New starfish-like fossil reveals evolution in action
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered a fossil of the earliest starfish-like animal, which helps us understand the origins of the nimble-armed...
Parrots pushed to extinction, despite protection policies
Habitat destruction by logging and agriculture is pushing parrot species towards extinction, while current protected areas are failing to mitigate these effects, according to...
Scientists identify contents of ancient Maya drug containers
Scientists have identified the presence of a non-tobacco plant in ancient Maya drug containers for the first time.
The Washington State University researchers detected Mexican...
Why crocodiles have changed so little since the age of the dinosaurs
New study by scientists at the University of Bristol explains how a 'stop-start' pattern of evolution, governed by environmental change, could explain why crocodiles...
How Earth’s oddest mammal got to be so bizarre
Often considered the world's oddest mammal, Australia's beaver-like, duck-billed platypus exhibits an array of bizarre characteristics:
It lays eggs instead of giving birth to live...
Ancient Earth may have birthed islands of life
Islands jutting up from the world’s oceans provided environmental conditions necessary for early life to flourish, a new study co-authored by a Yale scientist...
Warm oceans helped first human migration from Asia to North America
Warmer Pacific Ocean currents during the ice age may also have supported early human settlements.
New research reveals significant changes in the circulation of the...
The science behind extinction on planet earth
An estimated 8 million animal and plant species live on planet Earth.
But extinction rates are accelerating.
Gorillas, gazelles, frogs, rhinos and whales are among the...
Why do elephants and tigers still roam in India?
Tropical Asia and Africa are the only regions on Earth that retain diverse populations of large, land-dwelling mammals, such as elephants, rhinos, and big...
When dinosaurs disappeared, forests thrived
It’s known that the primary cause of the mass extinction of dinosaurs, about 66 million years ago, was a meteorite impact.
But the exact mechanisms...