Rainfall history is just as critical to predicting air pollution as where the air came from, a team led by University of Michigan Engineering researchers has discovered, in collaboration with scientists at the Appalachian Mountain Club and Plymouth State University.
After 70 years of excavation, ancient Sardis becomes a UNESCO World Heritage site
After nearly seven decades of excavation, the legendary ancient city of Sardis has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, celebrating years of discoveries that continue to reshape its history. Archaeologists say the biggest breakthroughs don't happen in a single season—they emerge as decades of evidence slowly come together.
Early humans were bringing fire into caves 1.8 million years ago
A new study suggests early humans were using fire in South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave as far back as 1.79 million years ago. Researchers found burned bones deep inside the cave, where natural wildfires could not have reached, indicating that fire was likely carried in and maintained by human ancestors. The...
Scientists just discovered how queen bees are really made
For decades, scientists thought royal jelly was the secret ingredient that turned an ordinary honeybee larva into a queen. New research reveals the process is far more remarkable: young worker bees create special “royal cribs” made from customized wax, carefully regulate warmth and humidity, and dedicate entire teams of attendants...
Why South Africa’s leopards shrank to half their normal size
A hidden population of South African leopards has revealed a remarkable evolutionary story. Researchers analyzing entire leopard genomes discovered that the Cape Floristic Region’s leopards are not only much smaller than most African leopards, but also genetically distinct after being isolated for roughly 20,000 years. Surprisingly, despite their small population,...
Scientists open a million-year-old time capsule hidden beneath New Zealand
A cave in New Zealand has yielded fossils from a lost ecosystem that existed about 1 million years ago, including a possible flying ancestor of the kākāpō. The discovery reveals that volcanoes and climate upheaval were reshaping the country’s wildlife and driving extinctions long before humans arrived.
UK Rivers Face Rising Risk of Climate ‘Whiplash’
Climate change could push UK rivers to dangerous extremes and see more frequent rapid swings between wet and dry conditions – a phenomenon known as hydroclimatic whiplash – according to research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA).
Climate Change is Now Causing More Local Extinction in Temperate Regions Than the Tropics, Surprising Study Shows
Imagine returning to a favorite hiking trail 15 years after your first visit and discovering that many of the plants and animals that once lived there are gone.
What We Know About Marine Heatwaves in the Arctic
In recent years, marine heatwaves have been taking an ever-greater toll on the world’s oceans and their ecosystems.
Butterfly that barely ages could help unlock longevity secrets
Scientists discovered that Heliconius butterflies have evolved an extraordinary lifespan, living several times longer than closely related species. Even more surprising, some show little sign of physical decline as they age. Their unusual pollen-feeding lifestyle may play a role, but the research suggests deeper evolutionary changes are also helping them...