Animals

May 11, 2019 09:42 AM EDT

Climate Change Responsible for Severe Infectious Disease in UK Frogs

Climate change has already increased the spread and severity of a fatal disease caused by Ranavirus that infects common frogs (Rana temporaria) in the UK, according to research led by ZSL's Institute of Zoology, UCL and Queen Mary University of London published today in Global Change Biology (10 May 2019).

The Tub-eye Fish, Stylephorus chordatus (IMAGE)

May 10, 2019 08:20 AM EDT

Remarkable Fish See Color in Deep, Dark Water

Fish living up to 1500 meters below the surface have developed a surprisingly diverse vision that could help them determine predator from prey in the dimly-lit depths of their fish-eats-fish world.

White-Throated Rail (Dryolimnas cuvieri cuvieri) (IMAGE)

May 10, 2019 08:14 AM EDT

The Bird that Came Back from the Dead

New research has shown that the last surviving flightless species of bird, a type of rail, in the Indian Ocean had previously gone extinct but rose from the dead thanks to a rare process called 'iterative evolution'.

May 08, 2019 08:22 AM EDT

Lions vs. Porcupines

Not much can mess with a lion. They're four-hundred-pound top predators, bringing down large prey like wildebeests, zebras, and even giraffes. But they're not invincible--a new study delves into the interactions between lions and porcupines and shows how these spiky, cocker spaniel-sized critters can come out on top.

May 07, 2019 09:19 AM EDT

Even More Amphibians are Endangered than We Thought

At least a quarter of the world's approximately 8,000 known species of amphibian are recognized as threatened and at risk of extinction. But due to a lack of data on many amphibian species, only about 44 percent of amphibians have up-to-date assessments on their risk of extinction, compared to nearly 100 percent of both birds and mammals.

May 07, 2019 09:10 AM EDT

New 3-foot-tall Relative of Tyrannosaurus Rex

A new relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex - much smaller than the huge, ferocious dinosaur made famous in countless books and films, including, yes, "Jurassic Park" - has been discovered and named by a Virginia Tech paleontologist and an international team of scientists.

May 06, 2019 09:40 AM EDT

UNH researchers discover new strain of canine distemper in wild animals in NH, VT

DURHAM, N.H.--A distinct strain of canine distemper virus, which is a widespread virus of importance to wildlife and domesticated dogs, has been identified in wild animals in New Hampshire and Vermont, according to pathologists with the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at the University of New Hampshire. No virus in this distinct subgroup of canine distemper virus has yet been reported in a domesticated dog.

May 04, 2019 09:04 AM EDT

Research Shows Cattle Ranching Could Help Conserve Rare African Antelope, Lions

Endangered African antelope and the lions that prey on them may benefit from certain cattle ranching practices in Kenya, according to newly published research led by a 2017 University of Wyoming Ph.D. graduate.

May 04, 2019 08:25 AM EDT

A Genomic Tour-de-Force Reveals the Last 5,000 Years of Horse History

Each year on the first Saturday in May, Thoroughbred horses reach speeds of over 40 miles per hour as they compete to win the Kentucky Derby. But the domestic horse wasn't always bred for speed. In fact, an international team now has evidence to suggest that the modern horse is genetically quite different from the horses or even just a few hundred years ago.

May 03, 2019 08:23 AM EDT

Running May have Made Dinosaurs' Wings Flap Before they Evolved to Fly

Before they evolved the ability to fly, two-legged dinosaurs may have begun to flap their wings as a passive effect of running along the ground, according to new research by Jing-Shan Zhao of Tsinghua University, Beijing, and his colleagues.

May 03, 2019 08:00 AM EDT

For Giant Pandas, Bamboo is Vegetarian 'Meat'

Giant pandas are extremely specialized herbivores that feed almost exclusively on highly fibrous bamboo, despite descending from primarily flesh-eating carnivores.

Hippos Lazing Away the Day Together (IMAGE)

May 02, 2019 09:29 AM EDT

Hippos, the Animal Silicon Pumps

The excrements of hippos play an important role in the ecosystem of African lakes and rivers. Because there are fewer and fewer hippos, this ecosystem is in danger. In the long term, this could lead to food shortages at Lake Victoria, for example.

May 01, 2019 02:32 PM EDT

Isle Royale Winter Study: 13 New Wolves, 20 Radio-Collared Moose

Fifteen wolves. 2,060 moose. Extensive ice and deep, powdery snow. Michigan Tech researchers have released the annual Winter Study report. In its 61st year, the study is the longest-running examination of a predator-prey relationship in the world.

Apr 30, 2019 10:25 AM EDT

US Cities Host more Regionally Unique Species than Previously Thought

SAN FRANCISCO (April 30, 2019) - Scientists are analyzing a rare snapshot in time of urban plants and animals. To better understand whether rapidly growing cities are hosting the same species, a concept is known as urban homogenization, a team from the California Academy of Sciences analyzed an immense volume of data gathered by citizen scientists during the four-day global City Nature Challenge.

Apr 30, 2019 09:36 AM EDT

The Last Chance for Madagascar's Biodiversity

Scientists from around the world have joined together to identify the most important actions needed by Madagascar's new government to prevent species and habitats being lost forever.