The rise and fall – and rise again – of white-tailed deer

A new archaeological study finds early evidence of white-tailed deer declines in the 17th century, likely driven by the commodification of deerskins under colonial capitalism.

Elic Weitzel, Peter Buck Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Smithsonian Institution • conversation
May 29, 2025 ~8 min

How animal traits have shaped the journey of species across the globe

New research looks at how different species have managed to cross geographic barriers throughout history and whether their individual traits played a crucial role in these journeys.

Sarah-Sophie Weil, PhD candidate, Swansea University • conversation
Oct. 17, 2023 ~7 min


New Mexico footprints really are from the last Ice Age

Footprints preserved in mud were made by humans thousands of years before any people were thought to be in the Americas, a team confirms.

Robert Sanders-UC Berkeley • futurity
Oct. 9, 2023 ~8 min

US Climate risks are rising – a scientist looks at the dangers her children will have to adapt to, from wildfires to water scarcity

The author’s 9-year-old son will likely face about four times as many extreme events in his lifetime as older adults today. A new report explains the impacts already being felt.

Erica A.H. Smithwick, Distinguished Professor of Geography, Penn State • conversation
March 1, 2022 ~9 min

Our meat obsession is destroying the planet – the solution is to change how we see animals

Learning from Indigenous cultures to treat animals as more than just food sources could help us combat the climate crisis.

Colin Samson, Professor of Sociology and Indigenous Peoples, University of Essex • conversation
Feb. 9, 2022 ~6 min

T. rex had a cousin from the East Coast of North America

New research sheds light on two dinosaurs that once roamed what is now the eastern United States, including a cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex.

Mike Cummings-Yale • futurity
Aug. 31, 2021 ~5 min

Knowing how heat and humidity affect your body can help you stay safe during heat waves

Which is worse, dry heat or wet heat? Both, says an exercise physiologist.

JohnEric W. Smith, Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology, Mississippi State University • conversation
July 8, 2021 ~8 min

Clovis only made stone tools for about 300 years

The Clovis, some of North America's oldest inhabitants, probably only made stone tools for about 300 years, new research shows.

Keith Randall-Texas A&M • futurity
Oct. 23, 2020 ~5 min


Do stone tools put humans in America 30K years ago?

Researchers say DNA from stone tools from in a Mexican cave suggests humans first arrived in America about 15,000 years earlier than previously thought.

Michael Skov Jensen-Copenhagen • futurity
July 23, 2020 ~5 min

How animals are coping with the global 'weirding' of the Earth's seasons

New research on marmots in the US reveals how the topsy-turvy seasons are causing havoc among wildlife.

Line Cordes, Lecturer in Marine Population Ecology, Bangor University • conversation
July 8, 2020 ~6 min

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