In Case You Missed It

Guatemala

Archaeologists studying charred lake sediments found evidence confirming a cryptic historical record saying the ancient Mayan city of Bahlam Jol burned on May 21, A.D. 697. The research suggests it was an act of total warfare, which includes civilian as well as military targets.

India

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Wildlife biologists found that adolescent male Asian elephants, usually solitary, are forming large, all-male herds, possibly to help them survive in human-dominated areas.

Brazil

President Jair Bolsonaro fired the head of the Brazilian National Institute of Space Research after the agency reported that deforestation in the Amazon this summer increased significantly from 2018.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s government revealed plans to build an artificial island to alleviate the nation’s housing crisis, triggering concerns from activists and residents about nearby marine ecosystems.

Papua New Guinea

The government of Papua New Guinea aims to build more than 3,700 miles of road through its rugged landscape by 2022, which a team of scientists cautioned could impact species across the country.

Australia

Researchers rediscovered two fern species—both thought to be extinct—on the mountaintops of Queensland. Hymenophyllum whitei and Oreogrammitis leonardii had last been spotted in the wild more than 50 years ago.

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