Loss of land mammals decimated food webs over 130,000 years

Recreating 130,000 years of mammal food webs with machine learning reveals the scope of the biodiversity crisis.

Jade Boyd-Rice • futurity
Sept. 7, 2022 ~6 min

Sleeping fish? From sharks to salmon, guppies to groupers, here's how they grab a snooze

Just about every creature on Earth needs to grab some Zs from time to time. Imagine trying to doze while dodging great whites and killer whales.

Michael Heithaus, Executive Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education and Professor of Biological Sciences, Florida International University • conversation
Sept. 5, 2022 ~6 min


Megalodon could fit a modern orca in its stomach

The megalodon was an even more fearsome predator than previously thought, able to take down prey the size of modern orcas.

U. Zurich • futurity
Aug. 18, 2022 ~5 min

Coyotes are here to stay in North American cities – here's how to appreciate them from a distance

Urban coyotes prey on rodents and spread plant seeds. It’s OK to observe them from a distance, but then you should chase them off.

Mary Magnuson, Master's student in Environment and Resources, University of Wisconsin-Madison • conversation
Aug. 3, 2022 ~8 min

Megalodon sharks ruled the oceans millions of years ago – new analyses of giant fossilized teeth are helping scientists unravel the mystery of their extinction

Megalodon, the world’s largest known shark species, swam the oceans long before humans existed. Its teeth are all that’s left, and they tell a story of an apex predator that vanished.

Sora Kim, Assistant Professor of Paleoecology, University of California, Merced • conversation
July 20, 2022 ~8 min

Adapting to climate change may put some animals in a ‘trap’

Animals are altering their lives to adapt to climate change, but those changes may make them worse off, researchers warn.

James Urton-U. Washington • futurity
June 30, 2022 ~9 min

Restoring native predators can control invasive species – if they pass these tests

Once hated, native predators are now credited with limiting invasive prey populations.

Xavier Lambin, Chair in Zoology, University of Aberdeen • conversation
June 16, 2022 ~6 min

Group living puts guppies at risk of deadly parasites

Hanging out with other guppies can offer protection against predators, but all that social mingling can set them up for breeding deadly parasites.

U. Pittsburgh • futurity
June 15, 2022 ~7 min


Some jumping spiders spot blood-red mosquito bellies

A species of jumping spider in Kenya appears to use the blood-red abdomen of mosquitoes to target them as prey.

Kirsten Romaguera-U. Florida • futurity
May 13, 2022 ~4 min

Great white sharks occasionally hunt in pairs - new research sheds light on social behavior of these mysterious predators

Researchers have discovered that great white sharks are more social than previously thought. Using specialized tags, they tracked six sharks and found that some stay close to each other when hunting.

Yannis Papastamatiou, Professor of Biological Sciences, Florida International University • conversation
April 11, 2022 ~9 min

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