A groundbreaking study has used DNA metabarcoding to analyze the diet of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), uncovering surprising prey species. This method provides a more precise understanding of their feeding habits, offering valuable insights for conservation efforts. Unexpected Prey Discoveries Researchers collected fecal samples from seven different landscapes in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, ...
Scientists observed cuttlefish engaging in tentacle waving, a behavior that may serve as a form of communication. This discovery suggests that cuttlefish use visual and vibrational signals to interact, expanding our understanding of cephalopod intelligence. How Cuttlefish Use Tentacle Waves Researchers studied common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) and dwarf cuttlefish (Sepia bandensis), identifying four distinct arm ...
Canada was previously a world champion of climate action, but ahead of the heat of the 2025 federal election, Canada’s political leadership is quietly stepping away from the environment and into the arms of fossil fuel development. Only four years ago, climate change ranked as the most important issue on voters’ minds, prompting lawmakers to ...
Fringe-lipped bats (Trachops cirrhosus) have developed an extraordinary ability to eavesdrop on frog mating calls to locate prey. However, new research reveals that these bats must learn to distinguish between palatable and toxic frogs over time, refining their hunting strategies through experience. How Bats Use Frog Calls These bats rely on sound rather than visual ...
For hundreds of years, the women of South Korea’s Jeju Island have dived into freezing seas, diving as deep as 10 meters (33 feet) without oxygen, in search of abalone, sea urchins, and octopuses. They are called Haenyeo, or “women of the sea,” and they keep up this physically demanding labor well into their 80s, ...
The world’s oldest recorded common loon, a record-breaking matriarch known as Fe, has arrived back in Michigan’s Seney National Wildlife Refuge and with her return are the latest chapters in one of the animal kingdom’s most intriguing love stories. At 39, Fe is not just an age wonder but the most prolific loon mother ever ...
The invasive Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) has been confirmed in the Lower Columbia River, sparking concerns among scientists and wildlife officials. Known for their hairy, mitten-like claws, these crabs have caused environmental disruptions in other regions, notably in California’s San Francisco Bay, where they contributed to riverbank erosion and infrastructure damage. Their arrival in ...
In 2017, the Trump administration made a surreptitious but catastrophic action: it removed over 400 scientists who were toiling on the latest National Climate Assessment (NCA), a Congressionally required report on the effects of global warming on America. The move shocked scientists, with researchers warning that excluding climate science would render the country perilously ill-prepared ...
New research reveals that rapid, sulfur-heavy volcanic eruptions plunged Earth into deadly cold snaps, wiping out competitors and giving insulated dinosaurs an unexpected edge. For decades, scientists believed that rising carbon dioxide levels from ancient supervolcanoes slowly cooked the planet, triggering the end-Triassic extinction 201 million years ago. But a groundbreaking study published in Proceedings ...
In a first-ever milestone, Africa’s initial HIV cure trial has yielded historic findings: 20% of patients have remained off antiretroviral therapy (ART) for over a year and a half and have the virus under control. The trial, conducted in Durban, South Africa, tested a new immunotherapy approach that seeks to eliminate latent HIV reservoirs and ...
