A new study of fossil fishes from Middle Triassic sediments on Lake Lugano finds that biological communities recovered within a few million years after the great mass extinction event. The research identifies two new species of ancient fish with distinct ecological niches, suggesting that ecosystems were already recovering.
A new hypothesis proposes that soot ejected by the Chicxulub asteroid impact caused global cooling, drought, and limited photosynthesis in oceans. This rapid climate change is believed to have led to the mass extinction of dinosaurs and ammonites.
A new reconstruction of Antarctic ocean temperatures around the time of dinosaur disappearance supports the idea that volcanic eruptions and an asteroid impact caused the planet's biggest mass extinctions. Two abrupt warming spikes coincide with two previously documented extinction pulses.
New research suggests mammals evolved and diversified after the extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago, contradicting a long-held scientific theory. Fossil records support this finding, which was achieved by recalibrating DNA evolution rates using reliable fossil data.
Researchers found placental mammals evolved at a constant rate before the extinction event but accelerated rapidly after, resulting in diverse modern groups like bats and cats. The team analyzed fossils from the Cretaceous to present day, finding a massive spike in evolution rates after dinosaur extinction.
Over 90% of mammal species were wiped out by the asteroid that killed dinosaurs, but they recovered rapidly and diversified in different regions. The recovery took just 300,000 years, with small mammals being key survivors.
A global mass extinction event killed off most life on Earth, but marine life quickly recovered 3.35 million years later, according to a new study led by University of California, Davis researchers. The recovery was attributed to changes in ocean circulation and mixing that allowed nutrient-rich waters to reach the surface.
A new study reveals that large marine and terrestrial species are in 'double jeopardy' of extinction, with economic value driving risk above a certain threshold. The analysis highlights the importance of considering trade and differences between terrestrial and marine animals when designing effective conservation strategies.
A new study reveals that hydropower dams across the world are causing continued species extinctions on island habitats, with some communities losing up to 87% of their species. The research highlights the need for stronger environmental regulations and assessments to mitigate the impact of large-scale dam construction.
A study of over 6,000 Antarctic marine fossils reveals a dramatic 65-70% reduction in species 66 million years ago, coinciding with the end of the Cretaceous Period and the extinction of dinosaurs. The research suggests that the mass extinction event was just as rapid and severe in polar regions as elsewhere on Earth.
A new marine reptile fossil, Sclerocormus parviceps, challenges the idea of slow evolution. The ichthyosauriform had a short snout and whip-like tail, suggesting rapid diversification at the end of the Lower Triassic period.
The primary threat to vultures is the presence of toxins in carrion they consume, leading to declines or extinctions of most vulture species worldwide. In their absence, other scavengers proliferate, causing a cascading effect on food webs and human populations.
Researchers plan to use stored tissue samples, cell lines, and sperm to develop stem cell technologies and create viable northern white rhinoceros populations. The ultimate goal is to establish self-sustaining populations in several decades.
A team of experts aims to use cutting-edge techniques like induced pluripotent stem cells and gene editing to bring back the critically endangered species. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is leading the effort, which also involves collaborations with international partners.
Researchers found that bird-like dinosaurs with toothless beaks were able to survive on seeds after the meteor impact, while those with teeth went extinct abruptly. The study suggests that dietary adaptations played a crucial role in the survival of modern birds.
A new study by Drexel University researchers found that gun hunting is driving seven monkey species toward extinction on Bioko Island. Four of the seven species are especially vulnerable and unable to adapt to hunting, with the red colobus being the most at risk due to its specialized niche and larger body size. The researchers suggest...
Researchers warn that copper contamination and climate change may hasten the extinction of two amphibian species due to increased copper toxicity and reproductive failure. The study found that even low levels of copper can be lethal to amphibians, highlighting the need for industries to reduce copper use.
Researchers found that plants can only withstand a limited number of genetic changes before population collapse and extinction. The study challenges common thinking on plant adaptability and has significant implications for agriculture and horticulture in the face of rapid climate change.
Scientists found that ancient mammal relatives, known as therapsids, adapted to drastic climate change by breeding younger and having shorter life expectancies. This allowed them to thrive in the aftermath of mass extinction events.
Scientists studying ancient mammal relatives known as therapsids found that they had shorter life expectancies and bred at younger ages to survive the drastic climate change. This adaptation allowed them to thrive in the aftermath of the Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction, which pushed billions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere.
Researchers found that ancient mammal relatives, therapsids, had shorter life expectancies and bred at younger ages after a mass extinction event. This adaptation allowed them to survive and thrive in the new environment, with simulations showing a 40% increase in survival chances.
Researchers from the University of Zurich found that the diversity of megalodon's prey decreased, leading to its extinction. The team analyzed 200 records and reconstructed the species' range over time, concluding that competition with new predators was a key factor in its demise.
A recent study found that the San Nicolas Island fox population has extremely low genetic variation, making it vulnerable to extinction. Genetic rescue from other island fox subspecies could be necessary to preserve this important ecosystem member.
The Eastern migratory monarch population declined by 84 percent from 1996-1997 to 2014-2015. Increasing the average population size is crucial to providing a buffer against extinction. Reaching six hectares of occupied area in Mexico by 2020 could reduce the quasi-extinction risk over 20 years.
A recent study by three paleontologists reveals that over 85% of mammal species at high risk of extinction lack a fossil record. The researchers found that body size and geographical range are key factors in determining whether a species will leave behind a fossil legacy.
Scientists from three Brazilian universities and one UK university discovered a new fossil reptile, Teyujagua paradoxa, which lived 250 million years ago. The species is intermediate between primitive reptiles and archosauriforms, a group that includes dinosaurs and birds.
New research reveals that ichthyosaurs, highly diverse during their reign, were negatively affected by global changes leading to their extinction. A two-phase event suppressed ecological diversity and wiped out the group at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous period.
A team of researchers from the University of York conducted a first-of-its-kind study on Zanzibar's formation and fauna extinction. The study, which analyzed mangrove sediments and animal remains, found that large mammals like zebras and buffalo disappeared after sea levels rose and coastal cultures inhabited the island.
Researchers confirm shelled mammal as armadillo's ancestor, revealing recent ancestral connections that have long fascinated biologists. The study sheds light on the glyptodont's place within the Xenarthra group and its extinction during the Ice Age.
Researchers developed a new model to estimate male lion mortality, providing insights into human impact on populations. The model can be applied to various species facing local extinction, enabling data-driven conservation strategies.
Low oxygen levels hampered life's recovery after the Permian-Triassic extinction, which wiped out 90% of species. Oxygen levels didn't return to pre-extinction levels until 5 million years later, when climate stability increased.
A recent study has found that the majority of species are poorly known, making it difficult to determine their conservation status. Newly discovered species are often found to have smaller ranges and occupancies, as well as greater perceived extinction risk.
A CU-Boulder study reveals burned eggshell fragments indicate humans were collecting and cooking the eggs of now-extinct giant Australian bird Genyornis newtoni. The findings suggest early human predation played a substantial role in the species' extinction, contradicting climate change theories.
The study analyzed the fossil record and found a burst of evolution into new forms, followed by specialization that resulted in modern mammal groups. The team built an updated tree of life containing over 177 species, revealing a significant increase in mammal diversity after the extinction event.
Researchers used COMPADRE database to study 418 plant species, finding half of variation in life history is caused by growth rate and reproductive strategy. The study suggests understanding these patterns can help predict population persistence, extinction, and diversification.
Researchers find that extinction of fruit-eating animals like primates and tapirs disrupts seed dispersal, leading to a decline in heavy-wooded trees and reduced carbon storage. This loss affects the ecosystem's ability to counter climate change.
A new study shows that parasitic flies may drive Darwin's finch populations to extinction in several decades. However, a modest reduction in fly prevalence through human intervention could alleviate the risk. Researchers propose various methods for controlling the fly population, including introducing wasps and using insecticides.
A Yale-led study suggests that species rarity may be a key indicator of mass extinctions, which could provide an early warning system for the current biotic crisis. The researchers propose that monitoring changes in species and ecosystems can help scientists pinpoint mass extinctions before they become catastrophic.
A new study found that modern birds arose in what is now South America around 90 million years ago. The research suggests that birds survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event and then diversified during periods of global cooling, with diversification rates increasing as the climate cooled.
A new study provides a quantitative estimate of the effects of continental flood basalts on climate, vegetation, and oceans during the time of the dinosaurs. The researchers found that temperatures would cool by as much as 4.5 degrees Celsius due to volcanic gas emissions but return to normal within 50 years after an eruption ceased.
A new study estimates that up to 8,690 Amazonian tree species may face extinction, with more than half of the world's tropical tree species at risk. Protected areas and indigenous territories have made strides in preserving biodiversity, but further management is crucial to prevent extinctions.
Researchers developed a theory explaining the lifetime of turbulent flows by drawing an analogy with ecosystems near extinction. Computer simulations showed that turbulence excites and inhibits large-scale zonal flow, leading to oscillations in its intensity.
Researchers have identified Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola as the definitive cause of snake fungal disease (SFD) in eastern US snakes. The fungus causes skin lesions and can lead to mortality rates of up to 100% in some species, threatening extinction.
A 359 million-year-old mass extinction event triggered a drastic transformation in Earth's vertebrate community, with smaller fish dominating the oceans for at least 40 million years. The findings suggest that small, fast-reproducing fish possessed an evolutionary advantage over larger animals in the disturbed environment.
A study published in Current Biology confirms the phenomenon of horizontal extinction cascades, where the loss of one carnivore species can trigger the demise of fellow predators. The researchers' findings suggest that adopting a whole system approach is crucial for effective conservation.
A new study supports the Lilliput effect, where mass extinctions lead to temporary size reductions in species. Smaller vertebrates with higher reproductive rates and shorter lifespans were more resilient to extinction events, while large vertebrates struggled to adapt.
Researchers have found datable volcanic ash deposits in the Karoo Basin that suggest two phases of the extinction event occurred at least 1 million years apart, rather than concurrently. The study provides new insights into the timing and impact of the Great Dying, one of Earth's largest mass extinctions.
Researchers link large igneous provinces to extinction events and global warming due to greenhouse gases. Improved isotope dating confirms the long-proposed link between LIPs and catastrophic climatic change.
New data suggests that ancient humans played a role in the extinction of large mammals, birds and lizards in Australia. The study's findings place human predation as the most likely cause, with a 10,000-year lag between human arrival and impact on megafauna.
Researchers found a decrease in weaning age among fossil mammoths, suggesting human overhunting was the primary cause of their extinction. The study used nitrogen isotopes preserved in tusks to estimate weaning ages and found a significant decrease from 7 to 4 years.
Researchers from National Research Tomsk State University found that mammoths suffered from skeletal diseases due to chronic mineral hunger, leading to high traumatism and eventual extinction. The study suggests that geochemical stress caused by acidic landscapes may have played a crucial role in the demise of these majestic creatures.
The extinction of large herbivores during the Late Pleistocene led to significant changes in vegetation composition and landscape openness. This study reveals that large herbivores play a crucial role in shaping their environments, which has major consequences for other species and ecosystem processes.
New research supports the idea that human hunting contributed to the decline and extinction of large mammals in the Americas. The study found that the animals' demise began between 13,300-15,000 years ago in Alaska and spread southward across North America and into South America.
New study finds a cyclical pattern between impact craters and extinction events every 26 million years, suggesting a cause-and-effect relationship. This cosmic cycle is linked to periodic motion of the sun and planets, affecting life on Earth over the past 260 million years.
A study by University of Liverpool scientists found that amphibians using toxins for defense are at higher risk of extinction, contradicting a long-held evolutionary hypothesis. This discovery challenges our understanding of the relationship between defense mechanisms and species diversification.
Researchers found that weaning age decreased by about three years over 30,000 years leading up to the woolly mammoth's extinction. This shift suggests hunting pressure was a primary cause of extinction, contradicting previous hypotheses pointing to climate change.
Researchers used fossil data to analyze stability of ecological communities before and during the Permian-Triassic Extinction. The study found that locally stable webs increased while diversity richness declined. Stability was attributed to functional organization within species groups, not biodiversity loss.
New evidence suggests that a massive asteroid collision with Earth triggered increased volcanic activity in the Deccan region of India. High-resolution argon dating revealed a dramatic increase in eruption rate within 50,000 years of the impact.
A new study explores how ancient South African ecosystems responded to the 'big 5' mass extinction, revealing that species with important roles in food webs were most vulnerable to extinction. The research highlights the critical importance of understanding food webs in predicting community stability during times of great change.
New evidence shows that asteroid impact on Earth 66 million years ago accelerated volcanic eruptions in India for hundreds of thousands of years. The eruptions, known as the Deccan Traps, likely suppressed recovery of life for 500,000 years after the KT boundary.