News tagged with animal groups

Fossil of giant ancient sea predator discovered (w/ video)

Paleontologists have discovered that a group of remarkable ancient sea creatures existed for much longer and grew to much larger sizes than previously thought, thanks to extraordinarily well-preserved fossils ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created May 25, 2011 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (16) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New discovery places turtles next to lizards on family tree

(PhysOrg.com) -- Where do turtles belong on the evolutionary tree? For decades, the mystery has proven as tough to crack as the creatures' shells. With their body armor and retractable heads, turtles are such ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Jul 20, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 5 | with audio podcast

10 million years needed to recover from mass extinction

(Phys.org) -- It took some 10 million years for Earth to recover from the greatest mass extinction of all time, latest research has revealed.

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created May 27, 2012 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (8) | comments 19 | with audio podcast

Researchers Find Key 'Conductor' of Nature's Synchronicity

(PhysOrg.com) -- Synchronicity in nature is seen in beating hearts, the flashing of fireflies' lights, the ebb and flow of infectious disease—and the simultaneous rise and fall of populations across vast reaches ...

Biology / Ecology

created Jul 22, 2009 | popularity 3.9 / 5 (8) | comments 3

Getting a leg up on whale and dolphin evolution

When the ancestors of living cetaceans—whales, dolphins and porpoises—first dipped their toes into water, a series of evolutionary changes were sparked that ultimately nestled these swimming mammals into the ...

Biology / Evolution

created Sep 24, 2009 | popularity 3.9 / 5 (8) | comments 0

Geologist analyzes earliest shell-covered fossil animals

The fossil remains of some of the first animals with shells, ocean-dwelling creatures that measure a few centimeters in length and date to about 520 million years ago, provide a window on evolution at this ...

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Oct 22, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (6) | comments 1

Study finds European starlings flocking patterns similar to metals being magnetized

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists and amateur enthusiasts alike have long been fascinated by the abilities of some groups of animals to move in lockstep with one another, most specifically with schools of fish and ...

Other Sciences / Mathematics

created Mar 14, 2012 | popularity 3.2 / 5 (5) | comments 2 | with audio podcast report

Pristine reptile fossil holds new information about aquatic adaptations

Extinct animals hide their secrets well, but an exceptionally well-preserved fossil of an aquatic reptile, with traces of soft tissue present, is providing scientists a new window into the behavior of these ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Nov 16, 2011 | popularity 3.8 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Huge hamsters and pint-sized porcupines thrive on islands

From miniature elephants to monster mice, and even Hobbit-sized humans, size changes in island animals are well-known to science. Biologists have long believed that large animals evolving on islands tend to get smaller, while ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Mar 23, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (3) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

'Natural causes' at fault for Peru dolphin deaths: officials

Nearly 900 dolphins that washed up along Peru's northern coast since the start of the year died of natural causes, a top official said Tuesday, citing a government report that failed to convince environmental ...

Biology / Ecology

created May 22, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Ancient mammals shifted diets as climate changed

A new University of Florida study shows mammals change their dietary niches based on climate-driven environmental changes, contradicting a common assumption that species maintain their niches despite global ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Jun 03, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (3) | comments 2

Fossil fish illuminates evolution of plankton-eating

Animals from very different groups that developed independently into plankton-eating giants took similar evolutionary steps along the way, new research shows.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Feb 15, 2012 | popularity 3.7 / 5 (3) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Polar bear habitats expected to shrink dramatically

Habitats of polar bears are expected to shrink dramatically over the coming decades, the International Union for Conservation of Nature warned Thursday, urging immediate action to save the Arctic animals.

Biology / Ecology

created Oct 20, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Ants' ecosystem role is 'key'

Research by the University of Exeter has revealed that ants have a big impact on their local environment as a result of their activity as 'ecosystem engineers' and predators.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Jan 31, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Hyenas' ability to count helps them decide to fight or flee

Being able to count helps spotted hyenas decide to fight or flee, according to research at Michigan State University.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Aug 22, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast