New evidence indicates ancient warming spells that coincided with prodigious volcanism and a powerful meteorite impact, both seen as possible causes of mass extinctions about 66 million years ago.
animals
Posted inNews
Habitat Fragmentation Prevents Migration During Climate Change
East Coast species will face the most difficulty finding routes to cooler homes as climate change forces migration.
Posted inScience Updates
What Does the Pacific Arctic's New Normal Mean for Marine Life?
Climate change has reconfigured Arctic ecosystems. A 5-year project focuses on the relationships among oceanographic conditions and the animals and other life-forms in this region.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Understanding the Distribution of Juvenile Jumbo Squid
An expanding zone of shallow, oxygen-depleted water in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean may be vertically restricting the habitat of this important source of food, according to a recent study.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Bark Beetles Cause Big Tree Die-Offs, but Streams Flow Steadily
Recent beetle epidemics have driven tree die-offs across North America, and previous studies predicted an increase in annual streamflow would follow—but a new study shows this may not be the case.
Posted inNews
More Acidic Oceans Could Reduce Fertility for Algae Eaters
New research shows that increased levels of carbon dioxide in the oceans cause changes that alter key nutrients essential to the reproduction of animals low on the food web.
Posted inNews
Ancient Start of Animal Evolution Wasn't Delayed by Low Oxygen
New research finds that Earth had sufficient oxygen 1.4 billion years ago for animals to evolve. Therefore, low oxygen levels probably didn't hold back evolution, as scientists have long thought.
Posted inNews
Three–Dimensional Scans Illuminate Wildlife Environments
Detailed laser imaging of vegetation and landforms where animals live and roam offers revealing new perspectives on interactions between those creatures and their surroundings.
Posted inNews
Oil Dispersants Deadly to a Common Estuary Species
Research on two dispersants used to break up spilled oil suggests that the chemicals can kill or harm a widely–found shrimp important to estuary habitats. The toxicity increases in less salty water.
Posted inNews
Antarctic Sediment Plume Disrupts Deep-Water Community
Increased sedimentation from a melting glacier inhibits filter feeders in an Antarctic fjord.