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SPECIES EXTINCTION
In 1978, Japan released just 10 to 15 cane toads on Ishigaki Island; their population likely surpassed 20,000, and native snakes were found dead near the toadsA Japanese island's initiative to curb pests with cane toads resulted in unintended consequences. These invasive toads proliferated, wreaki...- In 1836, a pangolin from Nepal entered a London museum collection. 190 years later, scientists sequenced its preserved DNA and confirmed Manis aurita as a distinct species, giving conservationists a new tool against poachingA nearly 190-year-old specimen has unveiled a new pangolin species in Nepal and India, marking a significant stride in the understanding of...
- 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...
- 230 million years ago Dinosaurs first appeared on earth, but was there apex predator Jurassic like the size of a mouse ever existed? New research finds shocking detailsDinosaurs first appeared roughly 230 million years ago and eventually became the dominant land animals, holding that status until an astero...
- In 1930s, Finland brought back beavers but accidentally introduced the wrong species. The mistake still affects wildlife todayDuring the 1930s, Finland's attempt to reestablish its native beaver population took a turn when North American beavers were unwittingly in...
- In 1965, a mountaineer climbed 6,000 feet and found a seabird's last two colonies; he spent the next 50 years keeping it from extinctionA New Zealand salesman made a notable discovery in 1965 by locating nesting sites for the Hutton's shearwater, a unique alpine seabird. Sad...
- 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...
- The tamarin on Brazil’s R$20 note once had only around 200 left in the wild; Smithsonian zoologist Devra Kleiman helped build the breeding program behind its recoveryOnce on the brink of extinction, the golden lion tamarin saw its population dwindle to a mere 200 individuals. Thanks to Devra Kleiman's pi...
- The parrot on America’s El Yunque quarter once had only about 13 birds left in the wild; biologists bred and released new flocks across Puerto RicoFeatured on the 2012 US quarter, the Puerto Rican parrot symbolizes a triumph over extinction. In the 1990s, a genetic analysis unveiled a ...
- The bird on the Seychelles’ 25-rupee note once had only 12 survivors on one island; after another decline, conservationists helped rebuild it to around 280 across five islandsThe Seychelles magpie-robin was on the brink of extinction, with a mere twelve individuals left. In 1990, a concerted conservation effort k...
- In 1970s American bald eagles were saved from brink of extinction, decades later California's internet sensation, social media viral species Jackie dies. Officials announce cause of deathAmerican bald eagles teetered on the brink of extinction until the pesticide DDT was banned in the 1970s and other protections were establi...
- In 1981, only 5 black robins remained. Check how scientists used other species to save them from extinctionIn 1981-82, the Chatham Island black robin faced dire straits, with just five birds remaining. To combat this decline, wildlife officials i...
- Scientists reveal the terrifying 'second strike' that may have wiped out the dinosaurs after asteroid impactApproximately 66 million years ago, a colossal asteroid struck Earth, generating catastrophic global temperatures. As superheated debris ra...
- In 2021, Leonardo DiCaprio and a biologist met Jeff Bezos, wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos, meeting led to $200 million mega project to revive 100 of Earth’s most threatened speciesLeonardo DiCaprio and biologist Wes Sechrest met with the Amazon-founding billionaire Bezos and his wife, former TV news reporter and host ...
- What was so special about Wrangel and St. Paul islands, where Woolly Mammoths survived until their extinction? Scientists revealed the answer two decades agoFor years, scientists believed the last woolly mammoths disappeared because inbreeding and genetic decline made survival impossible. A land...
- Jeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio put $200 million behind 100 endangered species across 30 countries. The list includes rare lemurs and pangolins to a ‘living fossil’ echidnaJeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio have launched a $200 million conservation project to help 100 critically endangered species across 30 coun...
- In 1969, California biologist Phil Pister carried endangered Owens pupfish across hazardous terrain in two buckets; in 2024, a seventh refuge population was establishedIn a dramatic rescue in 1969, biologist Phil Pister painstakingly transported the last of the Owens pupfish through challenging landscapes ...
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