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...
New flower from 100 million years ago brings fresh holiday beauty to 2020
Scientists have identified a spectacular new genus and species of flower from the mid-Cretaceous period, a male specimen whose sunburst-like reach for the heavens...
China probe returns with ‘treasure trove’ of moon rocks
The Chinese space agency announced Dec. 16 the return of a lunar probe bringing back the first fresh samples of rock and debris from...
What will happen if oceans lose all oxygen?
With no dissolved oxygen to sustain animals or plants, ocean anoxic zones are areas where only microbes suited to the environment can live.
"You don't...