Biodiversity

Books and recommendations from Scientific American MIND

Mathematically speaking, the creation of the massive Balbina Hydroelectric Dam in Brazil should have been a boon to the giant river otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) that live in the area.

Although they cover a fifth of Earth’s landmass, tropical grassy ecosystems are routinely misidentified and mismanaged

Stress alters the expression of small RNAs in male mice and leads to depressive behaviors in later generations

Antibiotics have endangered our native microbiomes and left us increasingly vulnerable to modern diseases like obesity, diabetes, asthma and autism

Author Emily Anthes discusses her book Frankenstein's Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech's Brave Beasts, out this week in paperback

A parasitic phytoplasma deploys proteins to manipulate the plants it infects as well as the insects that spread the microbe

The scientist and futurist talks about self-regulating Gaia, climate change and peer review, as an exhibition featuring him opens April 9 in London

Trees shift range very slowly without an assist from human intervention

Leading Antarctic marine biologist James McClintock gives us an unprecedented first-person account of the dramatic impacts of climate change on the polar environment and its wildlife

The successful, 22 million-year-old group could double in its number of species before leveling off

Yeast cells make savvy mating choices, choosing partners that are the right size for the environment