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......»»
More than meows: How bacteria help cats communicate
Many mammals, from domestic cats and dogs to giant pandas, use scent to communicate with each other. A new study from the University of California, Davis shows how domestic cats send signals to each other using odors derived from families of bacteria.....»»
Subsistence poaching found to have little impact on biodiversity in the Amazon"s environmental protection areas
The presence of Indigenous communities and traditional river dwellers in extractive reserves located in Legal Amazonia is not a threat to birds and mammals considered subsistence poaching targets, according to a study reported in the journal Biologic.....»»
Bird flu kills more than 500 marine mammals in Brazil
At least 522 seals and sea lions have been found dead along the coast of southern Brazil, authorities said Wednesday, blaming the die-off on avian flu......»»
Using airborne DNA to track bats
Catching bats is a difficult task—they're small, they fly and they blend into the night when they're out after dark. That can make studying these mammals challenging, despite their ubiquity: bats are found on nearly every part of the planet except.....»»
Decline of rare right whale appears to be slowing, but scientists say big threats remain
The decline of one of the rarest whales in the world appears to be slowing, but scientists warn the giant mammals still face existential threats from warming oceans, ship collisions and entanglement in fishing gear......»»
In 250 million years, a single supercontinent will form, wiping out nearly all mammals: Modeling study
A recent study published in Nature Geoscience uses supercomputer climate models to examine how a supercontinent, dubbed Pangea Ultima (also called Pangea Proxima), that will form 250 million years from now will result in extreme temperatures, making.....»»
Fossilized bat skull adds vital piece to evolution puzzle
Of all the mammals, bats have one of the poorest fossil records, with paleontologists estimating that about 80% of it is missing......»»
Race to find world"s oldest mammal fossils led to academic warfare in the 1970s
The hunt for the world's most ancient mammals descended into academic warfare in the 1970s, researchers from the University of Bristol have discovered......»»
Fear of human "super predator" pervades the South African savanna
Research published October 5 in the journal Current Biology finds that mammals living in South Africa's Greater Kruger National Park, home to one of the world's largest remaining lion populations, are far more afraid of hearing human voices than lion.....»»
Survival of the newest: The mammals that survive mass extinctions aren"t as "boring" as scientists thought
When an asteroid hit the Earth 66 million years ago, it set off a devastating mass extinction. The dinosaurs (except for a few birds) all died out, along with lots of the mammals. But some small mammals survived, laying the groundwork for all the mam.....»»
New research into pangolin genomics may aid in conservation efforts
A new paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution provides, for the first time, a comprehensive set of genomic resources for pangolins (sometimes known as scaly anteaters) that researchers believe will be integral for protecting these threatened mammals.....»»
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......»»
Timing plant evolution with a fast-ticking epigenetic clock
Recent discoveries in the field of epigenetics, the study of inheritance of traits that occur without changing the DNA sequence, have shown that chronological age in mammals correlates with epigenetic changes that accumulate during the lifetime of an.....»»
Climate change and carnivores: Shifts in the distribution and effectiveness of protected areas in the Amazon
A new article published in PeerJ, authored by Camila Ferreira Leão at Universidade Federal do Pará sheds light on the effects of climate change on carnivorous mammals in the Amazon and their representation within Protected Areas (PAs). "Climate cha.....»»
Study shows protecting lands slows biodiversity loss among vertebrates by five times
Protecting large swaths of Earth's land can help stem the tide of biodiversity loss—including for vertebrates like amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds, according to a study published in Nature Sept. 27......»»
Why bats carry viruses that have higher fatality rates in humans than those from other mammals
A small team of biologists and evolutionists from the University of Chicago, York University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Exeter reports why bats carry viruses that cause higher fatality rates when jumping to humans.....»»
Creating the tools to conserve our wildlife
The sixth mass extinction is currently happening on Earth. Rapid biodiversity loss is affecting every corner of the globe, as species of plants, mammals, fish, and reptiles disappear due to the changing climate. While much of the climate crisis and b.....»»
Echoes of extinctions: Novel method sheds light on future challenges for mammals
Large-bodied mammals play crucial roles in ecosystems. They create habitats, serve as prey, help plants thrive, and even influence how wildfires burn. But now, fewer than half of the large mammal species that were alive 50,000 years ago exist today,.....»»
Newly discovered fungus helps destroy a harmful food toxin
Patulin (C7H6O4), a mycotoxin produced by several types of fungi, is toxic to a variety of life forms, including humans, mammals, plants, and microorganisms. In particular, environments lacking proper hygienic measures during food production are susc.....»»
Bird flu kills scores of sea lions in Argentina
Scores of sea lions have died from bird flu in Argentina, officials said Tuesday, as an unprecedented global outbreak continues to infect mammals, raising fears it could spread more easily among humans......»»