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☆ Firefly fossil reveals a previously undiscovered species that flickered during the time of dinosaurs
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

And now scientists have confirmed a new one: Diverse firefly species lit up the night during the late Mesozoic. The discovery comes from a fossil of an ancient firefly species that was initially discovered in 2016, trapped in 99 million-year-old Burmese amber from northern Myanmar. The beetle is only the second firefly species from the Mesozoic to be identified. Because only one other Cretaceous firefly species has been identified, “this new species can be used to revisit the (July 2022 study) to better date the evolution of fireflies given the new evidence,” he added. Firefly diversityThere are more than 2,000 firefly species found today, according to the Natural History Museum in London.

Persons: Flammarionella, ”, Chenyang Cai, Cai, Oliver Keller, Ann Arbor, ” Keller, Keller, Camille Flammarion, Robin Kundrata, Kundrata, ” Kundrata Organizations: CNN, Royal Society, Biological Sciences, Nanjing Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Michigan, Palacký University Olomouc Locations: Myanmar, Beijing, Ann, London, Czech Republic

☆ Why axolotls are everywhere — but a rarity in the one lake they call home
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“They’re teenagers, at least in appearance, until they die.”Mexico's Lake Xochimilco is the only spot where axolotls are found in the wild. Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu/Getty ImagesWhile the wild axolotls of Lake Xochimilco have dwindled to near-extinction, countless axolotls have been bred for scientific laboratories and the pet trade. However, the axolotls you might find at a pet shop are different from their wild relatives in Lake Xochimilco. That means that the axolotl extinction crisis can’t simply be solved by dumping pet axolotls into Lake Xochimilco. (Plus, the pet axolotls likely wouldn’t fare well with the poor habitat conditions in the lake.)

Persons: Randal Voss, Voss, “, ’ ”, Xolotl, “ ACK, uhl, ” Voss, Hector Vivas, they’re, Luis Zambrano, ” Zambrano, Daniel Cardenas, they’ve, Axolotls, Zambrano, axolotls, ”, ” Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, “, Aztecs, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Axolotl, Amphibians Conservation, Anadolu, Getty Locations: Mexican, Xochimilco, Mexico City, It’s, Lake Xochimilco, Mexico, French, Europe, California , Maine , New Jersey, Washington, Minecraft, Chicago

☆ These small male marsupials give up sleep for sex, then die after intense mating season, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Hafsa Khalil | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Scientists based in Australia have found that mouse-sized male antechinus trade sleep to leave more time for reproductive activities during mating season, with one male who was monitored halving his sleep time during that period. Non-breeding dusky antechinus spend an average of 15.3 hours of the day asleep, according to the researchers. “Sleep restriction in breeding male antechinus is likely to be an adaptive behavioral response driven by strong sexual selection,” the paper said. To study the semelparous marsupials, researchers examined two antechinus species: dusky antechinus (Antechinus swainsonii) and wild agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis) both captive and wild. Lesku said researchers would next like to examine how male antechinus deal with restricting their sleep for three weeks.

Persons: ” Erika Zaid, ”, Erika Zaid, Francesca Leonard, Zaid, John Lesku, antechinus, ” Lesku, Erika Zaid “, Volker Sommer, ” Sommer, Lesku Organizations: CNN, La Trobe University, “, University College London Locations: Australia, Melbourne

☆ Ancient DNA reveals genetic roots of multiple sclerosis and other diseases
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

These genetic variants may have subsequently proved beneficial to European populations in making the shift from hunting and gathering to farming. “DNA from hunter-gatherers is present at higher levels in Northeastern Europe, which means the region has an elevated genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease,” Barrie said. Similarly, the ancient genetic information shed light on the evolutionary history of traits such as height and lactose tolerance. And for most traits, MS included, the genetic effects are the result of multiple genetic variants,” he said. “Ultimately, we can’t say that MS came from Bronze Age populations, but these populations’ movements and environments contribute to differences in MS risk today.”

Persons: “, ”, Rasmus Nielsen, It’s, William Barrie, Astrid Iversen, ” Iversen, ε4, ” Barrie, Samira, Asgari, Tony Capra, Capra, wasn’t Organizations: CNN —, University of California, Danish National, University of Cambridge’s, University of Oxford, Icahn School of Medicine, Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute Locations: Western Europe, Central Asia, Europe, Berkeley, Kazakhstan, Northeastern Europe, Mount Sinai, New York, Bakar, San Francisco

☆ Research unveils gruesome history of Tasmanian tiger skins in British museum’s collection
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Warning: This article contains disturbing descriptions about the practices of colonial settlers in Tasmania and violence against Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples. “In all, Allport shipped five Tasmanian Aboriginal skeletons to Europe, proudly identifying himself as the most prolific trader in Tasmanian bodily remains,” according to the study. The colonial government allowed settlers to murder Tasmanian Aboriginal people without punishment and, in 1830, even established a bounty for the capture of Indigenous humans and Tasmanian tigers, or thylacines. Some Aboriginal Tasmanian people did survive colonial persecution, Ashby added, though at brutal costs. Their descendants make up today’s Tasmanian Aboriginal community, Ashby said.

Persons: Jack Ashby, Morton Allport, Allport, Ashby, It’s, ” Ashby, Mortan Allport, ”, incentivized Allport, William Lanne, William Crowther, Crowther, Truganini, thylacines, “ We’re, Rebecca Kilner, ” Kilner Organizations: Tasmanian Aboriginal, CNN, Cambridge University’s Museum of Zoology, Tasmanian, Allport Library, Museum of Fine Arts, State, of, Royal Society of Tasmania, Royal Society, British Museum, University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, University of Cambridge Grappling Locations: Tasmania, United Kingdom, Europe, Belgium, of Tasmania, Great Britain, London, Bass, ”, Brussels, Tasmanian, Cambridge

☆ Scientists finally solved the centuries-long mystery of where a starfish's head is
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Maiya Focht | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Researchers mapped starfish genes to solve the mystery, and it wasn't what they expected. Turns out, starfish genes suggest it contains multiple heads, one at the center and in each limb. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn a game of pin the tail on the donkey, scientists have finally pinpointed the head on a starfish. Turns out starfish, aka sea stars, don't just have one head sitting at the center of their bodies. On the other hand, sea stars with five limbs, lack bilateral symmetry and instead have what's called five-fold radial symmetry.

Persons: —, Laurent Formery, Peter Guttman, Formery, Jeff Thompson, he's Organizations: Service, Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences, Getty, Stanford, University of Southampton Locations: Nature

The museum this fall acquired tens of thousands of reptile and amphibian specimens from Oregon State University, many of which are snakes. The development places the university in a unique position, according to Schneider, the research museum collections manager for the museum's division of reptiles and amphibians. “I’m fairly confident we’ll have the largest snake collection in the world,” he said. The extensive new additions also will allow scientists to conduct new snake and amphibian research, perhaps looking at trait evolution in mothers and their offspring. The "largest snake collection" title would be nice, but Schneider said the true promise of a big collection is new research opportunities.

Persons: — Greg Schneider, Schneider, ”, Lynne Houck, Stevan Arnold, ” Schneider, “, Hernán, Dan Rabosky Organizations: University of Michigan Museum, Oregon State University, Oregon State, Michigan, Smithsonian, American Museum of, University of Kansas, Michigan's, Michigan's Department of Ecology, Museums Center Locations: Mich, U.S, Michigan, Washington, New York, Oregon, Michigan's Department

LIMA, Peru (AP) — The first two leopard cubs born in captivity in Peru began climbing trees inside their cages at a Lima zoo Wednesday in their first appearance before the public. The cubs’ parents, Leo and Mali, are 3 years old and were brought to Peru in 2021 from a municipal zoo in Leon, Mexico. The zoo plans to hold a contest for the public to decide what to call them. Panthera pardus leopards — the newborns' species — are classified as a vulnerable species on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The four are the only leopards known to be living in Peru.

Persons: Leo, ”, Giovanna Yépez, — Organizations: Parque, International Union for Conservation of Nature Locations: LIMA, Peru, Lima, Mali, Leon , Mexico, las Leyendas

☆ This Tiny Snake Has a Big Mouth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Snakes can’t really unhinge their jaws, but for some, that doesn’t get in the way of swallowing absurdly large prey. For instance, Burmese pythons, like the invasive ones making their way north in Florida, have been known to consume 70-pound deer and 100-pound alligators. But new research indicates that, relative to their size, the snakes that can gulp down the largest meals are harmless, three-foot-long egg eaters. “This particular group of snakes may be No. 1 when it comes to big mouths in the snake kingdom,” said Bruce Jayne, a biology professor at the University of Cincinnati and the author of a paper on the subject published this month in the Journal of Zoology.

Persons: doesn’t, ”, Bruce Jayne Organizations: University of Cincinnati, Zoology Locations: Florida

☆ A worm has been revived after 46,000 years in the Siberian permafrost
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Scientists have revived a worm that was frozen 46,000 years ago — at a time when woolly mammoths, sabre-toothed tigers and giant elks still roamed the Earth. This a major finding,” he said, adding that other organisms previously revived from this state had survived for decades rather than millennia. Five years ago, scientists from the Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science in Russia found two roundworm species in the Siberian permafrost. The worm was found in the Siberian permafrost. But still, they didn’t know whether the worm was a known species.

Persons: Teymuras Kurzchalia, Kurzchalia, ”, Anastasia Shatilovich, Panagrolaimus kolymaenis, kolymaenis, —, Philipp Schiffer, Schiffer Organizations: CNN —, elks, Max Planck, Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Physicochemical, PLOS Genetics, of Zoology, University of Cologne, CNN Locations: Dresden, Science, Russia, Germany, Cologne

☆ Scientists identify which butterflies are most at risk as the climate warms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Jenna Schnuer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But when things really heat up, they adjust their body temperature in relation to the air temperature through strategies called thermal buffering and thermal tolerance. Thermal buffering includes physical acts like moving into a cooler, shadier area or slanting wings out of the direct path of sunlight. “These are molecules that many animals, butterflies and humans included, produce to protect themselves from high temperatures,” Ashe-Jepson said. For the thermal buffering test, the researchers caught, tested and released 1,334 butterflies representing 54 species from six butterfly families. To test thermal tolerance, a smaller group of the captured butterflies was put to work one more time.

Persons: —, ”, Esme Ashe, Jepson, ” Ashe, “, Ashe, Akito Kawahara, they’ll, ” Kawahara Organizations: CNN, University of Cambridge, Smithsonian Tropical Research, McGuire, University of Florida Locations: United Kingdom, Panama, Biodiversity, Gainesville

☆ A female orca adopted a baby pilot whale in the first known case of its kind, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A female orca appeared to adopt a baby pilot whale in the first known case of its kind. The orca, known as "Sædís," was first observed swimming with the pilot whale calf in August 2021 in western Iceland. This marks the first scientific documentation of orcas nurturing and tending to a long-finned pilot whale calf. "The orca was swimming with the pilot whale calf in the echelon position, which means the calf was swimming right behind the pectoral fin of the orca," she said. Off Iceland, there's been quite the interaction between both species, and oftentimes pilot whales are seen chasing the killer whales," she said.

Here are 12 of the weirdest and most fascinating animal behaviors scientists spotted in 2022. Here are 12 bizarre and amazing things animals were spotted doing, some of which had never been seen before. It turned out that at least 12 species of primates had been reported doing so, a review published in the Journal of Zoology in October found. A dolphin swallowed 8 venomous sea snakesA sea snake (indicated with pink arrow), moments before it is captured and eaten by a Navy dolphin. Though animals have often been spotted using tools, these usually are used to give the animal a clear survival advantage.

☆ Video shows lemur picking its nose so deep it touches the back of its throat, then eats it — behavior previously unknown to science
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A video shows a lemur picking its nose, a behavior never before observed by scientists. The animal shoves one of her long agile fingers all the way up her nose to her throat. The video shows Kali, an aye-aye living in the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina, shoving her 3-inch long finger all the way up her nose, taking it out again, and licking it. A picture of a juvenile aye-aye shows its long slender fingers, which are used to hunt for bugs — and for nose picking. Renaud BoiselThe scan, above, showed the lemur's finger going all the way up its nose to the back of its throat.

☆ Father's Day: 5 animal dads worse than you
▼ + stars: | 2022-06-19 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Glenn Boozan's "There Are Moms Way Worse Than You: Irrefutable Proof That You Are Indeed a Fantastic Parent" features a few "bad" animal fathers, too. Workman PublishingQuestionable animal fathers include grizzly bears that eat their young when food is scarce, and lions that primarily stand guard and look tough while female lions venture out to hunt and kill. Male pipefish that were less interested in the pipefish mothers were less nurturing toward their young, investing fewer resources in them. David Tipling/Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images“Horses seem like super dads, but, eh, they’re not the best,” Boozan wrote. “Buying a specific swaddling blanket or a different kind of Binky isn’t going to make you a better or worse parent,” Boozan said.

Persons: Glenn Boozan’s, ” Priscilla Witte, Glenn Boozan's, ” Boozan, Pipefish, David Tipling, “ They’ll, Diamanto, can’t, Guenter Fischer, “, Boozan Organizations: CNN, Workman Publishing, M University, Royal Society B, Stallions, Diversity, University of Michigan’s Museum of Zoology Locations: Stigmatopora, Edithburgh, Yorke, South Australia, Texas, Camargue, Provence, France, Peru

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