New feather mite species discovered on the endangered Okinawa rail
A research group led by Dr. Tsukasa Waki of Toho University and Professor Satoshi Shimanono of Hosei University have discovered a new mite species, Metanalges agachi, which is thought to clean the feathers of the endangered Okinawa rail, endemic to t.....»»
Buried landforms reveal North Sea"s ancient glacial past
An international team of researchers, including a glaciologist at Newcastle University, UK, has discovered remarkably well-preserved glacial landforms buried almost 1 km beneath the North Sea......»»
Six rare giant catfish surface in Cambodia
Conservationists in Cambodia on Friday celebrated the discovery of six highly endangered Mekong giant catfish in the critical Southeast Asian waterway plagued by illegal fishing, habitat loss and plastic waste......»»
Northern California earthquake prompts an endangered Death Valley fish species to get busy
Powerful earthquakes like the one felt last week across Northern California are stark reminders for people to plan—perhaps to fortify their home or business or, at minimum, finally build that earthquake kit......»»
Plutonium isotope anomalies discovered in Southern Hemisphere glaciers
The results of the newest investigations carried out by scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN shed new light on the processes of accumulation of plutonium isotopes on glaciers of the Southern Hemisphere. Analyses of samples of cryoconi.....»»
Barn swallow research offers real-time insight on how new species form
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder—even if that beholder is a barn swallow. Depending on where the birds live, some of them may favor mates with a paler chest color while others find a redder chest more attractive. The difference in what these bi.....»»
Tidal streams of interstellar objects may flow through the Milky Way like braided rivers
We know that interstellar objects occasionally visit our solar system. So far, we have only discovered two interstellar objects (ISOs), but that's mainly because we can only distinguish them from solar system bodies by their orbital motion, and that.....»»
Conservation leads to benefits: Large marine protected areas are boosting fish catch rates
Increases in catch rates for fish such as tuna have been demonstrated near recently created Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas (LSMPAs), including Revillagigedo in Mexico. This shows that LSPMAs are large enough to protect highly migratory species su.....»»
New insights into the evolution and paleoecology of mosasaurs
Mosasaurs are extinct marine lizards, spectacular examples of which were first discovered in 1766 near Maastricht in the Netherlands, fueling the rise of the field of vertebrate paleontology. Paleontologist Michael Polcyn presented the most comprehen.....»»
Botanists name beautiful new species of "lipstick vine" from the Philippine rainforest
Scientists have today announced the discovery of a species of lipstick vine completely new to science, from the depths of the Philippine rainforest. The findings have been published today in the Nordic Journal of Botany......»»
Counting Uganda"s lions: We found that wildlife rangers do a better job than machines
Lions are a symbol of Africa's last wild places. It's a species central to many of the continent's cultures and religions. But lion populations have reportedly declined over the past 50 years, especially in parts of west and east Africa......»»
Neuronal adaptations shed light on anglerfish hunting behavior
Characterized by their unique adaptations to extreme environments, anglerfish are known for using lures to attract prey. Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have discovered in frogfish (a subgroup of anglerfish) a specialized motor neuron popul.....»»
Study finds catch-and-release affects giant trevally behavior
In an effort to conserve sensitive species of fish, some sport fishing is entirely catch-and-release, meaning that the fish are returned to the water once brought ashore. However, too much fishing may affect the behavior of the target species and th.....»»
Helicopter parenting in fish: Damselfish protect young by eating parasites
Researchers have discovered a rare example of "great fish parenting" with a common coral reef species found to actively protect their young by eating parasites......»»
A new species of flying reptile reshuffles the timeline of pterosaur evolution
About 230 million years ago, almost 80 million years before the first bird appeared, their distantly related cousins, the pterosaurs took to the sky, as the first group of active fliers among the vertebrates. Pterosaurs developed active, flapping fli.....»»
Warm Saturn-sized exoplanet discovered with TESS
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers has detected a new exoplanet orbiting a distant star. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-4994 b, is warm and slightly smaller than Saturn. The findi.....»»
Study reveals extreme rate of Australia"s invertebrate extinction
An estimated one to three species of insects and other native invertebrates are becoming extinct in Australia every week, according to a new study revealing the immense scale of the nation's biodiversity loss......»»
US moves to save once-common monarch butterflies from extinction
The United States is moving to grant federal protection to the monarch butterfly—a once-common species recognizable by its striking black and orange patterns that has faced a dramatic population decline in recent decades......»»
Morphology study highlights diverse jaw evolution in lizards and snakes
A University of Bristol study has shed light on how lizards and snakes—the most diverse group of land vertebrates with nearly 12,000 species—have evolved remarkably varied jaw shapes, driving their extraordinary ecological success......»»
First-ever Mediterranean mako shortfin shark tagged for conservation
Virginia Tech researchers successfully tagged a young shortfin mako shark in the Mediterranean during the summer of 2023, the first time that this has been done in the region. These sharks are critically endangered not only in the Mediterranean but a.....»»
New set of human rights principles aims to end displacement and abuse of Indigenous people
For more than a century, conservationists have worked to preserve natural ecosystems by creating national parks and protected areas. Today the Earth faces a global biodiversity crisis, with more than 1 million species at risk of extinction. This make.....»»