair of lower jawbones characteristic of mammals have evolved with amazing variation......»»
Different pathways for achieving endothermy in teleost fish species
Endothermic animals include mammals and birds, but there are also some fish capable of endothermy. Over hundreds of millions of years of evolution, at least 40 species of fish have overcome the challenge of losing heat in water and successfully achie.....»»
Which came first: The reptile or the egg?
The earliest reptiles, birds and mammals may have borne live young, researchers from Nanjing University and University of Bristol have revealed......»»
Q&A: Exploring how during the "anthropause," animals moved more freely
A new study used GPS data to track the movements of 43 species of mammals around the globe before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing that animals were able to move more freely during lockdowns......»»
Underwater noise shown to disturb feeding behavior of marine organisms
Many marine organisms, such as fish, marine mammals and crustaceans, produce and use sound to navigate, reproduce, detect prey and avoid predators. However, anthropogenic sound, for example from the construction and operation of offshore wind farms,.....»»
While humans were in strict lockdown, wild mammals roamed further—new research
At one point in 2020, 4.4 billion people—more than half of the world's population—were under lockdown restrictions to stem the spread of COVID-19. This was such a sudden and substantial event that it has become known as the anthropause......»»
"Too small and carefree": Endangered animals released into the wild may lack the match-fitness to evade predators
Breeding threatened mammals in fenced, predator-free areas is a common conservation strategy in Australia. The method is designed to protect vulnerable species and breed animals for release into the wild......»»
Could wildflowers and bug hotels help avert an insect apocalypse? We just don"t know—yet
Insects are in rapid decline. One study found the global total is falling by 2.5% a year, with insect species going extinct eight times faster than mammals, birds and reptiles......»»
Fossil tells the "tail" of an ancient beast
Approximately 200 million years ago, Antarctica was attached to South America, Africa, India, and Australia in a single "supercontinent" called Gondwana. Paleontologists have long wondered about the unique mammals that lived only on this ancient supe.....»»
White-bellied pangolins have second-highest number of chromosomes among mammals
There's a lot scientists don't know about the pangolin—a peculiar, scaly mammal that looks like a cross between an aardvark and an armadillo. Now, a new paper published in the journal Chromosome Research reveals what UCLA researcher Jen Tinsman cal.....»»
Spiny mice found to have bone-plated tails
Mammals are a bit odd when it comes to bones. Rather than the bony plates and scales of crocodiles, turtles, lizards, dinosaurs and fish, mammals long ago traded in their ancestral suit of armor for a layer of insulating hair......»»
Marsupials might be the more evolved mammals
Mammal evolution has been flipped on its head, according to new research that suggests marsupials are the more evolved mammals......»»
Stop eradication of small mammals to protect vital ecosystems, say scientists
A new article published in the Journal of Animal Ecology suggests that current measures to protect grasslands in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are damaging the ecosystem and should be stopped......»»
Lickable toads and magic mushrooms: Wildlife traded on the dark web is the kind that gets you high
The internet has made it easier for people to buy and sell a huge variety of wildlife—from orchids, cacti and fungi to thousands of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish, as well as insects, corals and other invertebrates......»»
From enormous elephants to tiny shrews: How mammals shape and are shaped by Africa"s landscapes
Africa is the world's most diverse continent for large mammals such as antelopes, zebras and elephants. The heaviest of these large mammals top the scales at over one ton, and are referred to as megafauna. In fact, it's the only continent that has no.....»»
Prevalence of transposable elements may provide clues to worldwide mammal biodiversity
An international scientific project that compares the genomes of 240 living species of mammals has identified transposable elements (TEs)—genes that can change their position within a genome, creating or reversing mutations and thus altering a cell.....»»
Human activities have reduced elephant habitat by nearly two-thirds since 1700, dividing population into smaller patches
Despite their iconic status and long association with humans, Asian elephants are one of the most endangered large mammals. Believed to number between 45,000 and 50,000 individuals worldwide, they are at risk throughout Asia due to human activities s.....»»
What Makes a Mammal? 423,000 Newly Identified DNA Regions Guide Our Genes
These elements, dubbed “UNICORNs,” sit close to genes that affect smell, sleep and ways that people and other mammals interact with their surroundings.....»»
Genomes from 240 mammalian species reveal what makes the human genome unique
Over the past 100 million years, mammals have adapted to nearly every environment on Earth. Scientists with the Zoonomia Project have been cataloging the diversity in mammalian genomes by comparing DNA sequences from 240 species that exist today, fro.....»»
Cambodian leader U-turns on rare dolphin conservation law
Cambodian leader Hun Sen on Thursday cancelled a law he created just two months ago to protect critically endangered Mekong dolphins as the mammals continue to die from illegal fishing activities......»»