Ocean slicks—naturally occurring bands of smooth water—are home to an astounding diversity of fish larvae and other marine life, researchers show.
animals
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Critical Role of Grazing Animals in an Ecosystem
Scientists model the effect of horses, cattle, sheep, and goats on local environments and global climate.
Posted inNews
Modern Chemicals from Mystery Source Taint Fish in Utah Lake
Utah Lake’s fish contain high levels of a potential carcinogen. Could removing some bottom-feeders reduce this contamination?
Posted inNews
Boiled or Raw, Snail Shells Keep an Environmental Archive
Snail shells discovered at archaeological sites might still accurately record past weather and vegetation despite being the leftovers of a past meal.
Posted inNews
Fossils Provide New Clues to Tibetan Plateau’s Evolution
The bones of ancient rhinos, elephants, and fish constrain when the Tibetan Plateau rose high enough to prevent migration, a move that forced animals to adapt to high-altitude conditions.
Posted inFeatures
Hunting Rare Fossils of the Ediacaran
The search for fossil imprints and casts of squishy organisms takes time, perseverance, and sometimes a sprinkle of luck.
Posted inNews
Sooty Bird Bellies Yield Insights into Historical Air Pollution
A new study mined museum collections to investigate just how sooty the air in the United States has been for the past 135 years.
Posted inNews
Giant Snails’ Century-Old Shells Recorded Monsoon Rainfall
Researchers explored past precipitation in India using shells from very large land snails collected there in 1918 and preserved in a British museum.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Follow Earthworm Tracks to Better Simulate Water Flow in Soils
Incorporating paths carved by the critters and by tree roots helps scientists align simulations of tropical soils more closely with real-world data.
Posted inNews
Birds Flock to Areas of Good Weather Across the United States
A survey of birds over several decades shows that many bird species migrate or shrink their habitat to avoid drought and storms.