How Zebra Stripes and Rising Sea Levels Have More In Common Than You Thought

Medicine & Technology Jan 16, 2015

Though the two may seem entirely unrelated at first, one being a long misunderstood mystery and the other the byproduct of climate change, a new study reveals that a zebra’s stripes may too be caused by environmental factors making our sea levels rise.

How Zebras Got Their Stripes & Why Climate Change is Likely to Blame

Jan 15, 2015

While they're not alone in the vast wonders of Africa's abundant plains, zebras in particular have posed quite a quandary to scientists in past decades. Their unique striping of black and white have always sparked interest in their study, but the ever failing hypotheses quickly discouraged the discovery of their significance-if any at all. But while many researchers have failed in associating the stripes with social order of a herd or even as camouflaging tactics in the wild, a new study published this month in the journal Royal Society Open Science, researchers have discovered that the stripes are much more like a tan than we think.

Endangered Subspecies of Giraffe Born in Chester Zoo, Raising Hope For The Future of The Species

Dec 31, 2014

The tallest terrestrial animal on the planet, giraffes, occupy the scorching plains of Sub-Saharan Africa. And, despite popular knowledge, "giraffe" is what scientists like to call an umbrella common name, consisting of, at least 9 different subspecies. And while some subspecies are more abundant than the rest, one particular subspecies that is quite endangered has new hope on the horizon. On December 29th, a Rothschild's giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis thornicrofti) calf, named Zahra, was born at the Chester Zoo in England, added some new genetic variation into the small population left in captivity of Rothschild's giraffes.

What’s Happening to All Our Giraffes? The Disappearing Species Faces Silent Extinction

Dec 08, 2014

In what perhaps may be the most shocking upset in the news this week, ecologist revealed last Friday, Dec. 5, that giraffes may be headed towards extinction – and it’s in part due to a lack of awareness of dangers facing the African species. While contemporary studies in Africa’s central savannahs have revealed the collected threats that human encroachment , habitat loss and black market poaching has posed to wildlife communities, researchers say that giraffes are amongst some of the hardest hit populations in the long list of black market species. And without significant change in the way giraffes are protected, they may disappear all together within a matter years.

Ebola epidemic likely to explode by mid-December, according to Yale researchers

Oct 24, 2014

Researchers from Yale University says that ebola would kill 90,000 people by December 2014 if swift aide is not given to West African countries.