The Energy for a New Crawl—Galápagos Tortoises Feast on Invasive Plants for a New Foraging Technique

Medicine & Technology Apr 07, 2015

When it comes to invasive flora, most conservation ecologists know that the ramifications that come with these primary producers often appear much higher in the food chain. Some animals are unequipped to utilize the plants for food, while others simply find the energy spent foraging for it is far too much for the energy gained. And it’s a dynamic that often leads some species to coevolve. But looking into one of the first Darwinian subjects, Galápagos Giant Tortoises, some researchers have found that the unique species may be getting far more out of the invasive flora than they once thought—enough to even change their foraging behavior altogether.

The Curious Case of Birds—How Evolution Has Led to Less Differences Than Charles Darwin Thought

Mar 28, 2015

It’s a well-known fact that in nature it’s often the boys that have the better looks. Without the task of investing their energy and resources into the next generation of children males are able to reallocate their resources into preening and looking pretty. But it’s a curious case that is far from what the original evolutionary biologists once thought.

‘Traffic Rules’ In Nature—Being a Little Batty

Mar 28, 2015

Sitting in traffic on the 210 Interstate Freeway can be quite a pain when you’re on your way to Los Angeles. In fact, in the stop and go traffic you may find yourself going a “little batty”—and you’d never guess just how right you are. When you’re behind the wheel, abiding by the rules of the road, you may just be revealing a bit more of your bat side than usual as a new study published this week in the journal PLOS Computational Biology reveals that humans aren't the only ones who follow “traffic rules” in nature.

Bringing Extinct Animals Back to Life No Longer Just Part of the Movies

Mar 27, 2015

Move over Jurassic Park, it seems the idea of bringing extinct animals back to life is now becoming more science rather than science fiction. The idea of reviving long extinct species has fascinated scientists for generations. Now, they have brought the idea one step closer to reality as scientists from Harvard University have managed to insert wooly mammoth DNA into the code of Asian elephants.

Giant Tortoise Babies Born in the Wild for the First Time in 100 Years

Mar 15, 2015

The Pinzon giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands are breeding again. For the first time in a century, scientists have found baby giant tortoises that have been born in the wild.

Reptile Preceding Dinosaurs Discovered

Jan 24, 2015

Paleontologists have discovered a new species of reptile after putting together the remains of a new crocodile-like species that lived long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Marine Mammals Can Suffer from Irregular Heartbeats When Diving Deep

Jan 19, 2015

Researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz have found that marine mammals like seals and dolphins can suffer from irregular heartbeats when they dive deep in the search for food. According to researchers, who believed they have evidence of cardiac rhythm complications in both Weddell seals and bottlenose dolphins, said the problem takes place as they hold their breath during deep dives.

How Zebra Stripes and Rising Sea Levels Have More In Common Than You Thought

Jan 16, 2015

Though the two may seem entirely unrelated at first, one being a long misunderstood mystery and the other the byproduct of climate change, a new study reveals that a zebra’s stripes may too be caused by environmental factors making our sea levels rise.

How Zebra Stripes and Rising Sea Levels Have More In Common Than You Thought

Jan 16, 2015

Though the two may seem entirely unrelated at first, one being a long misunderstood mystery and the other the byproduct of climate change, a new study reveals that a zebra’s stripes may too be caused by environmental factors making our sea levels rise.

Giant Sea Animals Are Not So Giant After All

Jan 15, 2015

The oceans largest creatures aren't quite as large as we often image, according to a new study. According to a report published in the journal Peer J, humans are not very good at visualizing the size of creatures like the giant squid or whales, and media reports usually exaggerate their size too. The team of researchers from the U.S. and Canada compared popular reports and scientific reports for 25 different species of marine creatures, including whales, sharks, squids and other giant ocean dwellers, and found that most of the animals were actually smaller than what was reported.

How Zebras Got Their Stripes & Why Climate Change is Likely to Blame

Jan 15, 2015

While they're not alone in the vast wonders of Africa's abundant plains, zebras in particular have posed quite a quandary to scientists in past decades. Their unique striping of black and white have always sparked interest in their study, but the ever failing hypotheses quickly discouraged the discovery of their significance-if any at all. But while many researchers have failed in associating the stripes with social order of a herd or even as camouflaging tactics in the wild, a new study published this month in the journal Royal Society Open Science, researchers have discovered that the stripes are much more like a tan than we think.

Threatened Thresher Shark Birth Captured on Film

Jan 14, 2015

Thresher sharks are among the open ocean's most interesting predators, using their elongated tails to herd and stun schools of fish. And now, for the first time, a mother pelagic thresher shark was caught on camera giving birth off the Philippine coast.

New Births Spark Hope for Conservation Ecologists: Orca and California Condor Share Miracle of New Life

Jan 12, 2015

Despite continued threats of extinction to a variety of species, life has once again proven it won't give up without a fight thanks to new births from several endangered species this week. These new births have thrilled conservation ecologists across the world that work tirelessly to protect these species.

Scientists Baffled by Mysterious Sea Bird Deaths

Jan 07, 2015

Scientists have been trying to discover the cause of death of many sea birds up and down the shores of the Pacific Coast. These mysterious deaths have been increasing in number since October 2014 and researchers are, thus far, baffled by the cause -- although they continue to investigate.

Monarch Butterflies Could Soon Be Deemed “Endangered”

Dec 31, 2014

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced earlier this week that it is considering placing the monarch butterfly under the federal protection of the Endangered Species Act. And now, for the next sixty days, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hear comments from the public on the idea of listing the butterfly.