It’s not all bad news. An annual list of the top 10 new species shows a glow-in-the-dark cockroach, a butterfly discovered by social media and the world’s smallest vertebrate.
extinction
Why a Hotter World Will Mean More Extinctions
Extinctions are already on the rise as a growing human population displaces animals and plants. But if global warming continues unchecked, our planet could get a whole lot lonelier
Mega-Eruption: Scientists Connect a Mass Extinction to a Major Lava Flow
Scientists have wondered why there was a major extinction wave some 200 million years ago. Now they suspect that a major explosion of lava that occurred around the same time may be the cause.
Traffic: Why It’s Time to Get Serious About the Bloody Illegal Wildlife Trade
Wildlife trafficking and poaching are on the rise, thanks to growing incomes in Asia and the involvement of major international crime syndicates. Is there hope for ending the war on wildlife?
Report: One in Five Reptiles at Risk of Extinction
A new study from the Zoological Society of London has found that one in five of the world’s reptile species are at risk of extinction
5 of the Most Endangered Species on the Planet
This year experts at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have put together a list of the world’s 100 most endangered animals and plants. These species are near the brink of extinction—each with a …
Why an English Butterfly Is a Rare Winner in Global Warming
Little is expected to benefit from climate change, with the possible exception of air-conditioning manufacturers, Popsicle makers and Canada. But scientists have found at least one species that seems to be better off in a rapidly …
Can Polar Bears Keep Their Heads Above Water in a Warming World?
Polar bears are classified as marine mammals, like a seal or a walrus, which might come as a surprise given that they’re usually pictured on land. But polar bears spend a lot of their time in the waters of the Arctic, fishing or …
Sea Changes: Ocean Acidification Is Worse Than It’s Been for 300 Million Years
Human beings are doing unprecedented things to the Earth, which is sort of impressive when you realize that the planet has existed for more than 4.5 billion years. But that’s what happens when 7 billion people produce and consume …
Conditions of Life: How Climate Change Has Driven Evolution
We are the products of our environment — and that goes for egrets and elephants as much as human beings. The history of all life on this planet has been one of change and adaptation. The environment changes, and life adapts. …