Odd-toed ungulates, comprising the order Perissodactyla, are large, herbivorous mammals characterized by an odd number of functional toes on each hind foot, with the main limb axis passing through the third digit (mesaxonic condition). Extant members include horses and donkeys (family Equidae), rhinoceroses (Rhinocerotidae), and tapirs (Tapiridae). They possess hindgut fermentation with an enlarged cecum and colon for cellulose digestion, typically have simple stomachs, and show specialized dentition for grazing or browsing. Perissodactyls exhibit cursorial or semi-cursorial limb morphology and have experienced substantial historical diversity, though their extant diversity is relatively limited and several species are conservation-dependent or critically endangered.
The evolution of sex remains one of biology's greatest puzzles. While sexual reproduction dominates across the animal kingdom, scientists still debate why it persists despite its high costs. Even more mysterious is the loss ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 1, 2026
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Last year, we noted early signs of recovery in Australia's high country, following the reduction of feral horse numbers.
Ecology
Jun 1, 2026
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Insects are declining across Europe. Czech scientists have determined this decline can be mitigated by returning large ungulates—horses, aurochs cattle, and wisents—to landscapes. This has been shown by a recent study by ...
Plants & Animals
May 26, 2026
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A new study, published in Ecology and Evolution, shows that social living is associated with longer lifespan, but also that the benefits of sociality level off once animals move beyond living in pairs.
Evolution
May 22, 2026
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Researchers from,the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment have found that air sampling at major equestrian events could offer a new way to monitor for equine herpesviruses. Published ...
Veterinary medicine
May 11, 2026
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Ph.D. student Hanne Kloster at the University of Agder (UiA) is behind the first Norwegian study to look at three tick-borne diseases in dogs simultaneously, covering the whole country. The paper is published in the journal ...
Plants & Animals
May 7, 2026
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New research led by Flinders University argues thick tooth enamel helped kangaroos chart an unconventional evolution story, compared to the animals of other continents. A 50-million-year natural "experiment" among Australia's ...
Evolution
Apr 30, 2026
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In human and animal medicine, biomarkers are used in several ways, including to diagnose, predict, or monitor health issues. Human health care consumers are familiar with biomarkers as mundane as blood pressure to gauge heart ...
Veterinary medicine
Apr 30, 2026
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April 26 marks the 40th anniversary of the explosion at Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The accident caused the largest ever release of radioactive material into the environment, and at the time ...
Ecology
Apr 24, 2026
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30
In his time spent in the lush canopies of Costa Rica's cloud forest, UConn Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Ph.D. student Jeremy Quirós-Navarro has worked as an arborist, helped place camera traps, collected ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 22, 2026
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