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...
Scientists find most elaborately dressed dinosaur
Scientists have found the most elaborately dressed-to-impress dinosaur ever described and say it sheds new light on how birds such as peacocks inherited their...
Mass extinctions happen every 27 million years, says study
Timing of mass extinctions lines up with asteroid impacts and massive volcanic eruptions.
The cycle of mass extinctions of land-dwellers—including amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds—coincide...
Scientists discover first dinosaur remains from Ireland
The only dinosaur bones ever found on the island of Ireland have been formally confirmed for the first time.
The only dinosaur bones ever found...
Clay subsoil at Earth’s driest place may signal life on Mars
Earth’s most arid desert may hold a key to finding life on Mars.
Diverse microbes discovered in the clay-rich, shallow soil layers in Chile’s dry...
Where does water on rocky planets come from
The emergence of life is a mystery. Nevertheless, researchers agree that water is a precondition for life.
The first cell emerged in water and then...