Scientists say they’ve found a previously unknown whale species – a ‘one tonne’ mammal the size of a horse and may have been on the planet as long as humans. Three specimens of the as-yet-unnamed species, a type of beaked whale, were seen in waters near the San Benito Islands off the coast of Mexico. … Read more
Living near more bird species can increase life satisfaction as much as having a pay rise Past research has suggested that expose to nature is good for mental health German researchers analysed data on the life satisfaction of 26,000 adults They compared this with the biodiversity in the areas in which the people lived They said … Read more
Researchers have identified an eerie new form of deep-sea creature using only high-definition video. In 2015, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) piloted a remotely operated vehicle through an underwater canyon off the coast of Puerto Rico. At a depth of more than two miles the drone came across a ctenophore, or … Read more
Great news for some of the UK’s rarest breeding birds, as ten species have been recorded in greater numbers than in any previous year, survey reveals. The Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) worked with conservationists, scientists and thousands of birdwatchers to track the progress of the country’s rarest birds. The team discovered the results compiling … Read more
Plan unveiled ‘to build a crowd-funded £5billion conservation park’ in South Africa that ‘will aim to preserve EVERY species of animal on the planet’ Is this just pie-in-the-sky? A source on the project told MailOnline Travel that it’s serious The park, it’s hoped, will cover 100 square kilometres in KwaZulu Natal province The trials and … Read more
The genetic make-up of 363 species of bird – ranging from the humble chicken to the amazing bird-of-paradise – has been mapped by scientists for the first time. The work, by researchers from the Smithsonian Institute and about 100 other institutions involved analysing over 17 trillion base pairs of DNA from bird species. Researchers say … Read more
A new monkey species found on a volcano in Myanmar is already close to extinction with fewer than 250 left and its habitat under threat, researchers claim. Named Popa langur, the new species was discovered after an extensive genetic study by the German Primate Center and Fauna and Flora International. Working from an extensive field survey … Read more
A species of ancient human that lived two million years ago was forced to evolve and change its physical traits in order to survive climate change. The emergence of Paranthropus robustus happened roughly at the same time as the more primitive hominin species Australopithecus died out. It is believed this period of rapid change in South … Read more
Scientists add 12,000 new species to the list of Earth’s bacteria – increasing diversity by over two fifths Researchers studied more than 52,000 samples of DNA from various biomes The different samples were taken from humans, other animals, soils and oceans After ‘untangling’ the mess of DNA the team found 12,000 distinct new species This … Read more
Gentoo penguins should be considered four different species due to the way they have adapted to live in different environments, according to scientists. Experts from the University of Bath analysed the genetic and physical difference between Gentoo penguin populations around the southern hemisphere. They say that counting the birds as four separate full species will … Read more