Extreme polygamy may be driving male southern elephant seals to early deaths, new research suggests. A study of 14,000 southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) at Macquarie Island in the south-western Pacific, has found that while survival rates for males and females are roughly comparable for juveniles, male survival rapidly decreased after eight years of age, […]
Tag: elephant seals
How One Curious Seal Led Scientists to a Climate Disaster
Climate change is a complex issue, and scientists are constantly working to uncover new evidence that helps us understand the dangers we face. But sometimes, clues to a potential disaster can come from the most unlikely of places. Such is the case with a curious seal and a wayward robot that helped scientists uncover a […]
6 Exciting Ways To See More Wild Animals
Generally speaking, all animals are spectacular, but there’s just something special about the wild ones that words cannot describe properly. Maybe it’s the fact that we do not get to see them on a regular basis, hence coming face to face with them is a truly extraordinary experience. Unfortunately, the modern world hasn’t given its […]
Swine Flu Discovered in Marine Mammals
Scientists have recently published a paper revealing that Northern elephant seals in California contracted swine flu (H1N1) during the epidemic that affected thousands of people in 2010. This is the first time that this virus has been discovered in marine mammals, establishing Northern elephant seals as vectors for human pandemics and determining that this strain […]