species

New England has battled invasive green crabs for more than 200 years; now people are eating the destructive species in a bid to protect shellfish, wetlands and coastal ecosystems

by
New England has battled invasive green crabs for more than 200 years; now people are eating the destructive species in a bid to protect shellfish, wetlands and coastal ecosystems

Since time immemorial, humans have been consuming food derived from the land, air and water. From vegetables and birds to even crabs, there is not much we have not used to survive on. But currently, people in New England are feasting on green crabs not to survive themselves but to help the native species subsist. … Read more

In the 1600s, people in Osaka ate dozens of species of fish, mammals and plants; 400 years later scientists found the evidence trapped in their teeth

by
In the 1600s, people in Osaka ate dozens of species of fish, mammals and plants; 400 years later scientists found the evidence trapped in their teeth

Four centuries ago, the people living in Osaka left behind an unlikely record of what they ate. It was not written in a cookbook or preserved in a market ledger, but in the hardened deposits that accumulated on their teeth. Scientists have now analysed ancient dental calculus from eight people buried at the Ofuka-cho site, … Read more

Zebra mussel DNA detected in Utah’s Colorado River for first time, raising alarm over invasive species threat across the Upper Colorado River basin

by
Zebra mussel DNA detected in Utah’s Colorado River for first time, raising alarm over invasive species threat across the Upper Colorado River basin

An invasive species threat has reached a new stretch of the Colorado River, after scientists detected zebra mussel DNA in Utah’s portion of the river for the first time. The discovery has raised concerns among wildlife officials because zebra mussels can spread rapidly once established, potentially damaging infrastructure, disrupting recreation and altering freshwater ecosystems. The … Read more

Humans stepped back from this UK dairy farm in 2023; three years later, wildlife returns as 27 more bird species appear and butterfly numbers more than double

by
Humans stepped back from this UK dairy farm in 2023; three years later, wildlife returns as 27 more bird species appear and butterfly numbers more than double

Image: The Guardian/Jenny Vickers A former dairy farm in the UK has undergone a striking transformation after humans stepped back and allowed natural processes to reshape the land. At Heal Somerset, a 460-acre site in Somerset acquired by the rewilding charity Heal in December 2022, the first three years of nature recovery have brought a … Read more

‘Dracarys’: New ‘dragon’ species named after House of the Dragon’s Syrax discovered in Thailand

by
‘Dracarys’: New ‘dragon’ species named after House of the Dragon’s Syrax discovered in Thailand

Image(s): Left/ HBO/Right/Walailak University, Nakhon Sithammarat, Thailand A newly described mountain horned dragon from western Thailand has given the world a species name with a fantasy-inspired twist. Researchers have named the small, spiny lizard Acanthosaura syrax, after Syrax, the dragon ridden by Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon. The animal was found … Read more

Brazil’s polluted Rio mangroves were disappearing under waste; then local fishers restored 18.2 hectares and more than 60 animal species returned

by
Brazil’s polluted Rio mangroves were disappearing under waste; then local fishers restored 18.2 hectares and more than 60 animal species returned

Local fishers collect waste from Guanabara Bay as part of a mangrove restoration and cleanup effort in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Decades of pollution, untreated sewage, industrial activity and waste have placed heavy pressure on the mangroves around Rio de Janeiro’s Guanabara Bay in Brazil. Yet in one of the bay’s remaining protected mangrove areas, … Read more

A teaspoon of healthy soil contains more living organisms than there are humans on Earth, yet scientists say most species remain unknown

by
A teaspoon of healthy soil contains more living organisms than there are humans on Earth, yet scientists say most species remain unknown

Beneath every footstep lies a world most of us will never see. A single teaspoon of soil, scooped from a healthy forest floor, holds more living organisms than there are humans on the planet, bacteria, fungi, protists and nematodes packed together in numbers that barely make sense on a human scale. Stranger still, the vast … Read more

14 fossilised teeth found in Egypt’s ancient shark graveyard reveal five extinct species from the age of dinosaurs

by
14 fossilised teeth found in Egypt’s ancient shark graveyard reveal five extinct species from the age of dinosaurs

A barren stretch of Egypt’s Western Desert has yielded an unexpected glimpse into a prehistoric ocean, with scientists uncovering fossilised shark teeth belonging to five extinct species that lived during the Late Cretaceous, when dinosaurs still dominated the planet. The discovery comes from the Abu-Tartur Plateau in southwestern Egypt, an area that today is an … Read more

In 2020, 10-year-old Murphy Widdowson collected a spider on a remote Australian island that experts could not identify; scientists later declared it a new species and named it Artoriopsis murphyi after him

by
In 2020, 10-year-old Murphy Widdowson collected a spider on a remote Australian island that experts could not identify; scientists later declared it a new species and named it Artoriopsis murphyi after him

While on the remote island Murphy picked up a small spider that intrigued him, and he decided not to wonder what sort of spider he’d found, but to seek the opinion of an expert. For most kids, finding a spider would be a scream, and then a quick retreat. But for Murphy Widdowson, it was … Read more

In 2006, Joel Sartore began photographing one animal at a time; 18,000 species later, his Photo Ark has become a global conservation movement fighting to save wildlife from extinction

by
In 2006, Joel Sartore began photographing one animal at a time; 18,000 species later, his Photo Ark has become a global conservation movement fighting to save wildlife from extinction

Joel Sartore started the project with a simple but powerful idea: to photograph animals one species at a time, creating a visual record before they are gone. (Image: Instagram/joelsartore) In a world where species can disappear before most people even know they exist, photographer Joel Sartore has spent two decades making sure wildlife is seen. … Read more