As many as 2,000 unique species make their home in the Galápagos Islands. These animals cannot be found anywhere else, and are growing increasingly rare. Among those animals are several species of giant tortoises, as Natural Habitat Adventures reports, herbivorous reptiles that can weigh around 600 pounds and live up to 120 years. Tortoises are […]
Tag: charles darwin
New study offers answers for why tropical birds are more colorful
“The closer one gets to the tropics, the greater the variety of structures, graceful forms and color combinations.” Such were the words of German naturalist, geographer and explorer Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), one of the founders of the school of biogeography. During his extensive travels in the Americas in the early 19th century, Humboldt noticed […]
Migrating turtles don’t really know where they’re going, study shows
How migrating animals like sea turtles navigate hundreds to thousands of kilometres across the open ocean has intrigued biologists since Charles Darwin. But some sea turtles might not really know where they’re going, new research suggests. Analysis by an international team of scientists has mapped the movements of hawksbill turtles as they swam from their […]
Darwin’s hypothesis that birds’ feathers get more colorful closer to the equator proved by researchers
If you’ve ever traveled to a tropical location, you’ve probably noticed that the birds’ feathers are brighter than in other regions of the world. The hue of a bird’s plumage appears to vary depending on latitude. Phys.org reported that three European scientists who went on expeditions to the tropics during the 1800s — English naturalist […]
Australia confirms extinction of 13 more species, including first reptile since colonisation
The Australian government has officially acknowledged the extinction of 13 endemic species, including 12 mammals and the first reptile known to have been lost since European colonisation. The addition of the dozen mammal species confirms Australia’s unenviable position as the world’s capital for mammal extinction, lifting the total number of mammals known to have died […]
How sea otters help save the planet
Charles Darwin once mused on the impacts that predators could have on the landscapes around them. In particular, he wondered – in On the Origin of Species – how neighbourhood cats might affect the abundance of flowers in the fields near his house at Downe in Kent. He concluded the animals’ potential to change local […]
Growing parasite threat to finches made famous by Darwin
The birds that helped Charles Darwin refine his theory of evolution are in danger of going extinct, according to a new study. Finches in the Galapagos Islands are being threatened by a parasitic fly that attacks their young. A new mathematical model suggests that the birds may succumb to this pest in 50 years. But […]
A study of island birds reveals that biodiversity is everywhere
Charles Darwin was famously inspired by the differing beak shapes and lengths of Galápagos finches – so inspired he eventually thought up the idea of evolution by natural selection. Now, researchers working on Santa Cruz Island, a small rocky island jutting out from the Pacific Ocean a few miles from the California coast, have once […]