Nature & Wildlife
Deserts are far from the lifeless, slow-growing and always arid places they’re often depicted to be. For example, even in Chile’s ultradry Atacama Desert, tiny soil-dwelling nematodes (roundworms) are thriving in surprising diversity.
Nature & Wildlife
Some tiny birds on remote Scottish islands are undergoing a dramatic evolutionary transformation. Four isolated populations of British wrens have grown astonishingly large. At the other end of the scale, however, leopards in South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region have become much smaller than most African leopards.
Nature & Wildlife
In the United States, we celebrate the annual Friendship Day on the first Sunday in August, which this year is August 2. (The globally recognized date established by the United Nations is July 30.) This designated day is meant to honor the bonds that enrich our lives and to promote peace, solidarity and cross-cultural understanding.
Nature & Wildlife
Tool use isn’t unique to humans. Various species across the animal kingdom, including birds, insects and mammals, exhibit the behavior. For example, sea otters use stones to crack open shellfish, while crows modify twigs to probe for hidden prey—and even have been observed using cars to crack open nuts.
Nature & Wildlife
July is truly the quintessential summer month. Positioned perfectly at the center of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it features peak sunshine and warm weather, making it the prime time for carefree vacations and outdoor activities. But July is also at the height of mosquito season across most of North America.
Nature & Wildlife
The graceful movements of animals showcase millions of years of evolutionary engineering, combining anatomy, physics and fluidity. From the effortless soar of an albatross across the Antarctic Ocean to the stealthy prowl of a big cat on the African savanna, nature’s biomechanics emphasize maximum beauty and efficiency.
Nature & Wildlife
Aliens are certainly in our midst, and invaders are running rampant across the planet. What I mean is, plants are spreading across the globe faster than ever, and the very same traits that make them thrive in their native lands also drive them to their successes abroad. Who are these aliens and invaders?
Conservation
We may already be living far beyond what the Earth can sustainably support, suggests the writers of a brand-new study, who analyzed more than 200 years of environmental and population data. They found that while population growth once fueled expansion and innovation, the trend shifted decades ago as the planet’s resources became increasingly strained.
Conservation
From personal testing to discover your roots, connect with long-lost relatives and discover hidden family secrets to blockbuster sci-fi stories and cold-case forensics TV dramas, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) has never been more popular. In essence, it is the primary hereditary molecule in almost all living organisms.
Conservation
Summer will arrive soon, and that means that a lot of you will be thinking about a sunny beach vacation.
Nature & Wildlife
Today, it might sound hyperbolic to say to the majority of us who are living in urban surroundings that nature’s animals and plants are essential for human survival. But it’s truly not over the top. Nature acts as a crucial life-support system that provides us with breathable oxygen, clean water, food and medicines.
Nature & Wildlife
If you were asked to name a giant that now lives among us, you might immediately think of an African elephant, a blue whale, a mountain gorilla, a polar bear or a rhinoceros. There are, however, some other, lesser-known—but fascinating—leviathans in our midst.
