FLORA FAUNA

5,060 articles

Biologist gains insight into genetic evolution of birds
Dec 12, 2014 (SPX)
A University of Nebraska-Lincoln researcher has contributed to discoveries about bird evolution as part of a new study that sequenced the complete genomes of 45...
The avian tree of life
Dec 12, 2014 (SPX)
An international effort to sequence the genomes of 45 avian species has yielded the most reliable tree of life for birds to date. This new avian family tree hel...
International team maps 'big bang' of bird evolution
Dec 12, 2014 (SPX)
The genomes of modern birds tell a story of how they emerged and evolved after the mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs and almost everything else 66 millio...
Climate change projected to drive species northward
Dec 12, 2014 (SPX)
Anticipated changes in climate will push West Coast marine species from sharks to salmon northward an average of 30 kilometers per decade, shaking up fish commu...
Genes tell story of birdsong and human speech
Dec 12, 2014 (SPX)
His office is filled with all sorts of bird books, but Duke neuroscientist Erich Jarvis didn't become an expert on the avian family tree because of any particul...
Computer scientists at UT Austin crack code for redrawing bird family tree
Dec 12, 2014 (SPX)
A new computational technique developed at The University of Texas at Austin has enabled an international consortium to produce an avian tree of life that point...
Rhino horn trafficking up 30-fold: wildlife group
Dec 11, 2014 (AFP)
The trafficking of African rhinoceros horn on the black market has surged 30-fold in the past 13 years and is now running "out of control," animal protection ad...
Climate change challenge for animals reliant on external sources of heat
Dec 10, 2014 (SPX)
Animals that regulate their body temperature through the external environment may be resilient to some climate change but not keep pace with rapid change, leadi...
UBC team finds a glitch in hummingbird hovering
Dec 10, 2014 (SPX)
Hummingbirds rely on their ability to hover in order to feed off the nectar of flowers. It's an incredible feat of flying requiring mind boggling visual process...
Parasites and the evolution of primate culture
Dec 09, 2014 (SPX)
Learning from others and innovation have undoubtedly helped advance civilization. But these behaviours can carry costs as well as benefits. And a new study by a...
Elephant slaughter, China ivory sales 'out of control'
Dec 09, 2014 (AFP)
The slaughter of Africa's elephants and the illegal trade in ivory in China are "out of control" and could push wild elephants to extinction within a generation...
The benefits of eating second
Dec 09, 2014 (UPI)
Great tits, a species of passerine birds found in Europe and Asia, are known mostly for their versatile diet and impressive intelligence. Now, a new study prove...
Audubon recruiting bird counters across the country
Dec 08, 2014 (UPI)
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is the longest running citizen science project in the world, and it's almost time to start the annual tally once more. And whil...
Giraffe population down 40 percent in past 15 years, could face extinction
Dec 06, 2014 (UPI)
According to a new report from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF), the overall giraffe population has declined by over 40 percent in the past 15 years. "...
Borneo Orangutan dies with 40 pellets in her body: group
Dec 05, 2014 (AFP)
An orangutan has died after being found on a palm oil plantation in Borneo with 40 air-rifle pellets in her body, an animal protection group said Friday. The ad...
Some plants evolve to withstand, thwart hungry deer
Dec 05, 2014 (UPI)
As any gardener or farmer knows, a hungry deer is rather indiscriminate in its produce consumption -- flowers, leaves and fruits of all kinds are fair game. To ...
Electric eels deliver Taser-like shocks
Dec 05, 2014 (SPX)
The electric eel - the scaleless Amazonian fish that can deliver an electrical jolt strong enough to knock down a full-grown horse - possesses an electroshock s...
Researchers get a rabbit's-eye view
Dec 04, 2014 (SPX)
As the two foolish pigs learned before running to their brother's solidly built house of bricks for safety, when the wolf comes calling, the quality of your she...
American mastodons made warm Arctic, subarctic temporary home
Dec 03, 2014 (SPX)
Existing age estimates of American mastodon fossils indicate that these extinct relatives of elephants lived in the Arctic and Subarctic when the area was cover...
Mass extinction led to many new species of bony fish
Dec 03, 2014 (SPX)
Today, ray-finned fish, which belong to the bony fish, are by far the most biodiverse fish group in both salt- and freshwater. Their spectacular variety of form...
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