Animal distribution, as a biological process, refers to the spatial and temporal patterns by which animal populations occupy, colonize, and persist in habitats across landscapes and ecosystems. It emerges from the interaction of species-specific dispersal mechanisms, behavioral habitat selection, population dynamics, and biotic interactions such as competition, predation, and mutualism, constrained by abiotic gradients including climate, topography, and resource availability. This process underlies biogeographic patterns, metapopulation structure, range limits, and community assembly, and is quantitatively studied using approaches such as species distribution modeling, spatial ecology, landscape genetics, and movement ecology to link organismal traits and environmental heterogeneity to observed occurrence and abundance.
When tourists travel to Seattle, it's common to take in the Space Needle and the downtown skyline from Puget Sound.
Ecology
Apr 4, 2026
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19
Human–wildlife coexistence is often far from straightforward, with predators particularly hard hit: their numbers tend to fall sharply in areas close to human settlements, fields and pastureland. This is not, however, a simple ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 1, 2026
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9
The bond between humans and dogs is one of nature's most enduring partnerships, but exactly when it began has long been a mystery. Now, a new study has turned back the clock. The study, titled "Dogs were widely distributed ...
Evolution
Mar 28, 2026
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44
Coyotes may be building dens and having litters of pups near you, according to new research from the University of Georgia. But chances are you won't see them—even if they are denning right next door. In one of the first ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 16, 2026
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214
A global database documenting the location of critical habitats for sharks, rays, and chimeras has recently expanded to include Australia, with years of extensive research by Charles Darwin University (CDU) contributing to ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 13, 2026
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32
In 2021 and 2023, hundreds of dolphins were stranded in shallow waters in San Antonio Bay in northern Patagonia. Some died, but many were returned safely to the sea. But what remained a mystery until now was how they ended ...
Chimpanzees have a reputation for being aggressive, while bonobos are often seen as their peaceful counterparts. This contrast has frequently been used to explain different sides of human nature. However, a new study by Utrecht ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 11, 2026
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The Microbiology Society's Microbiology Outlooks, launched in 2025, has published its inaugural article: "When Theory Meets Genomics: Reconciling Game Dynamics and Within-Host Evolution." The new commentary explores how theoretical ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 28, 2026
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22
Hundreds of millions of animals are killed on our roads each year. Now, scientists have revealed how these deaths could play an unexpected role advancing wildlife science and conservation.
Ecology
Feb 28, 2026
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270
At newly colonized high-elevation sites in the central Italian Apennines, female Daubenton's bats take turns using the same hunting spots instead of feeding side by side. A study published by a research team from the University ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 27, 2026
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