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ANCIENT WILDLIFE
A 31,000-year-old fossil has challenged everything scientists thought about the extinct 'American cheetah' — its DNA and diet tell a surprising storyAncient DNA studies have rewritten the family tree of the "American cheetah," Miracinonyx trumani. Genetic evidence shows this extinct cat ...
In 2015, 200,000 saigas died in Kazakhstan's mass die-off. 10 years later, nearly 4 million now roam the vast steppe, turning one of the species' darkest chapters aroundKazakhstan has witnessed one of wildlife conservation’s most remarkable turnarounds. Saiga antelope numbers once collapsed by about 95% aft...
A national park larger than Yosemite was born after Ohio-born fashion moghul donated 725,000 acres in 1990 to save wildlife and forestOhio-born fashion mogul Douglas Tompkins shifted from business to conservation, beginning work to protect Chilean forests in 1992. His Tomp...
Manatees are visiting Texas again but fossils suggest they may have been there thousands of years ago during the Ice AgeThis summer, Texan shores welcome an unusual sight: manatees. Historical fossils reveal that these gentle giants once swam in Texas waters ...
Over 76 million years ago, a massive 31-foot crocodilian with powerful jaws hunted dinosaurs in the eastern United States regionOver 76 million years ago, a massive 31-foot crocodilian with powerful jaws hunted dinosaurs in the eastern United States region. Deinosuch...
In 1997, Simon Fraser University used 10,000-year-old pollen to reconstruct British Columbia's warmer past. 29 years later, his evidence still warns forests could lose alpine meadows as trees climb 100 metres higherAncient pollen data reveals past climate shifts and their forest impacts. Warmer periods brought more Douglas fir and alder after fires. Fu...
A tiny Yemeni island, Socotra’s strange dragon’s blood trees harvest moisture from fog to survive extreme aridity; 90% of its reptiles and 95% of its land snails are found nowhere else, creating an ecosystem unlike any otherSocotra island boasts unique plants and animals that evolved in isolation. Its dragon's blood trees and cucumber trees store water and have...
In 1972, Costa Rican conservationists established the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 54 years later, it protects 10,500 hectares of cloud forest feeding two oceansCosta Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve boasts extraordinary biodiversity and unique water collection. Mist contributes significantly ...
In 2003, a businessman bought a 23,000-acre estate to restore it; now it's home to a million trees and red squirrelsBusinessman Paul Lister transformed Scotland's 23,000-acre Alladale estate into a wilderness reserve, planting one million native trees and...
In 1990, Utah officials killed more than 99% of the fish in a 17,000-acre reservoir; years later, it became a top trout fisheryIn 1990, Utah wildlife officials took the bold step of using rotenone to eradicate over ninety-nine percent of the fish biomass in the rese...
Earlier this year, Michigan researchers analyzed lake sturgeon records spanning decades. 300 years later, their findings point to fish still living around the Great lakes for nearly 3 centuriesNew research from Michigan researchers suggests that lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes may live far longer than previously believed. The stu...
In 1954, Santiago Flight 513 carrying 92 people supposedly vanished without a trace, then a bizarre claim said it landed in Brazil 35 years laterThe legendary saga of Santiago Flight 513, which began circulating in 1989, paints a chilling picture of a flight that vanished in 1954 and...
A UK tenant farmer made environmental changes years ago. In 2024, she helped create England's largest temperate rainforest nature reserveIn a remarkable ecological achievement, Borrowdale, Cumbria, is now home to England's largest temperate rainforest reserve. This initiative...
In 1986, a biologist with a severe stutter persuaded Belize to create the world's first jaguar preserve, then he envisioned a 5,000-mile wildlife corridorAlan Rabinowitz transformed his struggle with a severe stutter into a powerful voice for conservation. Inspired by his childhood bond with ...
In 1991, a Norwegian geologist found one ancient polar bear bone. 34 years later, 6,000 bones revealed a 75,000-year-old Arctic communityA polar bear rib led to the discovery of an ancient Arctic animal community. Researchers examined over six thousand bone fragments using DN...
In 1934, in America's strangest honeymoon, Arizona couple chose a roofless 900-year-old crumbling monument with snakes and scorpions as company. The famous couple later worked in 8 national monumentsIn 1934, Arizona newlyweds Sallie Pierce Brewer and Jim Brewer began their married life in one of America’s most unusual settings, the anci...
Before wolves became dogs, they may have been human hunting partners; a 'shared hunt' that helped people reach prey while leaving enough carrion behind for wolves to benefitLong before domestic dogs became our companions, wild wolves were likely hunting partners with early humans. These fabled alliances saw wol...
The hidden owl war: An invasive owl is conquering ancient forests, putting the threatened northern spotted owl at even greater riskInvasive barred owls are occupying ancient forests vital for northern spotted owls. These aggressive competitors concentrate in the exact h...
Hidden in Uganda's swamps, this 4-foot-tall bird looks like a living dinosaur, complete with a fearsome hooked bill and a machine-gun-like call; scientists still don't fully understand its strange evolutionUganda’s shoebill is one of Africa’s strangest birds, standing up to 140 centimeters tall with a huge hooked bill built for catching large ...
In 1990, Guatemala launched an ambitious mahogany restoration program in Petén to combat deforestation. Years later, it produced Central America's largest natural forest and transformed the province into a global conservation modelGuatemala's 1990 mahogany restoration program changed the future of the country's forests. Instead of losing more rainforest, the Maya Bios...