Mammals were not the first to be warm-blooded
Endothermy, or warm-bloodedness, is the ability of mammals and birds to produce their own body heat and control their body temperature......»»
Microplastics in the mud: Finnish lake sediments help us get to the bottom of plastic pollution
The sun is shining, and air feels surprisingly warm when we walk on a 35cm ice that covers a frozen lake in central Finland. The heavy sledges move nicely, because there is not much snow on the ice today. The journey isn't far either, as we're by the.....»»
Holes in baby dinosaur bones show how football-sized hatchlings grew to 3-ton teens
Despite their public image as torpid, lumbering creatures, many dinosaurs were evidently warm-blooded, highly active animals, capable of prolonged and strenuous aerobic exercise......»»
As heat waves warm the Pacific Ocean, effects on marine life remain murky
Scientists are pretty good at recognizing marine heat waves. A global network of thousands of oceanic buoys and orbiting satellites allow them to see, in real time, ocean surface temperatures, changing currents and storm systems as they develop, move.....»»
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.....»»
Tropical climates are the most biodiverse on Earth, but it"s not only because of how warm and wet they are
Life exists in every conceivable environment on Earth, from the peaks of towering mountains to the remote stretches of isolated islands, from sunlit surfaces to the darkest depths of the oceans. Yet, this intricate tapestry of existence isn't spread.....»»
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......»»
AI predicts sea surface temperature cooling during tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclones are extreme weather events, characterized by a circular form and formation over warm tropical oceans experiencing low atmospheric pressure, high winds and heavy rain. Tropical storms exceed 39 miles per hour (mph), while hurricanes.....»»
Riddle of varying warm water inflow in the Arctic now solved
In the "weather kitchen," the interplay between the Azores High and Icelandic Low has a substantial effect on how much warm water the Atlantic transports to the Arctic along the Norwegian coast. But this rhythm can be thrown off for years at a time......»»
Chameleon-inspired coating could cool and warm buildings through the seasons
As summer turns to fall, many people will be turning off the air conditioning and firing up heaters instead. But traditional heating and cooling systems are energy-intensive, and because they typically run on fossil fuels, they aren't sustainable. No.....»»
New Saturn images show a change of seasons and a last glimpse of its huge, warm polar vortex
While the UK has been experiencing warm autumnal weather, a team of planetary scientists has found that Saturn's late northern summer is experiencing a cooling trend, as huge planetary-scale flows of air have reversed direction as autumn approaches......»»
The Rapid Intensification of Hurricane Lee Is a Warning
Fueled by warm water and humidity, hurricanes can quickly turn into life-threatening monsters. Get ready for more of this phenomenon as the planet warms......»»
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,.....»»
A Flesh-Eating Bacterium Is Creeping North as Oceans Warm
The Vibrio vulnificus pathogen thrives in hot coastal waters, and beachgoers can contract it via a small cut or scrape. It can also kill them in two days......»»
Q&A: How could new paint lower Sacramento air conditioning bills and fight climate change?
California is known for its warm weather, and Sacramento is no exception. With an average of 269 sunny days annually, the state's capital city has even been deemed the sunniest place on Earth for certain summer months......»»
After studying more than 1,500 coastal ecosystems, researchers say they will drown if we let the world warm above 2C
Much of the world's natural coastline is protected by living habitats, most notably mangroves in warmer waters and tidal marshes closer to the poles. These ecosystems support fisheries and wildlife, absorb the impact of crashing waves and clean up po.....»»
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.....»»