Articles tagged with Natural History
A new study reconstructs the common ancestor of placental mammals using 'phylophenomics,' revealing they did not diversify into present-day lineages until after the K-Pg extinction event. The study combines genomic and phenomic data, visualizing a small, insect-eating animal as their common ancestor.
A new study using historical records from iconic naturalists Henry David Thoreau and Aldo Leopold found that native plants in the eastern US are flowering up to a month earlier due to climate change. This shift affects not only agricultural crops but also animals and insects that depend on these plants for survival.
Scientists discover ancient intermediate form of great white shark, which shows modern sharks descended from broad-toothed mako sharks. The discovery pushes the origin of great whites back 2 million years, challenging previous classifications.
The Climate and Urban Systems Partnership aims to educate Pittsburghers, New Yorkers, and other urbanites about how climate change will affect them. The partnership is developing city-specific educational programs about climate change in urban environments, including hands-on activities that connect with local organizations.
Researchers found that the northern map turtle population in Missouri has not recovered from a 50% decline caused by harvesting in the 1970s. The study highlights the importance of monitoring river turtles as indicators of water quality, which affects both humans and the environment.
The invasive Ophiothela mirabilis has established populations in the Atlantic, threatening coral reefs near Brazilian and Caribbean ports. Its ability to clone itself increases its proliferating capacity and dispersal, altering the ecology of Atlantic coral reef habitats.
A series of 18 articles in ZooKeys examines recent advances in imaging systems, data gathering techniques, and collaborative approaches to digitization. These efforts aim to create a global virtual natural history museum, providing unprecedented access to biodiversity records and research opportunities.
Scientists discovered a 5-foot-long fossil turtle with an extremely circular shell in Colombia. The shell may have discouraged predators and helped the cold-blooded turtle regulate its body temperature. This new species adds to evidence that tropical reptiles were larger than they are now after the dinosaurs' extinction.
A three-year $900,000 grant was awarded to Drs. Brian Brown and Art Borkent to inventory all species of flies living in a 100x200 meter area in Costa Rica, estimated to discover at least 3,000 new species. This project aims to better understand the importance of insects in ecosystems and gauge the impact of habitat change.
The 37-million-year-old Afrasia fossil closely resembles Afrotarsius libycus, indicating that early anthropoids colonized Africa shortly before these animals lived. This discovery supports the idea that Asian anthropoids are the source of earliest human ancestors.
Research found that ammonites made homes in unique environments surrounding methane seeps, forming integral part of interwoven communities. Isotope analysis revealed that these ancient mollusks spent their whole lives in these ecosystems.
An international group of scientists proposes a plan to describe 10 million species in less than 50 years, leveraging worldwide collections and technological advances. This mission aims to chart the biosphere and understand the origin, organization, and sustainability of biodiversity.
The Missouri Botanical Garden has received a $260,000 NEH grant to enhance its Biodiversity Heritage Library. The library's digitized texts now include software tools for automated image identification and description. This will allow users to search and filter images by type, color content, subject matter, or organism names.
Scientists have discovered that early horses, such as Sifrhippus, shrunk in size during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum due to rising temperatures. This study provides evidence of a one-to-one relationship between temperature change and body size evolution.
The EU-funded project ViBRANT has leveraged electronic infrastructures to accelerate biodiversity discoveries. Researchers from 17 European institutions have shared historical and newly collected data, enabling new insights into biodiversity.
A team of ecologists challenges the idea of a universal species-area relationship, finding that geometric constraints and biological effects shape the connection between species richness and plot size. They discovered specific geometric limits that restrict how quickly the number of species can increase with area.
A recent survey of Pacific sea turtles has identified 16 species of epibionts, including crabs and barnacles, that live on their shells. These organisms can cause drag and transmit disease, highlighting the importance of considering their impact on turtle health and ecology.
Paleontologist Guillermo Rougier and his team have reported the discovery of two skulls from the first known mammal of the early Late Cretaceous period in South America. The fossils provide a complete picture of the skull for the group, including extremely long canine teeth and a narrow muzzle.
A small fossil fragment at London's Natural History Museum has been identified as part of the world's largest toothed pterosaur, reaching a wingspan of up to 7 meters. The discovery provides insight into patterns of evolution among extinct groups and sheds light on why some species achieved giant sizes.
A new species of raptor dinosaur, Talos sampsoni, has been discovered in southern Utah, providing insights into the function of its enlarged talon and revealing a previously unknown level of feathered, bird-like characteristics. The study also sheds light on the behavior of theropod dinosaurs during the Late Cretaceous period.
A team of paleontologists has unearthed a 3.6 million-year-old woolly rhino fossil in the Himalayas, revealing key adaptations for surviving in cold environments. The discovery provides crucial insights into the evolution of Ice Age giants and challenges existing theories about their origins.
A 10-year population-based study reveals heartburn is a common condition affecting every fifth person, with higher incidence in those of normal weight or higher, impacting daily activities and quality of life. The study also found significant sociodemographic factors influencing heartburn experience.
The Morrison Natural History Museum has discovered infant dinosaur footprints, representing baby sauropods, in the Late Jurassic period. The tracks suggest that Morrison was an apatosaur nursery, with evidence of a running trackway demonstrating only hindpaw tracks.
The study reveals how Dracula orchids masquerade as mushrooms to lure flies, while goblin spiders, small and secretive, are redefined in their taxonomy. New species discoveries provide insights into pollination and conservation efforts.
A new discovery in Libya's Dur At-Talah escarpment suggests that anthropoids colonized Africa from Asia, rather than evolving there. The site yields three distinct families of anthropoid primates that lived in North Africa around 39 million years ago.
The discovery of well-preserved ammonites at cold methane seeps in the ancient seaway that covered North America during the Cretaceous Period has provided new insights into their paleobiology. These organisms thrived in these environments, consumed small prey, and often survived predation attempts.
Two new species of horned dinosaurs, Utahceratops and Kosmoceratops, have been discovered in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. The dinosaurs possess unique horn structures, with short eye horns projecting strongly to the side, and one horn over the nose, making them the most ornate-headed dinosaurs known.
New research reveals tyrannosaur diversity, including smaller species and earlier ancestors, has significantly expanded our understanding. A comprehensive evolutionary tree shows the group's complexity, challenging popular perceptions of T. rex as a singular apex predator.
A Galton-Darwin-Wedgwood pedigree has been found in the archives of Truman State University, revealing new insights into Charles Darwin's family life. The discovery, made by Professor Tim Berra, provides a unique window into the personal life of the famous scientist.
A $1.5 million NSF grant will consolidate data from 10 natural history bee collections across the US, including Cornell's 250,000-specimen collection. This effort aims to establish conservation status and predict risks to bee pollination services from climate change and habitat loss.
Researchers announce the discovery of a 3.6 million-year-old partial skeleton, nicknamed 'Kadanuumuu', which is almost as proficient in walking on two legs as modern humans. The finding confirms advanced human-like walking occurred much earlier than previously thought.
The article describes the publication of four new Neotropical plant species in the genus Solanum, governed by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN). Dr. Sandra Knapp, a leading plant taxonomist, separates the printing process from the publisher, enabling online-only publication while complying with ICBN rules.
A field study found that intermediate testosterone production is associated with increased survival and reproductive success in male dark-eyed juncos. The researchers also discovered that high and low testosterone levels lead to decreased survival rates, contradicting previous expectations.
A new fossil turtle species, Cerrejonemys wayuunaiki, was found in the Cerrejon coal mine in Colombia, dating back to 60 million years ago. The thick shell may have protected it from predators like the Titanoboa, a snake thought to be the world's biggest.
A new study explores the variability in fossil assemblages, finding that communities may be more resilient than thought. The researchers used living and fossil communities to investigate the factors affecting the low variability seen in fossil records.
Researchers discovered a nearly complete juvenile Diplodocus skull that reveals drastic changes in skull shape during normal growth. The discovery provides new insights into the feeding behavior of young Diplodocus, which may have been choosier browsers selecting high-quality plant parts.
Scott Russell Sanders' essay 'Mind in the Forest' has won the John Burroughs Award for its thought-provoking exploration of human connection with nature. The essay, written during a USDA Forest Service writers' residence, was recognized for its exceptional literary value and ability to reveal qualities of the forest previously invisibl...
Biologists have found grizzly bears roaming into traditional polar bear habitat in Wapusk National Park, increasing competition and potential predation on polar bears. The sighting of grizzlies was rare before 1996, but sightings have increased since then.
A team of researchers has completed a new analysis of the evolutionary relationships among arthropods, providing a solid grasp of what those relationships are. The study makes a major contribution to our understanding of the nature and origins of the planet's biodiversity.
Natural historians can now share and manage their data using the Scratchpads platform, which serves over 1100 users across 100 sites. The system allows users to create virtual workbenches to study aspects of organisms, promoting biodiversity informatics approaches.
A long-forgotten fossil skull has provided crucial clues to the early stages of tyrannosaur evolution. Proceratosaurus, an ancient ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex, shares many features with its famous descendant, including powerful biting apparatus and a bulky skull.
Researchers have discovered a new giant golden orb weaver spider species, Nephila komaci, in South Africa and Madagascar, which is the largest web-spinning spider known to science. The female spiders of this species can reach up to 1.5 inches in body length, while males are significantly smaller.
Researchers developed models to understand the growth and progression of serous ovarian cancer, identifying key properties for a biomarker-based screening test. The study aimed to guide rational design of an early detection strategy, potentially leading to improved outcomes for women diagnosed with this aggressive type of ovarian cancer.
The Academy of Natural Sciences' Ewell Sale Stewart Library has been accepted into the Biodiversity Heritage Library, a global initiative to preserve scientific literature on biodiversity. Over 35,500 volumes have been scanned and digitized, with over 14 million pages now available online.
Scientists have uncovered fossil evidence for reproduction using giant sperm in ostracods dating back to 100 million years ago. The discovery reveals an evolutionarily successful reproduction strategy that comes at a high price, investing energy in producing and carrying enormous sperm.
Dr. Jonathan Losos has made significant contributions to the knowledge of Caribbean ecosystems through his research on anole lizards. His work highlights the importance of natural selection, competition, and niche evolution in shaping assemblages of Anolis species.
Researchers from Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Canadian Museum of Nature discovered a carnivorous animal fossil, Puijila darwini, which is believed to be the 'missing link' between seals, sea lions, and walruses. The fossil provides evidence that pinnipeds went through a freshwater phase in their evolution.
A new fossil discovery at the Homer Site in Montana has revealed that Triceratops, a three-horned dinosaur, were likely social animals that congregated in small herds. The find indicates that juvenile Triceratops lived and traveled together, suggesting a unique behavior among ceratopsid relatives.
Russell Mittermeier, a leading expert on biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, will deliver the Roger Tory Peterson Memorial Lecture at Harvard University. He has been recognized for his critical work on biodiversity hotspots and species conservation, offering hope for the future of conservation efforts.
Researchers find 93 plant species are moving their flowering ranges to higher elevations due to rising summer temperatures. The study, which spanned 20 years, reveals some plants flowered farther uphill while others stopped at lower elevations.
A recent study published in Current Biology found that anatomists and others incorrectly depict quadruped walking in half of their depictions. The correct gait involves alternating legs, with animals differing only in timing. This mistake is often due to carelessness or reliance on incorrect models.
New research reveals that white eyes in the Zosteropidae family form new species at a faster rate than any other bird, with the fastest known rate among birds being around 2.24-3.16 species per million years. This supports the 'Great Speciator' hypothesis, suggesting intrinsic traits of sociability and adaptability drive the system.
Researchers from the American Museum of Natural History have identified three distinct species of African dwarf crocodiles through genetic analysis. The study reveals that these animals are diagnostically distinct and have been on their own evolutionary trajectory for a long time.
A new report published in Current Biology reveals that the Sunda colugo has at least three separate species, with each geographic region harboring its own unique species. The findings have important conservation implications for these enigmatic mammals.
Researchers found that smaller mosquitoes have higher infection rates and potential to transmit dengue virus than larger individuals. The study suggests that control strategies may benefit from producing larger, less competent adult mosquitoes in terms of infection, potentially mitigating dengue transmission.
A recent study published in The Southwestern Naturalist has shed light on the pollination habits of endangered Texas wild-rice (Zizania texana), revealing that pollen can only travel about 30 inches away from a parent plant. This information will be crucial for conservation efforts to reintroduce and propagate this rare aquatic grass.
The Hopi community of Orayvi split in 1906 due to the corruption of their ceremonial system, which failed to integrate outside pressure. The community divided by household rather than clan lineage, resulting in the establishment of new villages within a short radius.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium, has been recognized for his efforts to popularize science and technology through various outreach initiatives. He will receive the AAAS Public Understanding of Science & Technology Award, which acknowledges his dynamic leadership in engaging the public in science.
Researchers have identified a remarkably well-preserved fossil of the most primitive bat species known to date, Onychonycteris finneyi. The discovery reveals that bats evolved the ability to fly before developing echolocation, providing conclusive evidence for this evolutionary order.
Scientists unveil Velafrons coahuilensis, a massive duck-billed dinosaur from Mexico's Cerro del Pueblo Formation. The discovery provides valuable insights into the region's ecosystem and mass death events, challenging previous understanding of West America's Late Cretaceous history.