Secret mission saves Australia's 'dinosaur trees' from bush fires
A secret operation by specialist firefighters has saved the world's last stand of Wollemi pines, a prehistoric species known as "dinosaur trees," from Australia's unprecedented bush fires, officials said. Fewer than 200 of the trees exist in the wild, hidden in a gorge in the ...
Deep-sea microbe found off Japan sheds light on primordial evolutionary milestone
A microorganism scooped up in deep-sea mud off Japan's coast has helped scientists unlock the mystery of one of the watershed evolutionary events for life on Earth: the transition from the simple cells that first colonized the planet to complex cellular life — fungi, ...
Koalas could be classified 'endangered' after fires decimate population
Australia's koala population has taken such an "extraordinary hit" from the wildfires sweeping the country that the marsupial could be classified as endangered in some areas, according to Environment Minister Sussan Ley. Ley announced a 50 million Australian dollar ($35 million) funding package on Monday ...
Species-saving Galapagos giant tortoise Diego to be freed on native isle after 80 years abroad
Job done, the prolific Galapagos giant tortoise Diego is being released back into the wild after being credited by authorities with almost single-handedly saving his species from extinction. The 100-year-old tortoise, who was recruited along with 14 other adults for a captive breeding program, will ...
Parrots found to volunteer help selflessly, rare among animals
Acting selflessly to help others in need was long thought to be a trait confined to mammals, in particular humans and great apes. But a new study has found that African gray parrots volunteer assistance to both their good friends and mere acquaintances — even ...
Wildfires threaten unique critters on Kangaroo Island, Australia's 'Galapagos Islands'
It has been described as "Australia's Galapagos Islands" and has long been a refuge for some of the country's most endangered creatures. But devastating wildfires over recent days have undone decades of careful conservation work on Kangaroo Island, located off the coast of South ...
Seven whales were successfully herded back to sea after they survived a mass stranding at a New Zealand beach on Saturday, conservation officials said. About 1,000 locals and vacationers had spent several hours comforting the beached whales on the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island. They ...
Dwarf Tyrannosaurus rex species probably did not exist, study says
For three decades, paleontologists have been split over a provocative question: Did a dwarf species of Tyrannosaurus rex once exist? In 1988, paleontologist Robert Bakker and his colleagues at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History reclassified a specimen that had been discovered in 1942 and ...
'Clock' predicting animal life spans created from analyzing DNA
An Australian research team has come up with a "lifespan clock" that provides accurate maximum age estimates for vertebrates, a key variable in the study of both living and extinct animals. The scientists identified specific areas — called CpG sites — in DNA that have ...
North America's bird shrinkage documented, with a crash and a splat
Since 1978, researchers have scooped up and measured tens of thousands of birds that died after crashing into buildings in Chicago during spring and fall migrations. Their work has documented what might be called the incredible shrinking bird. A study published on Wednesday involving 70,716 ...
Killer crocodiles: Why are more East Timorese being attacked?
Mario da Cruz could only watch in horror as a small army of crocodiles killed a child on an East Timor beach — another victim of the tiny nation's soaring rate of attacks. Such incidents have jumped more than twentyfold over the past two decades, ...
Alpine ecosystems at risk in 10 prefectures from climate change, researchers warn
Alpine animals and plants in 10 of Japan's 47 prefectures, such as Hokkaido, are likely to lose habitats within the country by the end of the 21st century as global warming worsens, a Japanese research team reported Wednesday. As temperatures in their living environments gradually ...
