species
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Science
Biologists identify traits that correlate with extinction of all bird species since 1500
Aki Kiki, an endangered species, photographed on Kauai in 2022 by lead study author Kyle Kittelberger. Credit: Kyle Kittelberger University of Utah biologists have completed an analysis that identifies characteristics that correlate with all 216 bird extinctions since 1500, with the goal of informing conservation of endangered bird species. Research published this month shows that the species most likely to…
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Biology
The long-billed sandpiper could become extinct, making it the third bird species to disappear from the Western Palearctic region.
10, with yellow intensity increasing as the number of specimens increases and blue intensity increasing as the number of records increases. will also increase. If both numbers are high, they are shown in dark blue. The dotted line indicates the widest possible breeding area according to Buchanan et al. (2018), black dots indicate breeding areas identified by Ushakov (1912). Credit:…
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Science
An insect species thought to be extinct keeps appearing in photos of pygmy seahorses
A photo of an Anthogorgiidae host from Kashiwajima, Kochi Prefecture. Galleries and burrows are highlighted in blue and yellow, respectively. Yellow arrows indicate burrow openings. Credit: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.1780 A small team of marine scientists from the University of the Ryukyus, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and the Kuroshio Biological…
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Biology
Introducing a new species of hermit crab, the strawberry claw
Credit: Queensland Museum The Strawberry Crow is the first large hermit crab discovered by science, recently described by scientists at the Queensland Museum. With its distinctive deep red claws, it’s no surprise that this crab was given its scientific name, Strigopagurus fragarchela, which comes from the Latin word for “strawberry” (fragaria), which emphasizes the bright red color of its claws…
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Science
Making Darwin’s finches sing can help establish connections between environmental changes and the emergence of new species
The beak of Darwin’s intermediate finch can evolve to crush hard seed shells. Credit: Andrew Hendry They say “hindsight is 20/20,” but ecological speciation theory (the theory that new species emerge in response to ecological change) seems to hold true in hindsight. Until now, it has been difficult to prove this experimentally. In a study published in the journal Science,…
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Biology
Using endangered grassland species to create beautiful native wildflower meadows in urban centers
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Urban roads may seem like an unusual place to preserve endangered grassland species. But my new research shows that plants from these ecosystems can be used to create beautiful, biodiverse urban wildflower meadows. This means that cities can also help restore nature. Species-rich grass ecosystems are among the most endangered plant communities on Earth. Grassy ecosystems…
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Biology
Arctic plant research suggests rate of climate change threatens to outstrip species’ ability to adapt
Arctic Siberian Primrose. Credit: Annina Mattila A research group at the Finnish Museum of Natural History is investigating the adaptive capacity of plant species in a warming climate. Their recent research examines the Siberian primrose, a plant species that lives on the coasts of the Gulf of Bothnia and the Arctic Ocean. Climate change threatens the survival of species. The…
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Science
New ‘grumpy’ fish species discovered in Red Sea
Grumpy dwarf goby, Sueviota aethon. Credit: Viktor Nunes Peinemann A team of researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the University of Washington has discovered a new species of fish that looks perpetually grumpy, which the researchers have named the “grumpy dwarf goby.” Though it’s a tiny fish, less than an inch long, the canine dwarf goby…
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