Extinction News

January 25, 2016

200 Million-Year-Old Jurassic Dinosaur

Bats: New Causes of Mass Mortality

How Climate Change Affects Cold-Blooded Animals

Sexual Selection Shown in Dinosaurs

Latest Headlines

updated 5:22pm EST

Coexisting With Dangerous Carnivores

Jan. 22, 2016 — A new study measures the psychological predictors of tolerance for tigers in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, where the large carnivores have a rocky and sometimes violent ... read more

Photos Show Elusive Bush Dog to Be Widespread in Panama

Jan. 19, 2016 — New camera trap photos capture the elusive bush dog in Panama on its way North as it expands out of South America. Bush dogs, Speothos venaticus, are short-legged and stubby, ... read more

The Five Bird Species That Darwin Couldn’t Discover in Madeira and the Azores

Jan. 22, 2016 — When Charles Darwin visited the Azores islands in the 19th Century, the birds he observed were familiar to him. However, if ... read more

'Twilight Zone' Fish Swim Silently With Forked Tails

Jan. 20, 2016 — Researchers have identified a way to predict which reef fish can live across a greater range of depths, increasing their chances of surviving natural disasters such as ... read more

Invasive Amphibian Fungus Could Threaten U.S. Salamander Populations

Jan. 20, 2016 — A deadly fungus causing population crashes in wild European salamanders could emerge in the United States and threaten already declining amphibians, according to a ... read more

Tropical Forest Protected Areas Can Protect Biodiversity

Jan. 19, 2016 — In one of the first tests of its kind, researchers use networks of camera traps to chart wildlife population changes, and find species faring ... read more

Robot-Subs Inform Protection of English Deep-Sea Corals

Jan. 18, 2016 — A fleet of robotic submarines has been used to map vulnerable cold-water coral reefs in the deep ocean off southwest England. This data set is being used to inform the ... read more

Deadly Amphibian Fungus May Decline, Study Finds

Jan. 14, 2016 — A new study offers a glimmer of hope for some amphibian populations decimated by the deadly chytrid fungus: climate change may make environmental conditions for the fungus ... read more

Tough Times for the Tree of Life on Coral Reefs

Jan. 12, 2016 — Marine scientists are calling for a re-think of how marine protected areas are planned and coordinated, following a global assessment of the conservation of tropical corals ... read more

Two New Species of Frogs Are Discovered in Madagascar

Jan. 12, 2016 — The Tsaratanana Massif –the highest mountain on Madagascar and one of the island's most remote regions– is home to several indigenous species. Yet, the majority of these ... read more

China’s Pandas Live a Pampered, Protected Life

More Than Half Of Amazonian Tree Species Face Extinction

'Frozen Ark' Collects Animal DNA in Face of Mass Extinction

Creating 'Super Coral' To Save Dying Coral Reefs

Global Analysis Reveals Why Many Bat Populations Are in Decline

Jan. 19, 2016 — Many of the 1,300 species of bat are considered to be threatened and declining. A new analysis reveals trends and causes of death in bats around the world, shedding new light on the possible factors ... read more

Swedish Capercaillies Are Becoming Real Citizens in Brandenburg

Jan. 19, 2016 — Using molecular genetic tools, scientists have demonstrated the existence of a grandchildren’s generation of capercaillies in the south of Brandenburg in East Germany. A pilot conservation project ... read more

Mothers' Appetites Can Keep Size of Wild Animal Groups in Check

Jan. 11, 2016 — The eating habits of mothers may be key to keeping wild animal populations steady, a study suggests. The discovery shows that the food intake of mothers -- which impacts on the appetite of their ... read more

The Status Quo on Europe's Mussels

Jan. 8, 2016 — Mussels are the natural treatment plants of bodies of water and, therefore, just as important as bees. Unfortunately, they are equally threatened: most of the world's mussel stocks are in ... read more

Trees Employ Similar Strategies to Outcompete Their Neighbors

Jan. 7, 2016 — Trees worldwide compete in some of the same ways, making simpler models of forest response to climate change possible, say researchers. The study demonstrated how 'personal' traits such as ... read more

Corals Respond to Changing Ocean Conditions by Altering Regulation of the DNA Message

Jan. 7, 2016 — Some corals may cope with climate change by changing markings on their DNA to modify what the DNA ... read more

Science-Driven Strategies for More Effective Endangered Species Recovery

Jan. 6, 2016 — 18 conservation researchers and practitioners propose six broad strategies to raise the effectiveness of the ESA for endangered species recovery, based on a thorough review of the scientific ... read more

Twenty New Freshwater Fish Species Uncovered in Australia

Jan. 6, 2016 — Researchers have discovered a record 20 new fish species while conducting fieldwork in the remote Kimberley, unveiling it as Australia's most biodiverse region for freshwater ... read more

Unique High-Resolution Map on Bat Diversity in Africa

Jan. 5, 2016 — A unique map of all 250 African bat species has been created on a high-resolution scale (1 km<sup>2</sup>). There are very few examples of biodiversity richness based on quantitative data ... read more

Impact of Seaweed-Covered Corals on Reef Fish

Jan. 4, 2016 — Butterflyfish avoid coral that has come in contact with seaweed, research shows. This is the first study to evaluate how coral-seaweed interactions affect coral associated reef fishes, a key ... read more

King Kong Was Inflexible: The Giant Ape Went Extinct 100,000 Years Ago, Due to Its Inability to Adapt

Jan. 4, 2016 — The demise of the giant ape <em>Gigantopithecus</em> has been the focus of recent study, where researchers have reached the conclusion that the presumably largest apes in geological ... read more

Second Contagious Form of Cancer Found in Tasmanian Devils

Dec. 28, 2015 — Transmissible cancers are believed to arise extremely rarely in nature. One of the few known transmissible cancers causes facial tumors in Tasmanian devils, and is threatening this species with ... read more

Tens of Millions of Trees in Danger from California Drought

Dec. 28, 2015 — California's forests are home to the planet's oldest, tallest and most-massive trees. New research reveals that up to 58 million large trees in California experienced severe canopy water ... read more

Reproduction, Stem Cell Researchers Set Up a Rescue Plan for Northern White Rhino

Dec. 22, 2015 — International scientists set up a rescue plan for the last three northern white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) on Earth. The goal is to use the remaining three rhinos and tissue samples from ... read more

Targeted Fisheries Management Needed to Promote Healthy Coral Reefs

Dec. 21, 2015 — The designation of marine protected areas in the coral reefs of East Africa may not be the only solution to overfishing. A scientist says that's because broad protections like the establishment ... read more

Mammal Diversity Exploded Immediately After Dinosaur Extinction

Dec. 21, 2015 — The diversity of mammals on Earth exploded straight after the dinosaur extinction event, according to new research. New analysis of the fossil record shows that placental mammals, the group that ... read more

Coral Symbionts Take to the Open Ocean

Dec. 21, 2015 — Symbiodinium is a unicellular alga that plays a major role in coral reefs by forming symbiotic partnerships with invertebrates, providing them with the ability to photosynthesize. For the first time, ... read more

Scientists Discover Rare Sea Snakes, Previously Thought Extinct, Off Western Australia

Dec. 21, 2015 — Scientists have discovered two critically endangered species of sea snakes, previously thought to be extinct, off the coast of Western Australia.It's the first time the snakes have been spotted ... read more

Extinction of Large Animals Could Make Climate Change Worse

Dec. 18, 2015 — The extinction of large animals from tropical forests could make climate change worse. New research reveals that a decline in fruit-eating animals such as large primates, tapirs and toucans could ... read more

Darwin's Finches May Face Extinction

Dec. 18, 2015 — Mathematical simulations show parasitic flies may spell extinction for Darwin's finches in the Galapagos Islands, but that pest-control efforts might save the birds that helped inspire the ... read more

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Monday, January 11, 2016