The fossils of two interrelated ancestral mammals, newly discovered in China, suggest that the wide-ranging ecological diversity of modern mammals had a precedent more than 160 million years ago.
Archaeology
Feb 12, 2015
0
1161
Paleontologists have described three new small squirrel-like species that place a poorly understood Mesozoic group of animals firmly in the mammal family tree. The study, led by scientists at the American Museum of Natural ...
Archaeology
Sep 10, 2014
2
1
Vision is a crucial sense for most animals, and vertebrates have evolved a highly adaptable set of opsin genes that generate light-sensitive pigments to decode the retinal image. These opsins include a rod opsin to help see ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 9, 2020
0
179
Fish stocks in the Mediterranean Sea are deteriorating at an alarming rate. A recent analysis by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) shows that 93% of the assessed fish stocks are overexploited, and a number ...
Ecology
Apr 3, 2017
0
71
Scientists have known for decades that modern-day dolphins are some of the most intelligent and social animals on earth. Demonstrating complex behaviour and communication dolphins remind us of ourselves while living in a ...
Evolution
Apr 13, 2016
0
1074
A new study from Harvard University and the Field Museum of Natural History sheds light on how and when changes in the spine happened in mammal evolution. The research reveals how a combination of developmental changes and ...
Evolution
Feb 3, 2020
0
1177
As the prospect of catastrophic effects from climate change becomes increasingly likely, a search is on for innovative ways to reduce the risks. One potentially powerful and low-cost strategy is to recognize and protect natural ...
Environment
Apr 17, 2019
0
11
We often think that our world is an infinite realm comprising great plains, jungles and oceans, teeming with wild animals featured in memorable nature shows like the BBC's Planet Earth. But the first global census of wild ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 27, 2023
0
162
Built in the 1980s, the Balbina Dam is one of dozens of large dams across rivers in the Amazon Basin. Such dams might leave behind seemingly green patches of forest, but our new research has shown these disconnected patches ...
Ecology
Sep 14, 2022
0
6
Life has two choices: Survive or go extinct. And surviving isn't easy. Scientists often debate why species become specialized or generalized in regard to their diet. Specialist species may be better able to procure food by ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 9, 2022
1
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