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The international wildlife trade is causing more than a 60 per cent fall in species abundance, a new study reveals. An international team of researchers, including experts from the University of Sheffield, performed a ‘meta-analysis’ of the wildlife trade from 31 studies. They found a 62 per cent fall in species abundance overall, as well as … Read more
A species of baleen whale that is native to the Gulf of Mexico, called Rice’s whale, is already threatened by extinction – even though it’s only just been properly identified. US experts unravelled ‘a complex species puzzle’ with an analysis of a Rice’s whale skull, which revealed key morphological differences compared with other baleen whale species. … Read more
Tree planting can be harmful to the environment if the wrong species or location is chosen, a new study has warned. Forests are essential to life on Earth, providing us with food, fuels and medicine, and soaking up carbon dioxide. However, research indicates that an area around the size of Denmark of tropical forest is … Read more
A quarter of known bee species in the wild haven’t appeared in public records since the 1990s, a shocking new study reveals. Argentinian researchers used a publicly available database on specimen collections and observations, complemented by citizen-science efforts. Despite a large increase in the number of records available, 25 per cent fewer species were reported between … Read more
After four-and-a-half years, the world’s largest deep-sea exploration mission has identified at least 12 new species of marine life, including a new kind of coral. Funded by the European Union, the just-completed ATLAS Project carried out some 45 research expeditions since June 2016, exploring undersea life in a deep stretch of the North Atlantic. More … Read more
Not every new animal is discovered in the jungle or rainforest: A new species of snake was discovered in a museum after being ignored by researchers for years. Levitonius mirus, also known as the Waray dwarf burrowing snake, is native to the Philippines. But specimens of the snake sent to the University of were misidentified until … Read more
Not every new animal is discovered in the jungle or rainforest: A new species of snake was discovered in a museum after being ignored by researchers for years. Levitonius mirus, also known as the Waray dwarf burrowing snake, is native to the Philippines. But specimens of the snake sent to the University of Kentucky were … Read more
New plant species found in the rugged mountains of Hawaii produces long, curved white flowers that look like ‘uncooked French fries’ Botanists discovered a new plant species in Hawaii called Cyanea heluensis However, it is the only one of its kind found in the area to date The large plant has massive green leaves and in the … Read more
More farming to feed world’s growing population will threaten thousands of species with extinction unless we eat less meat, study claims More than 20,000 species will lose part of their current habitats a study found The animals that are set to suffer include elephants, lions, zebras and baboons Projected mean habitat losses were greatest in … Read more
When people think of orchids, they think of the most exquisite and exotic flowers, which can be traded for thousands of pounds. The Gastrodia agnicellus — small and brown, with flowers that barely open — may come as a bit of a disappointment by comparison. But, unshowy as this ‘ugly’ orchid may be, it smells … Read more