The rate at which evolution produces new species of plants and animals, or at which existing species die out, is a subject of much interest -- and not only to scientists. That's because the rates of speciation and extinction can tell us much about the history of our planet. If lots of new species emerge...
Using endangered barbary macaques as photo props could negatively impact Moroccan tourism
Wild animals are increasingly exploited for entertainment and photo opportunities. A new study highlights that tourists in Morocco object to the use of barbary macaques as photo props, raising concerns about the animal's welfare and risk to human health. The findings are presented today at the British Ecological Society annual conference in Birmingham.
Barbary macaques (Macaca...
New discovery pushes origin of feathers back by 70 million years
An international team of palaeontologists, which includes the University of Bristol, has discovered that the flying reptiles, pterosaurs, actually had four kinds of feathers, and these are shared with dinosaurs -- pushing back the origin of feathers by some 70 million years.
Pterosaurs are the flying reptiles that lived side by side with dinosaurs, 230 to...
Baboon sexes differ in how social status gets 'under the skin'
A growing body of evidence shows that those at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder are more likely to die prematurely than those at the top. The pattern isn't unique to humans: Across many social animals, the lower an individual's social status, the worse its health.
That's probably proof that these gaps aren't fully explained by...
Birds can mistake some caterpillars for snakes; can robots help?
When a caterpillar disguises itself as a snake to ward off potential predators, it should probably expect to be treated like one.
This is exactly what happened in Costa Rica earlier this year, when researchers witnessed a hummingbird defending its nest from what it interpreted to be a snake, but was actually a larva of the...
Foxes in the city: Citizen science helps researchers to study urban wildlife
Urban habitats are becoming increasingly more important for several wildlife species. Foxes, for example, have become successful inhabitants of urban areas in recent years. The research team has now conducted an analysis, the first of its kind in the German-speaking countries, of fox sightings in Vienna. Data on fox sightings was available from all times...