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EXTINCT PREDATORS
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 ...- They disappeared from mainland Australia 3,000 years ago; now Tasmanian devils are breeding again, with conservationists hoping their return will reshape ecosystems and suppress predatorsTasmanian devils, absent from mainland Australia for 3,000 years, have been reintroduced. Conservationists aim to restore their ecological ...
- Seventy years ago, Spanish anglers welcomed an American predator into their waters for sport; today, the largemouth bass is spreading through ecosystems and threatening native wildlifeBrought to Spain in 1955 for recreational fishing, the largemouth bass has transformed into an invasive species wreaking havoc on local eco...
- What did a Jurassic forest sound like? Scientists recreate 165-million-year-old insect calls and make a startling discovery with AI, lasers and fossil wingsScientists have reconstructed sounds of nine extinct Jurassic insects. Fossilized insect wings preserved sound-producing structures for ana...
- In 1950, livestock viruses drove the Serengeti's wildebeest herd down to 300,000. Less than a decade later, it surpassed 1.5 million, helping turn the ecosystem into a carbon sinkIn the 1950s, rinderpest and livestock disease pushed the Serengeti’s wildebeest herd to dangerously low numbers. After the virus was broug...
- In 1914 passenger pigeon went extinct following the death of Martha in Cincinnati Zoo, over 100 years later more than 500 bird species are facing risk of extinction, finds research studyScientists found that even with complete protection from human-caused threats like habitat loss, hunting, and climate change, about 250 bir...
- In the late 1800s, California introduced red foxes for hunting and fur farms; at Seal Beach, they drove light-footed Ridgway's rails down to just 5 pairs in 7 yearsIn the late 1800s, non-native red foxes wreaked havoc on the population of Ridgway's rails, bringing them perilously close to extinction. F...
- Beginning in 1877, Japan imported California rainbow trout for food and sport fishing; escaped fish later competed with native salmonids and disrupted their spawning groundsIn 1877, Japan imported rainbow trout from California for culinary and recreational purposes. However, these fish escaped their aquaculture...
- In 2017, USGS and MIT researchers dated a magma pulse to 251.9 million years ago. 9 years later, it links to Earth's worst extinctionEarth faced its worst extinction event around 252 million years ago. Volcanic activity in the Siberian Traps is the leading explanation for...
- In 1901, a Stanford graduate accidentally found mysterious bones in California. His discovery helped reveal a lost world of 600 ancient speciesIn a fascinating turn of events, geologist William Warren Orcutt uncovered ancient animal bones within asphalt deposits, revealing a captiv...
- In May 2026, Hawaii wildlife crews found 10 endangered caterpillars on Lānaʻi. Weeks later, they found the same moth on Molokaʻi for the first time since the 1940sHawaii wildlife crews recently discovered Blackburn's Sphinx Moth caterpillars on Lānaʻi. These endangered insects were also found in Halaw...
- 10 million years ago, this 23-foot crocodile ruled prehistoric Colombia; its fossilised victims reveal a brutal secretIn Colombia, researchers uncovered fossilized bones indicating that Purussaurus neivensis, an enormous caiman relative, engaged in predatio...
- In 1990s, Samoa released a predatory flatworm as a weapon against giant African land snails. 49 years later, the predator has outlived its original target-control mission and threatens native snails insteadThe introduction of the predatory flatworm, Platydemus manokwari, to Samoa aimed to tackle the invasive giant African snails. However, this...
- 11-year-old boy finds tooth of an enormous predator to ever swim Earth’s oceans on New Jersey beach; only five had been found beforeAn eleven-year-old boy made an astonishing discovery while exploring a New Jersey beach: a massive megalodon tooth. This remarkable fossil ...
- In the 1990s, a predatory flatworm was released in Samoa to control giant African snails; it later drove native island snails toward extinctionBiological control efforts introduced the New Guinea flatworm to Pacific islands. This predator began hunting native land snails, pushing t...
- In 1948, scientists abandoned this giant fossil. Nearly 80 years later, it became something nobody expectedScientists identified a new species of ancient amphibian-like creature from an Arctic fossil. This previously unknown creature, Arctobatrac...
- 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 1904, Newfoundland released just 4 moose onto the island after an earlier introduction. 122 years later, their descendants number about 110,000 and have become powerful drivers of change across the island's forestsMoose impact on Newfoundland forests: Newfoundland introduced four moose in 1904, which now number around 110,000. These animals significan...
- Originated 250 millions ago, Crocodiles and Birds closest living relatives yet one flies, apex predator can't, scientists have finally figured out whyReversion to a cold-blooded metabolism may have saved the crocodile lineage from extinction 66 million years ago when an asteroid ended the...
- In 1955, Hawaiʻi released a predatory snail to control giant African snails; it climbed into native forests and helped wipe out rare tree snailsIn Hawaii, the introduction of the rosy wolfsnail was intended to combat a pest, but it drastically backfired. Instead of targeting its int...
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