Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species
Published

Human activities degrade hippopotamus homes at Bui National Park, Ghana, researchers find      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers found that the number of common hippopotamus in the Bui National Park declined by about 70 percent following the construction of a hydroelectric dam in the reserve. From 209 individuals before the dam construction, the number declined to 64. Land cover changes led to severe reduction in forest cover and destruction of riparian areas through flooding. In addition, poaching activities increased during and after the construction period.

Ecology: Endangered Species Paleontology: Climate Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Early forests did not significantly change the atmospheric CO2      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have discovered that the atmosphere contained far less CO2 than previously thought when forests emerged on our planet, the new study has important implications for understanding how land plants affect the climate.

Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species
Published

Mapping the middle ground: Balancing mining activities with survival of Utah's rare plants      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team is mapping out new modeling strategies so that proposed energy development and the management of rare plants don't necessarily have to be mutually exclusive endeavors.

Archaeology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

True giant wombat gives Diprotodon podium a wobble      (via sciencedaily.com) 

While the Diprotodon -- the extinct megafauna species that is distantly related to wombats but was the size of a small car -- is commonly (but incorrectly) thought of as Australia's 'giant wombat', researchers have shed light on a large species that does belong in the modern-day wombat family. The complete skull of this true fossil giant wombat, found in a Rockhampton cave in Queensland, Australia and estimated to be around 80,000 years old, has been described for the first time.

Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Primordial germ cells made from northern white rhino stem cells      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In its race to advance assisted reproduction and stem cell associated technologies to save the northern white rhinoceros from extinction, researchers announce a major breakthrough: the creation of primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLSs) from induced pluripotent stem cells of the northern white rhino Nabire. Now there is one last step to master for the production of artificial rhino gametes (eggs and sperm) from preserved tissue. If successful, this would boost the availability and genetic diversity of embryos and become a cornerstone for saving the northern white rhinoceros.

Ecology: Endangered Species Environmental: Ecosystems
Published

Uncovering plant invasions in the tropics      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An international collaboration of scientists has created the first inventory of flora introduced to the tropics, filling a knowledge gap about invasive plants in the tropics.

Ecology: Endangered Species Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Climate Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Discovery of world's oldest DNA breaks record by one million years      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Two-million-year-old DNA has been identified -- opening a 'game-changing' new chapter in the history of evolution. Microscopic fragments of environmental DNA were found in Ice Age sediment in northern Greenland. Using cutting-edge technology, researchers discovered the fragments are one million years older than the previous record for DNA sampled from a Siberian mammoth bone. The ancient DNA has been used to map a two-million-year-old ecosystem which weathered extreme climate change.

Ecology: Endangered Species Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: General
Published

Dinosaurs were on the up before asteroid downfall      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Dinosaurs dominated the world right up until a deadly asteroid hit the earth, leading to their mass extinction, some 66 million years ago, a landmark study reveals. Fresh insights into dinosaurs' ecosystems -- the habitats and food types that supported their lives -- suggests that their environments were robust and thriving, right up until that fateful day, at the end of the Cretaceous period.

Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Rhino conservation in Nepal creates a burden for communities, infrastructure and other species, study warns      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Efforts to conserve rhinos in Nepal have put a burden on communities, infrastructure and other wildlife in Nepal, a new study warns.

Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

New research shows people, wildlife, and marine environment benefit when island-ocean connections are restored      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new perspective shows that linking land and sea through coordinated conservation efforts may offer unrealized and amplified benefits for biodiversity, human wellbeing, climate resilience and ocean health, and provides a microcosm for the untapped potential of ecosystem restoration on a larger scale.

Ecology: Endangered Species
Published

Large terrestrial mammals are more vulnerable to the acoustic impact of drones than to the visual impact, study finds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Large terrestrial mammals are vulnerable to the acoustic sounds of drones, technological systems which are increasingly used to study the wildlife in open habitats such as the savanna and marshes, according to a new study.

Ecology: Endangered Species Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Climate Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Mammoth problem with extinction timeline      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Paleontologists say environmental DNA is not always helpful in identifying when animals like mammoths went extinct because genetic material found in sediment could have come from animals that died thousands of years earlier.