Scientists examine plants encased in tar pits to reconstruct ice age ecosystem
For tens of thousands of years, the warm, sticky natural asphalt that occasionally bubbled to the Earth’s surface in the area now called Los Angeles
Category : Natural History
HeritageDaily – Natural history news and press releases from across the globe
Humans, not climate change, wiped out Australian megafauna
New evidence involving the ancient poop of some of the huge and astonishing creatures that once roamed Australia indicates the primary cause of their extinction
New theory may explain mystery of Fairy Circles of Namibia
One of nature’s greatest mysteries – the ‘Fairy Circles’ of Namibia – may have been unravelled by researchers at the University of Strathclyde and Princeton
Aboriginal Australians co-existed with the megafauna for at least 17,000 years
Australia was once home to giant reptiles, marsupials and birds (and some not so giant), but the extinction of this megafauna has been the subject
Hidden seeds reveal Canary Islands history
Have you tried the national dish gofio while on holiday on the Canary Islands? If so, you have eaten the same food as the original
The loss of plant species triggers the extinction of animals
When plant species disappear due to climate change, this may lead to the subsequent loss of various animal species. Insects which depend on interactions with
Researchers investigate ancient species in Gulf of Alaska
Invasive species have shaped island ecosystems and landscapes in the Gulf of Alaska, but their histories are unknown. In a study by the University of
Predicting extinction — with the help of a Yule tree
At this time of year, the words "Yule tree" may conjure images of brightly decorated balsam firs. But for Lea Popovic, an associate professor of
Study finds capuchin monkeys produce sharp stone flakes similar to tools
In addition to using rocks for various purposes, such as cracking open a seed or fruit to extract the edible part, the Bearded or Black-Striped
Global habitat loss still rampant across much of the Earth
A University of Queensland-led study involving researchers from three continents has found habitat destruction still far outstrips habitat protection across many parts of the planet.
Tibetan Mastiff gained high altitude adaptation after domestication by wolf interbreeding
The Tibetan Mastiff is famed for its high-altitude prowess, showing a remarkable strength and endurance to 3-mile elevations and even higher. Evolutionary biologists have successfully
Predation on pollinating insects shaped the evolution of the orchid mantis
A team of scientists at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Australia, and Germany discovered that the orchid mantis looks like a flower due to
Study explains evolution phenomenon that puzzled Darwin
Why do some animals have extravagant, showy ornaments -- think elk and deer antlers, peacock feathers and horns on dung beetles -- that can be
Endangered Australasian marsupials are ancient survivors of climate change
In a new paper, published in Scientific Reports, an international team of researchers has analysed fossils and DNA from living and recently extinct species to
Climate, human influence conspired in Lake Urmia’s decline
The dramatic decline of Iran's Lake Urmia--once the second-largest hypersaline lake in the world--has both direct human and climatic causes, according to a new study
Peat bog reveals more than 1,000 years of Tanzanian history
Scientists at the University of York have charted more than 1,000 years of Tanzanian environmental history using sediments extracted from a peat bog.
Uncovered: the tiny killer triffids that dominate life in our oceans
Have you ever wondered where the foam in the ocean comes from? Or why the sea can look clear on some days and green, brown,
On a wet British Columbia island, historical fires likely were human products
Fire-scarred trees on isolated Hecate Island off British Columbia have helped researchers from two Pacific Northwest universities isolate patterns of wildfires over the past 700
How the chicken crossed the Red Sea
The discarded bone of a chicken leg, still etched with teeth marks from a dinner thousands of years ago, provides some of the oldest known
Scientists trace plant hormone pathway back 450 million years
Purdue scientists got a glimpse into more than 450 million years of evolution by tracing the function of a hormone pathway that has been passed
Genome of African clawed frog reveals exciting evolution
The well-known laboratory animal Xenopus laevis, also known as the African clawed frog, has an exciting history.
Monkeys are seen making stone flakes so humans are ‘not unique’ after all
Researchers have observed wild-bearded capuchin monkeys in Brazil deliberately break stones, unintentionally creating flakes that share many of the characteristics of those produced by early