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A fossilized mammoth tusk sitting in a grassy field during sunset
Woolly Mammoth Genomes Reveal Genetic Adaptations to Cold
Researchers identified mutations in genes that may be involved in fat regulation, fur growth, and morphology.
Woolly Mammoth Genomes Reveal Genetic Adaptations to Cold
Woolly Mammoth Genomes Reveal Genetic Adaptations to Cold

Researchers identified mutations in genes that may be involved in fat regulation, fur growth, and morphology.

Researchers identified mutations in genes that may be involved in fat regulation, fur growth, and morphology.

conservation, evolution

Gasteranthus extinctus, a plant with bright orange flowers and deep green leaves
Science Snapshot: Not “Extinctus” After All
Lisa Winter | Apr 19, 2022 | 1 min read
Assumed to have gone extinct more than 30 years ago, Gasteranthus extinctus has been rediscovered by scientists working in Ecuador.
man in suit
Paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey Dies at Age 77
Chloe Tenn | Jan 3, 2022 | 3 min read
The Kenyan fossil finder is known for his discoveries of various Stone Age artifacts and ancient human skulls and skeletons.
A ship off the coast of Antarctica approaches a beach
Q&A: How to Keep Antarctica Safe from Invasive Species
Dan Robitzski | Nov 23, 2021 | 8 min read
The Scientist spoke with University of Wollongong ecologist Dana Bergstrom about protecting the continent’s native plants and animals in the face of climate change and a growing human presence.
A reticulated giraffe in Samburu National Park, Kenya
Whole-Genome Data Point to Four Species of Giraffe
Ruth Williams | May 6, 2021 | 4 min read
The genome sequences of 51 giraffes from all over Africa contribute to the latest attempt in an ongoing pursuit to pin down a species number.
elephant herbivore extinction risk predator omnivore iucn red list
Risk of Extinction Is Greatest for Large Herbivores: Study
Ruth Williams | Aug 5, 2020 | 3 min read
Data on vertebrate species that have become, or are likely to become, extinct reveal plant eaters are most under threat.
Wild Birds Remember a Novel Task for Nearly Two Years
Amy Schleunes | Feb 18, 2020 | 5 min read
A population of North Island robins in a New Zealand sanctuary provides a unique system for investigating the memory skills of birds in the wild.
Proposed Deep-Sea Mining Zone Harbors Previously Unknown Species
Catherine Offord | Oct 17, 2019 | 5 min read
The discovery of ancient clades of brittle stars at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean adds to concerns that commercial exploitation of the area could destroy numerous taxa before they’ve even been identified.
A Lost Microbial World the scientist
Prehistoric Microbes Inhabit an Oasis in the Northern Mexican Desert
Diana Kwon | Mar 1, 2019 | 4 min read
The blue lagoons of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin provide a glimpse into the planet’s ancient past.
Coral Reef Scientist Ruth Gates Dies
Catherine Offord | Oct 31, 2018 | 2 min read
Gates was director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology and a strong advocate for coral conservation.
Tiger Genome Sequencing Determines There Are Six Subspecies
Ashley P. Taylor | Oct 25, 2018 | 2 min read
The new finding could aid tiger conservation, with only 4,000 of the big cats remaining.
Image of the Day: New Tiny Frog
Jef Akst | Oct 23, 2018 | 1 min read
A newly described amphibian has such a small range in southern Brazil that it’s already critically endangered.
Image of the Day: Hanging Around
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jul 27, 2018 | 1 min read
Hurricanes drive evolution in anole lizards, finds a new study.
After Relocation, an Endangered Species Stops Avoiding Predator Scents
Abby Olena, PhD | Jun 6, 2018 | 4 min read
Researchers find that conserving marsupials on a predator-free island dampens their avoidance behaviors, which could mean trouble for their reintroduction to mainland Australia.
Frogs Fight Back From Fungal Attack
Ruth Williams | Mar 29, 2018 | 3 min read
A decade after chytridiomycosis killed scores of amphibians in Panama, some species are recovering. New research indicates why.  
Ecologists Welcome Seventh Great Ape Species into Our Family
Katarina Zimmer | Nov 2, 2017 | 2 min read
The Tapanuli orangutan has been identified as the newest species of great ape, but also likely the most endangered. 
Tracking Invasive Fire Ants in Asia
Steve Graff | Nov 1, 2017 | 5 min read
These insect transplants have the potential to wreak economic havoc by outcompeting native insects and destroying crops.
Study: There Are Twice as Many Bird Species as Previously Estimated
Ben Andrew Henry | Dec 13, 2016 | 1 min read
Standard taxonomy lumps together bird species that should be separate, a new study suggests, raising the total number of estimated species from 9,000 to 18,000.
Capsule Reviews
Bob Grant | Apr 1, 2016 | 3 min read
Lab Girl, The Most Perfect Thing, Half-Earth, and Cosmosapiens
Capsule Reviews
Bob Grant | Mar 1, 2015 | 3 min read
Evolving Ourselves, The Man Who Touched His Own Heart, Bats, and The Invaders
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