Why elephants have whiskers on their trunks
A team of zoologists from the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and Berlin Zoological Garden has discovered the purpose of whiskers on elephant.....»»
NASA is helping protect tigers, jaguars, and elephants—here"s how
As human populations grow, habitat loss threatens many creatures. Mapping wildlife habitat using satellites is a rapidly expanding area of ecology, and NASA satellites play a crucial role in these efforts. Tigers, jaguars, and elephants are a few of.....»»
Certified timber harvesting of tropical forests proves beneficial for gorillas and elephants
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified timber harvesting areas in Gabon and Congo boast a greater abundance of larger mammals, such as leopards, gorillas, and elephants, than non-FSC forests......»»
Asian elephants mourn, bury their dead calves: Study
Asian elephants loudly mourn and bury their dead calves, according to a study by Indian scientists that details animal behavior reminiscent of human funeral rites......»»
Neurobiology: Examining how bats distinguish different sounds
Seba's short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata) lives in the subtropical and tropical forests of Central and South America, where it mostly feeds on pepper fruit. The animals spend their days in groups of 10 to 100 individuals in hollow trunks and r.....»»
Global study: Wild megafauna shape ecosystem properties
For millions of years, a variety of large herbivores, or megafauna, influenced terrestrial ecosystems. Among many others, these included elephants in Europe, giant wombats in Australia, and ground sloths in South America. However, these animals exper.....»»
Rare 3D fossils show that some early trees had forms unlike any you"ve ever seen
In the fossil record, trees typically are preserved with only their trunks. They don't usually include any leaves to show what their canopies and overall forms may have looked like. But now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology descri.....»»
Climate change threatens older elephants most, jeopardizing their future
A collaborative team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which runs the world's largest field conservation program, has conducted first-of-its-kind research into how global climate.....»»
Small "fortress" parks aren"t the answer for Africa"s savannah elephants. They need room to roam
Africa is home to about 410,000 savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana), most of them living in southern Africa. Over 290,000 elephants (70%) are spread across 103 protected areas which vary in size, connectivity and protection......»»
The science of color: How color blindness creates unseen barriers in science
Dr. Mark Lindsay was 5 years old when he first learned that tree trunks were brown......»»
Monitoring the well-being of reservoir water through an uncrewed surface vehicle
In a recent tragic incident, approximately 100 elephants in Africa perished due to inadequate access to water. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warned that around 2.5 billion people worldwide could face water scarcity by 2025. In the f.....»»
Study finds protected areas for elephants work best if they are connected
Conservation measures have successfully stopped declines in the African savanna elephant population across southern Africa, but the pattern varies locally, according to a new study......»»
Researchers prove human influence on large herbivore diets during Anthropocene
The human population explosion, soaring from 1.6 billion to more than 6 billion during the 20th century, has had a profound impact on global environments and biodiversity. However, large mammalian herbivores, including species such as elephants and d.....»»
Heartbreak in Zimbabwe park: elephants" desperate hunt for water
Storm clouds are finally gathering over Zimbabwe's biggest animal reserve, but it has come too late for more than 110 elephants that have died in a searing, extended drought......»»
Human brain cells put much more energy into signaling
Signaling molecules help modulate the brain's overall activity. Enlarge (credit: Westend61) Indian elephants have larger brains than we do (obviously). Mice have a higher brain-to-body mass ratio, and long-finned pilot w.....»»
Businesses need to address the AI elephants in the room
Energy use and privacy fears are undermining successful AI adoption, says Steen Dalgas, Senior Cloud Economist at Nutanix….....»»
New bottlenose dolphin sense discovered: Research suggests they can feel weak electric fields
Born tail first, bottlenose dolphin calves emerge equipped with two slender rows of whiskers along their beak-like snouts—much like the touch-sensitive whiskers of seals. But the whiskers fall out soon after birth, leaving the youngster with a seri.....»»
How shifting climates may have shaped early elephants" trunks
Researchers have provided new insights into how ancestral elephants developed their dextrous trunks......»»
Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose shown to contribute to tree diversity
Using global satellite data, a research team has mapped the tree cover of the world's protected areas. The study shows that regions with abundant large herbivores in many settings have a more variable tree cover, which is expected to benefit biodiver.....»»
Seeing the unseen: How butterflies can help scientists detect cancer
There are many creatures on our planet with more advanced senses than humans. Turtles can sense Earth's magnetic field. Mantis shrimp can detect polarized light. Elephants can hear much lower frequencies than humans can. Butterflies can perceive a br.....»»
Scientists uncover cause of mysterious deaths of elephants in Zimbabwe
A bacterium, closely associated with deadly septicemia, could have caused the deaths of six African elephants in Zimbabwe and possibly more in neighboring countries. The findings place infectious diseases on the list of pressures on African elephants.....»»