Humans may be responsible for the extinction of nearly 1,500 species of birds, the majority of which have been wiped out since the end of the last ice age. Nearly all these extinctions are thought to have occurred due to a number of human-driven factors, ranging from hunting and eating the birds to habitat destruction […]
SETI Scientists Test Interactive Bioacoustic Playback as Tool for Exploring Non-Human Intelligence
The study of non-human animal signals challenges and informs our search for non-human intelligence with the ultimate hope of deepening the human-animal relationship. The diversity of non-human intelligence that exists on Earth has been revealed in a multitude of observational and experimental studies over the past several decades. This diversity is observed from octopus to […]
‘Really a sad day’ as Norway votes to allow deep-sea mining in Arctic waters
Norway’s parliament has officially voted to allow deep-sea mining to go forward in the Norwegian Sea, despite warnings from scientists and conservationists that it could damage the marine environment. This result was already anticipated in December 2023 after Norway‘s minority government negotiated a deal with opposition parties to open up the ocean off Norway’s coast […]
‘Zombie’ virus warning issued to hikers as wild animals lose fear of humans
Hikers have been warned about a new “zombie virus” running rampant in the animal world, causing beasts to lose their fear of humans. The shocking warning has come from officials at Yellowstone National Park in the United States after a deer was found dead in the park. The animal tested positive for chronic wasting disease […]
VOTE for the Best Photo of the Month January 2024
Welcome to the “Best Photo of the Month” competition showcasing and celebrating the biodiversity of Planet Earth. Voting is easy and lots of fun. First click an image and the slideshow will start automatically. Then select the three images you like best of all and click the blue VOTE button at the bottom of the […]
Canine Teeth in Marsupial Carnivores Erupt Continuously Through Life, Study Suggests
There has long been interest in comparing the biology of placental and marsupial mammals, and how distinct traits relate to adaptations and convergent eco-morphological niches in different parts of the world. One trait of interest is the pattern of tooth replacement. “Unlike humans, or dogs or many other animals that have a baby set and […]
Beaver ponds may exacerbate warming in Arctic, scientists say
The stream through western Alaska never looked like this before. In aerial photography from the 1980s, it wove cleanly through the tundra, thin as thread. Today, in satellite images, it appears as a string of black patches: one large pond after another, dozens of metres apart. It’s a transformation that is happening across the Arctic, […]
Two Montana hunters ‘slaughtered 3,600 birds including bald and golden eagles on Indian reservation to sell their body parts on black market and boasted of going on ‘killing spree’
Two men killed about 3,600 birds – including bald and golden eagles – on an Indian reservation and elsewhere before selling body parts on the black market, a federal grand jury indictment has said. The pair worked with others to hunt and kill the birds, according to the indictment, and at least once used a […]