New research reveals that dwarf elephants (Palaeoloxodon cypriotes) and dwarf hippopotamuses (Phanourios minor) on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus were driven to extinction after the arrival of Paleolithic humans around 14,000 years ago. A small population of possibly just 3,000 people was enough to wipe out these animals within a
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Pristimantis ruidus: Frog Species Missing for 100 Years Rediscovered in Ecuador
During a 2022 expedition to the Molleturo forest in the Ecuadorian Andes, biologist Juan Sánchez-Nivicela and his team made a remarkable discovery: two tiny frogs that could not be immediately identified. Now, as the researchers report in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution, the frogs belong to the species Pristimantis ruidus,
Continue readingTaxidermied Huia Pair Expected to Fetch Up to NZ$128,000 at London Auction
A rare taxidermied pair of huia birds could fetch up to NZ$128,000 at an auction in London. Organized by Roseberys London, the auction is scheduled for October 2024. The huia pair, consisting of a male and a female, dates back to the late 19th century and is considered extremely rare.
Continue readingRussia: Believed-to-be-extinct Abrau Sprat Rediscovered
In October 2019, researchers collected nine small fish during an expedition from Lake Abrau in the Krasnodar region of western Russia. Recent DNA analyses have confirmed that the captured fish are indeed the endemic Abrau sprat (Clupeonella abrau), a species that had not been recorded since 2008. Challenges for the
Continue readingMussau Triller: Lost Bird Species Rediscovered After 44 Years
The Mussau triller (Lalage conjuncta), last documented in 1979, was rediscovered in June of this year by Australian bird photographer Joshua Bergmark during a tour with a group of birdwatchers. This songbird species, part of the cuckooshrike family, is endemic to Mussau Island, located in the Bismarck Archipelago north of
Continue readingThe Preservation of Biodiversity: A Lunar Biorepository
Could the Moon soon serve as a storage site for frozen biological samples of endangered species? In a recently published paper in the journal BioScience, researchers from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute present a futuristic idea: the establishment of a biorepository on the Moon. The scientists aim
Continue readingIn the Footsteps of Moas: Where New Zealand’s Flightless Birds Find Refuge
The settlement of the Pacific Islands by humans led to rapid waves of extinction for many animal species, whose dynamics are difficult to reconstruct. Among the affected species were the wingless moas, which were only found in New Zealand. These often massive birds went extinct in the 14th or 15th
Continue readingExtinctions: How Many Animal Species Have We Already Wiped Out?
There have been five mass extinction events in the history of Earth’s biodiversity, all caused by natural phenomena. It is believed that the sixth mass extinction is currently underway, this time solely driven by human activities. The Thylacine, the aurochs, and the dodo are just a few of the most
Continue readingMadagascar: Expedition Rediscovers 21 Lost Species in the Makira Forest
A scientific expedition to the Makira Forest, the largest and best-preserved forest area in Madagascar, has rediscovered 21 species long lost to science. Among the rediscovered species are three iridescent, nearly transparent fish species and a millipede last documented 126 years ago. The expedition was part of the Search for
Continue readingIncredible Rediscovery of the Brown-eared Shrub Frog in India
A recent study published in the journal Zootaxa reports the rediscovery of the brown-eared shrub frog (Pseudophilautus regius) – approximately 700 kilometers away from its previously known distribution range. The brown-eared shrub frog, originally native to the forests of Sri Lanka, was found by researchers in the Indian state of
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