Articles tagged with Extinction
Research suggests that consuming flying foxes, foraged on cycad seeds with high neurotoxin levels, may be a source of ALS-PDC. Economic changes in Guam led to increased hunting and trade of bats, contributing to the disease's rapid spread and decline.
A computer model reveals that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can lead to the extinction of natural populations in as few as 20 generations. The research also identifies an 'invasion risk' where introduced genes spread through the population without reducing overall size.
Wild meat harvesting is a major threat to threatened species, with big mammals and conspicuous birds being most at risk. Conservation biologists and organizations must work together to address poverty and unmanaged wildlife use to mitigate overhunting.
Researchers at Stanford University found that extreme climate variability in the past 70 years hastened the extinction of Bay Area checkerspot butterfly populations. The study tied climate variability to a mechanism and showed that population extinctions are a prelude to species extinctions, threatening ecosystem services.
The study found that only the Permian and Cretaceous extinction events led to significant changes in ocean ecosystem structure. The analysis suggests that life's evolution played a crucial role in shaping these ecosystems after the massive extinctions.
A study suggests that the global extinction crisis is more severe than previously thought, with over 50% of declining mammal species losing historic ranges. Population extinctions are concentrated in densely populated areas, such as Southeast Asia and Eastern states.
Lawrence H. Tanner found evidence of a Manicouagan impact causing an earthquake in the Fundy Rift Basin, a sedimentary basin 700 km away from the impact site. The association between the impact and paleoseismicity was made using shocked quartz grains, providing a stratigraphic context for the event.
The use of biased conservation lists is exacerbating the rate of species extinctions, according to Associate Professor Mark Burgman. The lists focus on large, spectacular species, neglecting lesser-studied groups that are more vulnerable to extinction.
The study, led by UC Berkeley professor James Kirchner, found that the diversification of life obeys 'speed limits' set by evolutionary processes. Biodiversity takes time to recover after an extinction due to complex ecological niche building and evolution.
Researchers are studying ancient plant fossils in the Arctic to understand how plants adapted to harsh climates and survived continental-drift events. By analyzing fossilized leaves, stems, and roots, scientists can infer climate conditions and predict where tropical forests once existed.
The total number of living species is uncertain due to uneven taxonomic coverage and statistical barriers. Alroy estimates that one in five currently used species names may be invalid, posing a critical issue for species at risk of extinction.
A new climate model proposes that geographic range changes and body size played a primary role in the extinction of large mammals during the Pleistocene era. The study suggests that as animals' geographic ranges decreased over time, their probability of extinction increased, especially in harsh environments.
A University of Cincinnati geologist has found that genera appearing after mass extinctions survived for longer periods than those that emerged at other times. The trend is attributed to their generalist characteristics, which allowed them to adapt to new geographic and environmental distributions.
A new study by Cardillo and Bromham found that medium-sized mammals were not at greater risk of extinction, contrary to the widely accepted theory. Instead, small mammal species are the least vulnerable to extinction due to high population densities and reproductive rates.
A study by Jonathan B. Losos and Dolph Schluter found that the diversity of lizard species on larger Caribbean islands is primarily due to evolutionary processes, rather than colonization and extinction. The researchers used the Caribbean lizard phylogeny to estimate the number of immigration and speciation events on the islands.
The extinction of the Miss Waldron's red colobus monkey is a warning sign of an impending ecological disaster in West Africa. The loss of large-bodied monkeys, including primates and forest antelope, threatens the region's biodiversity, highlighting the need for improved law enforcement, protected areas, and conservation education.
Researchers analyze three whale species to assess their recovery status and develop novel approaches to understanding decline. The study highlights the difficulties in determining when a population has recovered, emphasizing the need for data-driven conservation policy.
A Penn State biologist has identified 13 sunfish and sucker species as being at high risk of extinction, primarily due to their isolated distributions and limited geographical range sizes. The study found that larger body size is associated with a higher risk of extinction in sunfish, but not in suckers.
New research in Conservation Biology found that fragmented rainforests can lose biodiversity for a century. The study, led by Thomas Brooks, suggests that conserving the most-recently isolated fragments will save the greatest number of species from extinction.
Experts argue that conservation biologists should move away from simplistic predictive models based on population size to conserve species effectively. John Wehausen analyzed California bighorn populations and found that many small populations persisted for 50 years, contradicting predictions made by a 1990 model.
Researchers used eggshells from an enormous flightless bird to determine the timing and cause of Australia's megafaunal extinction event. The study suggests human activities, such as burning, disrupted ecological balance, leading to the demise of over 85% of large animals.
A recent study suggests that early human activity in Australia may have contributed to the extinction of most large animal species. The research team used dating techniques to determine that an ostrich-sized bird called Genyornis newtoni went extinct around 50,000 years ago.
The research proposes that cosmic ray jets can cause lethal amounts of muons, destroying the ozone layer and creating new species through rapid mutations. The theory explains key characteristics of massive extinctions and suggests ways to gather evidence for past catastrophes.
Researchers believe a sudden shift in vegetation, triggered by changing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and the dominance of C-4 grasses, led to a massive extinction event that wiped out many equine species. The long teeth of surviving horses allowed them to adapt to their environment, ensuring their survival.