ScienceDaily: Extinction News

The mammoth's lament: How cosmic impact sparked devastating climate change

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:55:55 EDT

Researchers have found evidence of a major cosmic event near the end of the Ice Age. The ensuing climate change forced many species to adapt or die.

Climate change may have little impact on tropical lizards: Study contradicts predictions of widespread extinction

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:58:58 EDT

Climate change may have little impact on many species of tropical lizards, contradicting a host of recent studies that predict their widespread extinction in a rapidly warming planet.

Coral reef fishes prove invaluable in the study of evolutionary ecology

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:36:36 EDT

Coral reef fish species have proven invaluable for experimental testing of key concepts in social evolution and already have yielded insights about the ultimate reasons for female reproductive suppression, group living, and bidirectional sex change.

World's most extraordinary species mapped for the first time

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:44:44 EDT

The black-and-white ruffed lemur, Mexican salamander and Sunda pangolin all feature on the first map of the world's most unique and threatened mammals and amphibians.

Frog once imported for pregnancy testing brought deadly amphibian disease to U.S.

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:43:43 EDT

African frogs, originally imported for early 20th century pregnancy tests, carried a deadly amphibian disease to the US, according to new findings. African Clawed Frogs have long been suspected of spreading a harmful fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. The earliest known case of the fungus was found in these frogs in their native South Africa. Now scientists have found the first evidence of the disease among introduced feral populations in the US.

Insight into nesting behavior of dinosaurs: Both moms and dads helped with incubation, study finds

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:15:15 EDT

A recent study into the incubation behavior of modern birds is shedding new light on the type of parental care carried out by their long-extinct ancestors.

Fossil saved from mule track revolutionizes understanding of ancient dolphin-like marine reptile

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:31:31 EDT

Scientists have revealed a new species of ichthyosaur (a dolphin-like marine reptile from the age of dinosaurs) from Iraq, which revolutionizes our understanding of the evolution and extinction of these ancient marine reptiles.

Mum and dad dinosaurs shared the work

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:31:31 EDT

A study into the brooding behavior of birds has revealed their dinosaur ancestors shared the load when it came to incubation of eggs.

When green means danger: A stunning new species of palm-pitviper from Honduras

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:29:29 EDT

A remarkable new species of bright green palm-viper has been discovered in a threatened cloud forest in Honduras, and is named to honor grassroots conservationist Mario Guifarro, who was assassinated in 2007. Despite being superficially similar to other Honduran palm pitvipers, the closest relative to the new species lives over 600 km to the south in Costa Rica.

Cooling ocean temperature could buy more time for coral reefs

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:28:28 EDT

Limiting the amount of warming experienced by the world's oceans in the future could buy some time for tropical coral reefs, say researchers.

Microbes capture, store, and release nitrogen to feed reef-building coral

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:54:54 EDT

Microscopic algae that live within reef-forming corals scoop up available nitrogen, store the excess in crystal form, and slowly feed it to the coral as needed, according to a study published in mBio.

Corals turn to algae for stored food when times get tough

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:54:54 EDT

Researchers present new evidence for the crucial role of algae in the survival of their coral hosts. Ultra-high resolution images reveal that the algae temporarily store nutrients as crystals, building up reserves for when supplies run low.

Climate change will cause widespread global-scale loss of common plants and animals, researchers predict

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:09:09 EDT

Climate change will cause widespread global-scale loss of common plants and animals. More than half of common plants and one third of the animals could see a dramatic decline this century due to climate change, according to new research. The study looked at 50,000 globally widespread and common species and found that more than one half of the plants and one third of the animals will lose more than half of their climatic range by 2080 if nothing is done to reduce the amount of global warming and slow it down.

Loss of eastern hemlock will affect forest water use

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:36:36 EDT

The loss of eastern hemlock from forests in the Southern Appalachian region of the United States could permanently change the area's hydrologic cycle, reports a new study.

Coral reefs suffering, but collapse not inevitable

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:34:34 EDT

Coral reefs are in decline, but their collapse can still be avoided with local and global action. That's according to findings based on an analysis that combines the latest science on reef dynamics with the latest climate models.

Save the parrots: Macaw genome sequenced

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:30:30 EDT

In a groundbreaking move that provides new insight into avian evolution, biology and conservation, researchers have successfully sequenced the complete genome of a Scarlet macaw for the first time.

Four new dinosaur species identified

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:21:21 EDT

Just when dinosaur researchers thought they had a thorough knowledge of ankylosaurs, a family of squat, armor-plated, plant-eaters, along comes a graduate student with some other ideas.

Climate change, not human activity, led to megafauna extinction

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:17:17 EDT

Most species of gigantic animals that once roamed Australia had disappeared by the time people arrived, a major review of the available evidence has concluded. The research challenges the claim that humans were primarily responsible for the demise of the megafauna in a proposed "extinction window" between 40,000 and 50,000 years ago, and points the finger instead at climate change.

Global highways of invasive marine species calculated

Sun, 05 May 2013 07:37:37 EDT

New research has mapped the most detailed forecast to date for importing potentially harmful invasive species with the ballast water of cargo ships.

Madagascar tortoise trafficking rages out of control

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:55:55 EDT

Illegal trafficking of two critically endangered tortoise species from Madagascar has reached epidemic proportions.

Midwestern frogs decline, mammal populations altered by invasive plant, studies reveal

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:51:51 EDT

Researchers have discovered a new culprit contributing to amphibian decline and altered mammal distribution throughout the Midwest region -- the invasive plant European buckthorn.

'Dirty dozen' invasive species threaten UK

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:18:18 EDT

Parts of the UK are at greater risk of invasion by non-native aquatic species than previously thought, according to new research. The first to include human factors in models used to predict where invasive species will arrive and spread, the study shows the Thames, Anglian and Humber river basins are most vulnerable.

The underground adventures of the Mediterranean frog Rana iberica

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:14:14 EDT

Although many amphibians have been reported to live or spend part of their life underground, the Mediterranean frog Rana iberica, has never been reported dwelling in subterranean habitats until now. A new study marks the first record of all life stages of the species from a drainage gallery of Serra da Estrela Natural Park in Portugal.

What happened to dinosaurs' predecessors after Earth's largest extinction 252 million years ago?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:49:49 EDT

Predecessors to dinosaurs missed the race to fill habitats emptied when nine out of 10 species disappeared during Earth's largest mass extinction 252 million years ago.

Sea turtles benefiting from protected areas

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:42:42 EDT

Nesting green sea turtles are benefiting from marine protected areas by using habitats found within their boundaries, according to a new study that is the first to track the federally protected turtles in Dry Tortugas National Park.

Dinosaur predecessors gain ground in wake of world's biggest biodiversity crisis

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:40:40 EDT

Newly discovered fossils from 10 million years after Earth's greatest mass extinction reveal a lineage of animals thought to have led to dinosaurs taking hold in Tanzania and Zambia in the mid-Triassic period, many millions of years before dinosaur relatives were seen in the fossil record elsewhere on Earth.

Turtle genome analysis sheds light on turtle ancestry and shell evolution

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:48:48 EDT

From which ancestors have turtles evolved? How did they get their shell? New data provides evidence that turtles are not primitive reptiles but belong to a sister group of birds and crocodiles. The work also sheds light on the evolution of the turtle’s intriguing morphology and reveals that the turtle’s shell evolved by recruiting genetic information encoding for the limbs.

Peculiar life history of Middle American Stenamma ants

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:33:33 EDT

A recent revision of the Middle American clade of the ant genus Stenamma provides the description of 40 species, 33 of which are recognized as new to science. The extensive study provides the first thorough examination of the biology and taxonomy of these ants, focusing mainly on the worker caste and describing their peculiar nesting habits.

Tinkerbella nana: A new representative from the world of fairyflies

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:30:30 EDT

A new genus and species of fairyfly, Tinkerbella nana (Mymaridae), is described from Costa Rica. It is compared with the related species Kikiki huna Beardsley and Huber, which holds the record for the smallest winged insect. The new genus and species is named after the fairy Tinker Bell in the 1904 play "Peter Pan" by J. M. Barrie.

Insights into deadly coral bleaching could help preserve reefs: Surprising result from study of 1893 World's Fair corals

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:51:51 EDT

Coral reefs are stressed because of climate change. Researchers have discovered corals themselves play a role in their susceptibility to deadly coral bleaching due to the light-scattering properties of their skeletons. No one else has shown this before. Using optical technology designed for early cancer detection, the researchers discovered that reef-building corals scatter light in different ways to the symbiotic algae that feed the corals.

Hydrogen sulfide greatly enhances plant growth: Key ingredient in mass extinctions could boost food, biofuel production

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:55:55 EDT

In low doses, hydrogen sulfide, a substance implicated in several mass extinctions, could greatly enhance plant growth, leading to a sharp increase in global food supplies and plentiful stock for biofuel production, new research shows.

Biodiversity crisis: The impacts of socio-economic pressures on natural floras and faunas

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:23:23 EDT

A new study on extinction risk has shown that proportions of plant and animal species being classified as threatened on national Red Lists are more closely related to socioeconomic pressure levels from the beginning than from the end of the 20th century.

Resurgence of endangered deer in Patagonian ‘Eden’ highlights conservation success

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:51:51 EDT

The Huemul, a species of deer found only in the Latin American region of Patagonia, is bouncing back from the brink of possible extinction.

Tiny colorful snails are in danger of extinction with vanishing limestone ecosystems

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:24:24 EDT

Three new species of brightly colored carnivorous snails have been described from north and northeastern Thailand, as a part of an extensive study of the terrestrial snails family Streptaxidae. The new species have been found in highly endangered limescale ecosystems, including quarried areas, thus showing extraordinary survival mechanisms and biodiversity persistence.

Sea mammals find U.S. safe harbor

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:46:46 EDT

New research shows that many US marine mammal populations -- especially some seals and sea lions -- have rebounded since 1972, because of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Unusual anal fin offers new insight into evolution

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:22:22 EDT

An unusual fossil fish that has fins behind its anus could have implications for human evolution.

Moa's ark: Why the female giant moa was about twice the size of the male

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:19:19 EDT

The evolutionary reason for the massive difference in size between male and female giant moa -- the extinct giant birds of New Zealand -- has been revealed for the first time.

Human shadow cast over the Caribbean slows coral growth

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:16:16 EDT

Striking Caribbean sunsets occur when particles in the air scatter incoming sunlight. But a particulate shadow over the sea may have effects underwater. A research team has linked airborne particles caused by volcanic activity and air pollution to episodes of slow coral-reef growth.

Environmental change triggers rapid evolution

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:54:54 EDT

Environmental change can drive hard-wired evolutionary changes in animal species in a matter of generations. A new study overturns the common assumption that evolution only occurs gradually over hundreds or thousands of years.

The ethics of resurrecting extinct species

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:59:59 EDT

At some point, scientists may be able to bring back extinct animals, and perhaps early humans, raising questions of ethics and environmental disruption.

Air pollution stunts coral growth

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:32:32 EDT

A new study has found that pollution from fine particles in the air -- mainly the result of burning coal or volcanic eruptions -- can shade corals from sunlight and cool the surrounding water resulting in reduced growth rates.

Remote coral reefs can be tougher than they look: Western Australia’s Scott Reef has recovered from mass bleaching

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:45:45 EDT

Isolated coral reefs can recover from catastrophic damage as effectively as those with nearby undisturbed neighbors, a long-term study by marine biologists has shown. Scott Reef, a remote coral system in the Indian Ocean, has largely recovered from a catastrophic mass bleaching event in 1998, according to the study.

New measurement of crocodilian nerves could help scientists understand ancient animals

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:26:26 EDT

A new study has measured the nerves responsible for the super-sensitive skin on a crocodile's face, which will help biologists understand how today's animals, as well as dinosaurs and crocodiles that lived millions of years ago, interact with the environment around them.

A comet, not an asteroid, may have killed the dinosaurs, experts propose

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:24:24 EDT

In a geological moment about 66 million years ago, something killed off almost all the dinosaurs and some 70 percent of all other species living on Earth. Only those dinosaurs related to birds appear to have survived. Most scientists agree that the culprit in this extinction was extraterrestrial, and the prevailing opinion has been that the party crasher was an asteroid. Not so, say two researchers who favor another explanation, asserting that a high-velocity comet led to the demise of the dinosaurs.

Dwarf whale survived well into Ice Age

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:21:21 EDT

Research detailing the fossil of a dwarf baleen whale from Northern California reveals that it avoided extinction far longer than previously thought.

One extinct turtle less: Turtle species in the Seychelles never existed

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:29:29 EDT

The turtle species Pelusios seychellensis regarded hitherto as extinct never existed. Scientists discovered this based on genetic evidence.

Shark tooth weapons reveal missing shark species in Central Pacific islands

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:02:02 EDT

The Gilbert Island reefs in the Central Pacific were once home to two species of sharks not previously reported in historic records or contemporary studies. The species were discovered in a new analysis of weapons made from shark teeth and used by 19th century islanders.

Painted turtle gets DNA decoded

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:40:40 EDT

Scientists have decoded the genome of the western painted turtle, one of the most abundant turtles on Earth, finding clues to their longevity and ability to survive without oxygen during long winters spent hibernating in ice-covered ponds.

Diversification in ancient tadpole shrimps challenges the term 'living fossil'

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:16:16 EDT

The term 'living fossil' has a controversial history. For decades, scientists have argued about its usefulness as it appears to suggest that some organisms have stopped evolving. New research has now investigated the origin of tadpole shrimps, a group commonly regarded as 'living fossils' which includes the familiar Triops. The research reveals that living species of tadpole shrimp are much younger than the fossils they so much resemble, calling into question the term 'living fossil'.

Massive prehistoric bird extinction linked to human colonization

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 11:16:16 EDT

Research by Alison Boyer, a research assistant professor in ecology and evolutionary biology, and an international team studied the extinction rates of nonperching land birds in the Pacific Islands from 700 to 3,500 years ago. The team uncovered the magnitude of the extinctions and insight into how and why human impacts varied across the region.

Decimation of critically endangered forest elephant detailed

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:53:53 EDT

African forest elephants are being poached out of existence. A new study shows that a staggering 62 percent of all forest elephants have been killed across their range in central Africa, for their ivory over the past decade.

Splendid Skadar Lake (Montenegro and Albania) surprises with new species of snails

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:51:51 EDT

The Skadar Lake system at the border of Montenegro and Albania is a well-known hotspot of freshwater biodiversity and harbors a highly diverse mollusc fauna. As in many of the Balkan lakes, the endemic species of Skadar Lake are still poorly known and continue to yield unexpected discoveries. A new freshwater snail species has recently been found.

Black bears on the rebound in Nevada

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:43:43 EDT

A new study has pieced together the last 150 years of history for one of the Nevada's most interesting denizens: the black bear.

Uncovering Africa's oldest known penguins

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:16:16 EDT

Africa isn't the kind of place you might expect to find penguins. But one species lives in Africa today, and new fossils confirm that as many as four penguin species coexisted on the continent in the past. Exactly why African penguin diversity plummeted is still a mystery, but changing sea levels may be to blame. The fossils represent the oldest evidence of penguins in Africa, predating previously described fossils by 5 to 7 million years.

Lemur lookalikes are two new species, DNA says

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:15:15 EDT

Scientists have identified two new species of mouse lemur, the saucer-eyed, teacup-sized primates native to the African island of Madagascar.

Risk to endangered whales from ships in southern California analyzed in new study

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:39:39 EDT

Researchers have identified areas off southern California with high numbers of whales and assessed their risk from potentially deadly collisions with commercial ship traffic.

What a bunch of dodos! Catastrophic mass extinction of birds in Pacific Islands followed arrival of first people

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:05:05 EDT

The demise of the dodo is one of the better known bird extinctions in the world, but its sad fate was anticipated a thousand times over by its Pacific cousins.

Aye-ayes: Endangered lemurs' complete genomes are sequenced and analyzed for conservation efforts

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:05:05 EDT

For the first time, the complete genomes of three separate populations of aye-ayes -- a type of lemur -- have been sequenced and analyzed in an effort to characterize patterns of genetic diversity and help guide conservation efforts for the species. The aye-aye species is found only on the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and recently was re-classified as "endangered" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Genomes of peregrine and saker falcons throw lights on evolution of a predatory lifestyle

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:12:12 EDT

Researchers have completed the genome sequencing and analysis of two iconic falcons, the peregrine and saker falcons. The work provides an invaluable resource for the deep understanding of the adaptive evolution in raptors and the genetic basis of their wide distribution.

Huge and widespread volcanic eruptions triggered the end-Triassic extinction

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 17:43:43 EDT

Some 200 million years ago, an increase in atmospheric CO2 caused acidification of the oceans and global warming that killed off 76 percent of marine and terrestrial species on Earth.