Early mammals diverged from reptiles much earlier than thought in the late Triassic
Paleontologists have described three new small squirrel-like species that place a poorly understood Mesozoic group of animals firmly in the…
Category: Big Questions
Plant and animal collections crucial for research and conservation
Collecting plant and animal specimens is essential for scientific studies and conservation and does not, as some critics of the practice…
Terrestrial alga reveal the presence of genes that enable plants to cope with life on land
By analysing the genome of a terrestrial alga, a research group including researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kazusa DNA Research…
New species of sea-dwelling mushroom-shaped organisms represent an early branch on the tree of life
New deep sea mushroom-shaped organisms discovered Organisms’ discovery spurs identification of 2 new species Scientists discovered two…
Marine protected areas should include ecologically valuable fish communities
Study finds marine protected areas inadequate for protecting fish and ocean ecology A new study reports that an expansion of marine…
Will climate change eliminate the ice age cycle?
Long-term patterns in Earth’s climate show glacial cycles that correspond to variations in Earth’s orbital geometry and affect the…
Evolution of new ant species in a single ant colony via sympatric speciation
Alternate mechanism of species formation picks up support, thanks to a South American ant A newly-discovered species of ant supports a…
Long-term effects of climate change facilitated by studying climate relicts
Climate relicts may help researchers understand climate change While hiking through the Ozarks’ characteristic oak and hickory forests…
Atlantic killifish thrive in Superfund cleanup site thanks to beneficial mutation
Solving an evolutionary puzzle New Bedford Harbor pollution prompts PCB-resistance in Atlantic killifish For four decades, waste from nearby…
Distribution of new species of humpback dolphin coincides with Wallace’s Line
Scientists name new species of cetacean: The Australian humpback dolphin Study of dolphin group produces taxonomic clarity and a new member…