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A male and female Chiriqui harlequin frog (<em>Atelopus chiriquiensis</em>) photographed in 2010. The species was declared extinct in 2019.
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?
Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?

Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.

Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.

conservation

A California Chinook Salmon Jumps into a waterfall during spawning season
Geneticists Light Up Debate on Salmon Conservation
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Feb 1, 2023 | 10+ min read
Splitting Chinook salmon into two groups based on their DNA could aid conservation efforts. But some researchers argue that this would be a misuse of the data.
Infographic comparing the fall and spring salmon runs
Infographic: An Incredible Journey
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Feb 1, 2023 | 1 min read
Chinook make their way up the Klamath River every year, but fewer and fewer arrive in the spring.
Timeline summarizing a series of petitions filed about the Chinook salmon
Timeline: An Extended Battle
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Feb 1, 2023 | 3 min read
Various concerned groups have been petitioning NOAA Fisheries to list spring-run Chinook salmon in Oregon and Northern California for over a decade.
A fossilized mammoth tusk sitting in a grassy field during sunset&nbsp;
Woolly Mammoth Genomes Reveal Genetic Adaptations to Cold
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Dec 12, 2022 | 2 min read
Researchers identified mutations in genes that may be involved in fat regulation, fur growth, and morphology.
Fernanda, a Fernandina giant tortoise (<em>Chelonoidis phantasticus</em>), was identified in 2019, decades after her species supposedly went extinct.
When an Extinct Species Is Found Alive, What Happens Next?
Andy Carstens | Nov 1, 2022 | 6 min read
Finding a creature in the wild that had been considered long gone brings hope—and quite a bit of uncertainty.
Brightly colored birds resting on a tree
Book Excerpt from The Creative Lives of Animals
Carol Gigliotti | Oct 17, 2022 | 3 min read
In the book's introduction, author Carol Gigliotti makes the case that intricate behavioral patterns can be just as important to conserve as species’ genomes.
News feature
Photo of a long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) sitting on a rock overlooking a large body of water.
What Happens to Science When Model Organisms Become Endangered?
Dan Robitzski | Oct 13, 2022 | 9 min read
The long-tailed macaque and pig-tailed macaque are now endangered in the wild according to the IUCN Red List, which says exports for monkey research are partially to blame.
Organic food - flat design style colorful illustration. A composition with male, female characters, family, a big plate of vegetables, vegetarian salad, carrot, pepper, greens. Healthy lifestyle
Opinion: Eating Right to Avoid Catastrophe
Giulia Wegner and Kris A. Murray | Oct 3, 2022 | 5 min read
The key to averting cataclysmic events, such as pandemics, climate change, and mass extinction of species, lies partly in what’s on our plates.
A white deer mouse on sand surrounded by plants
Are We In the Midst of a Silent Mass Extinction?
Andy Carstens | Sep 22, 2022 | 7 min read
A new modeling technique aims to help scientists and policymakers detect declines in genetic diversity based on habitat loss.
Chinook salmon swimming in the water
Probable Chlorine Exposure Kills 21,000 Fish at UC Davis
Catherine Offord | Aug 16, 2022 | 2 min read
Threatened and endangered species were among the dead, likely poisoned overnight by a chlorination system used to decontaminate the animals’ tank water.
Oysters&rsquo; shells were made into concrete and other materials used in construction during the Industrial Revolution.
Scientists Use Sound to Attract Baby Oysters Back to the Reef
Ian Rose | Aug 15, 2022 | 5 min read
Meet the team trying to restore mollusk populations with the help of underwater speakers.
Cougar leaving the mine entrance
A World of Wildlife in Abandoned Mines
Ian Rose | Jun 1, 2022 | 7 min read
Scientists reveal how mountain lions, elk, and other animals are making use of these underground areas in Colorado.
Giant manta ray swimming
Science Snapshot: Giant Manta Ray Sanctuary
Lisa Winter | May 20, 2022 | 2 min read
Tourist photos help identify endangered manta rays and highlight the efficacy of recovery efforts at Komodo National Park.
Image of a juvenile vaquita
Science Snapshot: Down but Not Out
Lisa Winter | May 6, 2022 | 2 min read
Inbreeding depression won’t bring the 10 remaining vaquitas to extinction.
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.
Photo of lab-grown chicken from Eat Just, Inc.
Cultured Meat Advances Toward the Market
Abby Olena, PhD | Feb 14, 2022 | 8 min read
The biotech industry is chipping away at the obstacles standing between the lab and the dinner plate.
Vector drawing of a tropical rainforest with diverse trees
More Than 9,000 Tree Species Await Scientific Description
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Feb 1, 2022 | 2 min read
A new study of tree biodiversity estimates that Earth boasts 14 percent more tree species than previous efforts have identified.
SLIDESHOW
Photo of a long-tongued fly
Researchers Identify Novel Long-Tongued Fly Species
Nick Dall | Feb 1, 2022 | 4 min read
The discovery that what was long believed to be one fly species is actually two deepens researchers’ understanding of plant-pollinator relationships in a unique habitat in southern Africa.
Cover of Endangered Maize by Helen Anne Curry
Book Excerpt from Endangered Maize
Helen Anne Curry | Jan 17, 2022 | 4 min read
In Chapter 7, “Grow,” author Helen Anne Curry relays the story of Indigenous revolutionaries in Mexico who tapped into community-based methods to conserve traditional corn varieties.
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