7+ hour, 54+ min ago  (816+ words) DNA taken from elephant dung revealed that Angola's elephants living at high elevations belong to a distinct genetic lineage connected to elephants in Namibia. DNA recovered from elephant dung offered an unexpected answer. The ghost elephants are genetically different from…...

5+ day, 3+ hour ago  (862+ words) Cape leopards are small, genetically distinct, and locally adapted, making them a conservation priority in one of Africa's most unusual landscapes. Animals of the same species don't always look the same. Birds may have different beak shapes, while mammals can…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago  (351+ words) A new green pitviper species discovered in Sichuan, China, was confirmed through genetic analysis and named after the philosopher Laozi. A newly identified pitviper with bright grass-green scales and amber-colored eyes has been discovered in the misty mountains of western…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago  (459+ words) Do parrots actually use names the way humans do? A new study analyzing hundreds of captive parrots reveals surprisingly complex social communication. Like many animals, parrots produce calls that can sound as though they are communicating with one another, perhaps…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago  (802+ words) When wolves bring down prey in Yellowstone National Park, ravens often appear almost immediately. Long before the predators finish feeding, the birds gather nearby to grab scraps of meat. Their ability to locate fresh kills so quickly has puzzled observers…...

3+ week, 14+ hour ago  (378+ words) A decades-long experiment in a Massachusetts forest is uncovering unexpected behavior in soil carbon. After nearly 40 years, the longest-running soil warming experiment in the world is producing an unexpected finding. What was once considered long-term, "stable" carbon in forest soils…...

3+ week, 1+ day ago  (515+ words) A small but consistent difference in how birds respond to approaching humans hints at hidden cues shaping animal behavior. An international team of scientists has uncovered an unexpected pattern in how city birds respond to people. Species such as great…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago  (585+ words) The study, published in the journal Science, focuses on "mesothermic" fishes. These are a rare group, making up less than 0. 1% of all fish species, that can retain body heat and keep parts of their bodies warmer than the surrounding water....

1+ mon, 3+ day ago  (849+ words) A cemetery hosts millions of vital pollinator bees, showing their ecological importance and the need to preserve their habitats. To cut costs, Rachel Fordyce used to park for free at Ithaca's East Hill Plaza and walk through East Lawn Cemetery…...

1+ mon, 3+ week ago  (544+ words) Warming river temperatures are causing invasive northern pike to eat more fish, threatening already declining salmon populations. The trend is expected to worsen with continued climate change, raising concerns about ecosystem impacts. Rising temperatures in a river in south-central Alaska…...