In 2025, summer sea ice in the Antarctic tied for the second-lowest minimum extent ever recorded in the 47-year satellite record, according to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).
Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid
More mammals were living on the ground several million years before the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs, new research has revealed.
First ancient genomes from the Green Sahara deciphered
An international team has sequenced the first ancient genomes from the so-called Green Sahara, a period when the largest desert in the world temporarily turned into a humid savanna-like environment. By analyzing the DNA of two 7,000-year-old naturally mummified individuals excavated in the Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya, the...
Modelling the demography of agricultural transitions
Using a mathematical model, researchers have shed new light on the transition from hunter-gatherer to farming societies. Rather than focusing exclusively on external factors, they looked at internal demographics and the significant impact of human interactions. The model identified potential societal outcomes based on demographic changes, emphasising aspects such as...
New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans
For dogs housed at Texas kennels, age and fecal score are important factors for screening for subclinical Giardia infections.
Rocky Mountain snow is contaminated, study shows
Mountain snowpacks accumulate snow throughout the winter, building up stores of water that will supply communities across the American West throughout the long dry season. Now, a new study shows that as storms carry snow to the Rocky Mountains, they are also bringing mercury and other contaminants from mines in...
Microplastics Contaminate Spotted Seal Diets in Remote Alaska Waters
Spotted seals in some of the most remote marine areas around Alaska are consuming significant amounts of microplastics in their diets, according to a new University of Alaska Fairbanks–led study.
Climate Change, Non-Native Species Pose Double Trouble for Native Species, Study Shows
Climate change could pose a dual threat to native species by reducing their suitable habitats and increasing predation pressure from non-native species, a new study(Link is external) by Oregon State University researchers finds.
Exposure to Air Pollution in Childhood Is Associated with Reduced Brain Connectivity
A new study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, has found that children exposed to higher levels of air pollution in early and mid childhood have weaker connections between key brain regions.
Surprising number of environmental pollutants in hedgehogs
Lead, pesticides, brominated flame retardants, plastic additives, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals. This is what researchers found when they collected dead hedgehogs to investigate the environmental pollutants found in urban environments.