Articles tagged with Megafauna
A new study found that North American mammal communities have become more than twice as homogenous as they were 10,000 years ago, primarily due to early human hunting and farming activities. The accelerated homogenization is likely linked to the spate of large-mammal extinctions, which increased similarity among remaining species.
Flinders University researchers describe a new genus of giant fossil kangaroo from PNG, diverging from Australian kangaroos and belonging to a unique species. The discovery sheds light on New Guinea's faunal history, with the animal likely evolving from ancient lineages in the late Miocene epoch.
Researchers at the University of Washington discovered that African wild dogs, a highly endangered species, shifted their breeding dates later in response to changing temperatures, leading to reduced pup survival rates. The study highlights how large predators can be vulnerable to climate change and its impact on life history events.
A new study reveals that red pandas are being driven closer to extinction due to human activities such as infrastructure projects and habitat fragmentation. The research suggests that minimizing human-induced disturbances is crucial for the survival of this species.
A team of researchers has identified the ancient bird species behind giant prehistoric eggs in Australia, resolving a years-long debate. The study found that the eggs belonged to a unique duck-like line of megafauna known as the 'Demon Ducks of Doom', which was laid by the Genyornis newtoni bird.
A massive volcanic eruption at the end of the Triassic period caused a global cooling effect, leading to the mass extinction. The event paved the way for the rise of dinosaurs as their natural predators went extinct.
Researchers found physical differences in femur, dental structures across specimens suggesting re-categorization into three groups or species. Two new species, T. imperator and T. regina, are proposed based on analysis of 37 Tyrannosaurus specimens.
A new study published in PNAS found that large mammals died out at the end of the last ice age due to a warming climate and vegetation expansion. Rewilding efforts with animals like bison and horses are unlikely to reverse this trend, as climate change remains the primary driver of ecosystem changes.
A team of researchers has uncovered a previously unrecognised process contributing to the disappearance of ancient megafauna communities across south-eastern Australia. Changing food supply driven by climatic changes or human land use in the Late Pleistocene era might have facilitated the extinction of the biggest herbivores.
New research reveals humans played a significant role in the extinction of woolly mammoths, contributing to population declines and range collapses. The study shows that human hunting, combined with climate change, led to the species' demise in Eurasia thousands of years earlier than previously thought.
New research reveals that blue, fin and humpback whales consume an average of three times more food each year than scientists previously estimated. This increased consumption plays a crucial role in maintaining ocean health and productivity by recycling key nutrients.
Early human arrival on islands may not have contributed to insular fauna extinction. However, anthropogenic activity increased during the Holocene Epoch, accelerating extinctions.
New research suggests climate change, not overhunting by humans, led to the extinction of mammoths and other megafauna in North America. The findings, based on a new statistical modelling approach, show that drastic temperature swings around 13,000 years ago initiated the decline and extinction of these massive creatures.
A recent study suggests that heightened human activities and a severe region-wide aridity spell contributed to the megafauna collapse in Madagascar. The researchers analyzed paleoclimate records from the Mascarene islands, revealing a 'double whammy' of stressors that may have doomed the extinct species.
Researchers found that the loss of grasslands was instrumental in the extinction of many megafauna, including ancient humans like Homo erectus. Tropical forests dominated the region from present-day Myanmar to Indonesia, but began to give way to savannah environments around a million years ago.
Research from Curtin University analyzed ancient DNA to understand the causes of animal extinctions during the Ice Age. The study found that while plant diversity recovered as climate warmed, large animal diversity did not recover, suggesting human hunting was a major factor in megafauna extinction.
A study by Aarhus University and Nanjing University found that cultural evolution, not climate change, was the main driver of historical broad-scale biodiversity dynamics. The researchers identified the spread of agricultural land and Han culture as the cause of the extirpation of five megafauna species from much of China.
A new study published today suggests that a combination of climate change and human activity led to the extinction of Australia's megafauna. The research analyzed fossil data, climate reconstructions, and archaeological information to test scenarios explaining regional variation in megafauna coexistence with humans.
Researchers studied African megafauna diet and gut microbiome, finding correlations between diet composition and microbiome composition. Seasonal changes in diet and microbiome were observed, with some species exhibiting little variability and others showing significant differences.
The study found a significant decline in global freshwater megafauna populations, with large fish species like sturgeons and salmonids facing the highest threats. Conservation efforts have shown some success, but monitoring and protection remain inadequate for many species.
Researchers used images from tourists to study the smalleye stingray, finding individuals migrated hundreds of kilometers along the coastline. The findings highlight the need for more knowledge about this endangered species' ecology and behavior to inform conservation efforts.
Researchers suggest that large, slow-breeding animals require 'demographic safe spaces' to maintain non-negative population growth rates. Conservation efforts for Asian elephants and other species can focus on enhancing survival of females and calves to prevent extinction.
Researchers re-dated giant ground sloth remains, challenging popular hypothesis that megamammals survived into the Holocene. Their findings suggest humans hunted and butchered the animal near a swamp during the end of the Pleistocene.
At least 200 large animal species are declining in population and over 150 are under threat of extinction due to humans' meat consumption habits. Megafauna populations are experiencing a 70% decline, with 59% facing extinction.
Researchers at North Carolina State University found that drones can be used to count and make species-level identifications of marine megafauna, particularly in shallow marine environments. The technology offers a valuable platform for scientists and conservationists to study populations and inform conservation efforts.
A new study suggests that climate change played a significant role in the extinction of giant Ice Age animals in Australia. The analysis of fossil teeth found that as the climate dried out and became more arid, the diets of these megafaunal herbivores shifted dramatically, reducing their ability to consume certain types of plants.
A team of 43 wildlife experts warns that preventing the extinction of iconic species like gorillas and tigers demands bold political action and financial commitments. The scientists highlight the urgent need to address threats such as illegal hunting, deforestation, and habitat loss.
A group of international conservation scientists has issued a call for actions to halt further declines of large wild-animal species. The authors emphasize that an extinction crisis is unfolding for megafauna, with 59% of carnivores and 60% of herbivores classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List.
A global plan is necessary to prevent the extinction of megafauna, including elephants, rhinos, and big cats, which play critical roles in ecosystems. The study highlights the need for coordinated conservation efforts to address threats like illegal hunting, deforestation, and human-wildlife conflict.
A new study reveals that Ice Age species, including sabre-toothed cats and giant sloths, died off around 12,300 years ago due to a combination of human arrival and rapid warming. The research found that it was only when the climate warmed, long after humans first arrived in Patagonia, did the megafauna suddenly disappear.
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.
Scientists confirm human activity, not climate change, as main driver of megafauna extinction over the last 80,000 years. The study's findings shed light on a long-standing debate and suggest that early humans were responsible for the demise of iconic species such as the woolly mammoth and sabretooth tiger.
A team of researchers has discovered that abrupt warming events played a key role in the mass extinction of megafauna during the last ice age. The study found that rapid warming, not sudden cold snaps, was the cause of extinctions among species such as mammoths and giant sloths.
Scientists successfully extracted DNA from Australia's extinct giant kangaroos, confirming their close relationship with modern macropods. The study also sheds light on the distinct lineage of short-faced kangaroos and highlights the importance of conservation for endangered species like the banded hare-wallaby.
A recent review of evidence suggests that humans were unlikely to have been the primary drivers of megafauna extinction in Australia, with climate change instead being the main culprit. The study challenges long-held assumptions and highlights the complexity of this issue.
Scientists analyzed data from an Antarctic ice core and arrival of modern humans to determine that a combination of human pressure and climate change led to the extinction of many large animals. The research provides insights into the consequences of pressures on megafauna living today, including tigers and rhinos.
A team of researchers from Washington University in St. Louis has found no evidence of nanodiamonds, a key component of the YD impact hypothesis, in sedimentary deposits dating to the Younger Dryas period. The discovery suggests that the catastrophic event thought to have killed off North American megafauna may not have occurred.
A new scientific paper provides strong evidence that humans caused the extinction of Australia's megafauna, rather than climate change. Direct dating methods show that humans and megafauna co-existed for a short time, supporting the argument that hunting led to their demise.
Research by UK and Australian scientists suggests that humans hunted Tasmania's giant kangaroos and marsupial 'rhinos' and 'leopards' until their extinction, contrary to previous climate change theories. The findings provide the first evidence of human involvement in the mass extinction event, which took place around 41,000 years ago.
A new study from Queensland University of Technology finds that climate change caused a series of massive droughts to kill giant kangaroos and other megafauna in south-east Queensland 40,000 years ago. The research provides evidence that the prehistoric big dry was responsible for extinctions, contradicting some theories that humans we...
A study of megafauna extinctions during the late Pleistocene reveals that both climate change and human activities played significant roles in driving species to extinction. The research, published in Science, suggests that humans and climate change were a one-two punch that led to the loss of many large mammal species.
The TOPP program will track the movements of 15 species, including great white sharks and tuna fish, across immense Pacific Ocean areas. Scientists aim to understand migration patterns, diving behaviors, and ocean conditions affecting these marine animals.