Paleontology
Sex Life of One of Earth’s Earliest Animals Exposed
The first known male appendage from trilobites has been found in a 508-million-year-old fossil
"Biodiversity"
Endangered Species
Everything You Know about Shark Conservation Is Wrong
Sharks need our help, but many widespread conservation messages are not based on scientific evidence
Ecology
New Vaccine Could Save Rabbits from Fatal Disease
Veterinarians and rabbit owners are racing to protect bunnies as a hemorrhagic disease spreads
Ecology
Gazelle Traveled Distance of Nearly Half Earth’s Circumference in Five Years
Maps of the journey show the importance of conserving vast, unfenced landscapes to aid the survival of Mongolian gazelles
Animals
Blind Eel and Nearly Transparent Fish Discovered in 2021
With around a third of freshwater fish facing extinction, ichthyologists are racing to discover more—including the 200 species found last year—before they disappear
History
How Much Medieval Literature Has Been Lost?
An ecological model suggests islands are better at preserving literature as well as species
Ecology
Bird Feeders Are Good for Some Species—But Possibly Bad for Others
Studies of bird feeding in the U.K. raise concerns about the ecological impacts of provisioning our feathered friends
Climate Change
Noise Pollution, Wildfires Top U.N. Report on Emerging Environmental Threats
Climate-driven mismatches in the life cycles of plants and animals were also cited as a major concern
Ecology
Beaver Dams Help Wildfire-Ravaged Ecosystems Recover Long after Flames Subside
Dams mop up debris that would otherwise kill fish and other downstream wildlife, new observations suggest
Plants
Thousands of Tree Species Remain Unknown to Science
New research suggests there are 14 percent more tree species out there than previously believed
Ecology
Gold Mining Is Poisoning Amazon Forests with Mercury
Mitigation strategies typically do not include forests, but my team’s research suggests they should
Ecology
Plants Are Stuck as Seed-Eating Animals Decline
Their ability to track climate change is being squeezed on all sides
Conservation
15 Conservation Issues to Watch in 2022
Airborne DNA detection, pesticides and the revival of wetlands are on the radar of biodiversity protectors
Conservation
Trees Have the Potential to Live Indefinitely
Trees die as a result of severe damage, but some have overcome storms, droughts, fires, and more to survive for thousands of years
Climate Change
DNA in Air Can Catalog Hidden Insects All around Us
New proof-of-concept research shows how environmental DNA (eDNA) technology could be used to assess what is buzzing by
Animals
The Ups and Downs of a Great Vertical Migration
Research is shedding light on why many water dwellers, from plankton to large fish, commute daily from the depths to the surface
Conservation
To Conserve More Species, Act while Their Numbers Are High
On Remembrance Day for Lost Species, mourn what’s lost, but also be grateful for the species we still have
Conservation
Great Apes’ Biggest Threat Is Human Activity, Not Habitat Loss
An assessment of chimpanzees, gorillas and bonobos reveals that our economic “footprint” is the primary driver of great apes’ fate
Conservation
World Leaders Meet to Address Biodiversity Crisis, but U.S. Stays on Sidelines
Negotiations are underway to update the Convention on Biological Diversity to better protect and restore nature
Ecology
Wolf Populations Drop as More States Allow Hunting
Repercussions of planned and anticipated wolf hunts and traps could ripple through ecosystems for years to come, scientists say
