An endangered species is a taxonomic group (typically at the species level) that faces a very high risk of extinction in the near future across all or a significant portion of its range, as determined by quantitative assessment criteria such as population size, rate of decline, geographic range, and degree of habitat fragmentation. In conservation biology and environmental policy, endangered status guides prioritization of management actions, legal protections, and resource allocation. Scientific evaluation commonly uses standardized frameworks (e.g., formal Red List–type criteria) based on demographic trends, reproductive rates, and known or projected threats, including habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species, pollution, and climate change.
Are box turtles in worse shape than herpetologists thought? University of Toledo researchers raise the question in new research published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
Plants & Animals
Mar 9, 2026
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29
The tall black-and-white residents of Antarctica, who waddle around its icy landscape, are in peril thanks to the rapidly warming global climate. Emperor penguins go through an annual transformation called catastrophic molting, ...
Mammals are not especially diverse. Roughly 6,800 mammal species are known to exist, compared with about 8,800 species of amphibian, 11,000 species of bird and 12,500 of reptile. Yet when most people picture biodiversity, ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 6, 2026
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84
A new study reveals that habitat fragmentation can lead to sudden "tipping points" where a species' genetic health unexpectedly collapses after appearing stable for long periods. By merging network theory with population ...
Ecology
Mar 5, 2026
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73
A new study published in Science is challenging long-held assumptions about how we measure genetic risk in endangered species. Researchers analyzed whole genomes from hundreds of koalas, finding that populations previously ...
Ecology
Mar 5, 2026
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15
A number of native black poplar whips—young unbranched trees—were planted at the campus near Southwell as part of a project involving NTU, the Environment Agency, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, Trent Rivers Trust, Nottinghamshire ...
Ecology
Mar 4, 2026
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10
When a new species is discovered, it's tempting to imagine an adventure novel, said Chan Kin Onn of Michigan State University. "Most people have this image of an intrepid explorer braving an isolated mountain or some other ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 3, 2026
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233
A recent study published in PLOS ONE has shed light on public perceptions of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in wildlife conservation across Czechia, Germany, and Italy. The research, conducted as part of the BioRescue ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 3, 2026
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16
A prototype artificial intelligence-powered camera incorporated into an intelligent road sign has successfully detected and recorded a koala crossing a road in real time on the Redlands Coast, marking the first time this ...
Ecology
Mar 3, 2026
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17
Scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) and the Taronga Conservation Society Australia have successfully restored the lost traditional song of one of Australia's most endangered birds, offering new hope for ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 2, 2026
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59
