ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE

In Chimpanzee Sexual Selection, Nice Guys Finish Last

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE Behavioral studies of our close relatives the chimpanzee often reveal origins of what we believe to be distinctly “human” interactions. Grooming behavior, child rearing and even gang formation have all been identified in chimpanzee populations, but in a recent study conducted in Tanzania, researchers from Arizona State University say that they may have found the origins or far more disturbing behavior—bullying and male-on-female violence.

A Fisherman’s Tale—5,000 Year Old Footprints Found in Denmark “Fjord”

Those who have fishermen in the family know that the tales of fishing trips are often folkloric at their best. But would you be surprised to hear that ancient tales of a fishing trip, and perhaps some footprints to document the trip, may be one of the most important archaeological finds of the decade? Well it turns out neither did the pair of fishermen whose ever move was recorded below them in a shifting seabed, 5,000 years ago in the frigid waters of the southern Baltic Sea.

Climate Change May Spark A Wildfire Or Two in Our Future

In a year with news full of UN summits and celebrity spokespersons speaking out against climate change, further complicated by the emissions we as humans put out, new research says that the incremental changes over the next century may spark some more conversations as well as lightning strikes across the continental United States.

Wildfires May Fill our Future as Climate Change Sparks Lightning

Anthropogenic climate change, caused by the actions and emissions put forth by humans, has been a major conversation starter in recent months. But new research released today in the journal Science says that we may be looking at a future filled with a few more sparks rather than just warmer summers and rising seas.

Coalition Sues Fish & Wildlife Service For Fate of Mexican Gray Wolves

Early Wednesday morning, Nov. 12, after alleging that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has failed to develop a comprehensive and viable recovery plan for the endangered Mexican Gray Wolf, a coalition of conservation organizations filed a lawsuit against the government agency seeking a court order demanding that such a plan be developed.

Cat Genome Explains How a Wild Cat Became Domesticated

Genes reveal how cats became domesticated A cat's usually aristocratic, aloof, and I-don't-care attitude may be the outcome of a mixed domesticity and wildness that took place in the not-so-distant past.

Just Because Bats Are Blind Doesn’t Mean They Can’t Compete

As species that primarily navigate with their ears and not their eyes, bats are fairly amazing creatures. Their abilities to track predators, prey and hear sounds far beyond what humans can hear, makes these echolocators quite impressive specimens. But new research reveals that their sonar signals may have an additional function as well -- to jam up competitors, and steal their prey.

1Kite Study Reveals Origins of Insects and Perhaps Our Origins Too

While bacteria win the award for largest species abundance, and Archaea take the award for oldest organisms known to man, the most abundant animal on the face of the Earth is still the formidable and diverse phyla arthropoda—which include all species of insects. They come in an array of shapes and sizes, and compose nearly 80 percent of all animal species identified by man to date, and there are still undoubtedly thousands of species we’ve yet to find. But researchers believe that the diverse little creepy crawly bunch may hold more secrets than they let on, perhaps even secrets about our very own evolutionary origins.

Why Researchers Have to Go In Disguise—The Penguin in the Room

Looking for a way to observe king penguin colonies in the ice fields of Antarctica, researchers led by Yvon Le Maho from the University of Strasbourg, France developed a fluffy little rover shaped in the image of a penguin chick so that they could get an up-close view of the male penguins’ nesting behaviors.

Rare “Fallstreak” Cloud Sparks Mystery Across Australia

Earlier this week Australians caught a glimpse of a bizarre sight in their morning sky, something that’s not only rare, but also quite strange to see. Looking like a vortex for clouds, with a looming rainbow trapped in the center, Australians across the continent snapped shots of what they thought was an alien spacecraft, or rather a hole in the atmosphere. Taking to social media, the strange images garnered much attention, but as soon as the mystery was up, the strange solution was found.

Ten Unknown Secrets About the Star of Thanksgiving Dinner—Turkeys

It’s the start of November, and that means the holiday season is fast approaching. Shorter days, sweet desserts and family dinners are on their way, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a bit of time left for some learning. So today we’re taking a familiar face and learning ten new facts about the giblets and meat that we’ve come to know as our Thanksgiving turkey dinner.

Penguin-Friendly Rover Finds Its Place Amongst the Crowd

It’s a story, much like the ones you’ve heard before. An orphaned bird must stand alone within its flock, to find its own place amongst its peers. But this isn’t the story of an ugly little duckling that turns into a swan, or one of a tap-dancing emperor penguin with a knack for hip hop. This is a tale of a remote-operated rover that brought researchers into the fold of a penguin colony, for a view unlike anything we’ve seen before.

Vampire-Like Deer Reveals Itself in Time for Halloween

It’s a fanged creature unlike any other, and it clearly won’t need a costume this Halloween. The unusual herbivore, the Kashmir Musk Deer is a species that was once native to the northern ranges of Afghanistan. Though, in spite of the fact that the species has not been seen for more than 60 years, a team of researchers headed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) recently revealed that more than a handful of the rare species have been identified in alpine meadows of northeast Afghanistan, just in time to come out for Halloween.

Endangered Gray Wolf May Have Made a Trip to Grand Canyon

It’s a photo worth a thousand words, and one of a near impossible candidate. Captured in the national forest near Grand Canyon National Park, authorities revealed Thursday Oct. 30 that a collared endangered gray wolf from the northern Rocky Mountains may be roaming the lands. A species that environmentalists and national park officials haven’t seen since the 1940’s when the gray wolf was driven to extinction in the area.
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