species

New reporting highlights how demand from Asian markets is transforming wildlife trade across Africa, with species ranging from donkeys to sharks increasingly targeted for export. Donkeys are in demand for products such as ejiao, a traditional Chinese gelatin, while sharks are sought for fins and other goods. Conservationists warn the trade is putting pressure on African wildlife populations and rural communities that rely on them.

A study published in Science argues that a Mega El Niño pattern, producing extreme and prolonged climate swings, triggered the end-Permian mass extinction around 252 million years ago, the deadliest extinction event in Earth's history. The researchers say runaway warming destabilised ecosystems beyond what species could tolerate. The paper is being shared widely, with an open-access version of the full text available.

A federal memo would exempt the accidental killing of endangered species from liability under the Endangered Species Act. The proposal, reported by Montana outlet Flathead Beacon, would shield parties from penalties when protected animals are killed unintentionally. Environmental advocates are expected to push back, arguing it could weaken protections for at-risk wildlife such as grizzly bears and wolves in regions like the northern Rockies.

Scientists are examining whether species can adapt genetically quickly enough to keep pace with rapid climate change. The core concern is that rising temperatures and shifting habitats are outpacing evolutionary change for many plants and animals, raising questions about extinction risks and which species may be able to adapt in time.

Scientists suggest fungi could be the answer to producing food on Mars, according to new research reported by ScienceDaily. Fungal species may help future Martian missions grow crops in harsh extraterrestrial conditions, potentially supporting long-term human settlement on the red planet.

Authorities in Palawan, the Philippines, have recovered 33 animals during an operation against illegal wildlife trade. The rescue highlights ongoing efforts to combat trafficking in the province, which is known for its rich biodiversity and has been a focus of conservation enforcement. Details on the species involved and any arrests have not yet been released.

A plan is under way to prepare London's royal parks for climate change, with planting and garden management set to change in response to hotter, drier conditions. The proposal suggests replacing traditional planting with species better suited to a warming climate, prompting debate about how historic landscapes should adapt while preserving their heritage character.

Researchers report the discovery of a human 'jumping gene' — a transposable element able to move around the genome — found embedded inside a virus. The finding suggests genetic material can move between humans and viruses, shedding light on how genomes evolve and how viruses may acquire host genes. Scientists say it could inform understanding of gene transfer and viral evolution.

New research suggests that major climate shifts triggered rare, rapid bursts of evolution in bird species, driving the diversity seen today. According to the findings, periods of environmental change pushed birds into adaptive surges rather than gradual transformation. The study is drawing attention as an example of how climate change can reshape life on Earth over deep time.

A Florida district has begun using robotic rabbits to help control the region's growing Burmese python population, an invasive species that has devastated local wildlife in the Everglades. The decoys mimic the animals pythons prey on, allowing detection teams to locate and remove the snakes more effectively, and the unusual tactic is drawing widespread attention.

Biologists in Orange County, California, have carried out an unprecedented relocation of sea turtle eggs, moving them to safer ground to protect the nest from waves driven by an approaching hurricane. Relocating sea turtle nests is rare in the region, and the operation reflects growing efforts by wildlife experts to shield vulnerable marine species as storms intensify along the Pacific coast.

Reports say a previously unknown penguin has been identified, described as the first such discovery in more than 100 years. The claim is circulating through wildlife media, drawing attention from bird and conservation enthusiasts. Few details are available so far about where the bird was found, how it was confirmed as a distinct species, or its population status.

California has acquired 640 acres of land near Pioneertown in the Mojave Desert for the conservation of the western Joshua tree, whose habitat is threatened by climate change. The purchase reflects the state's broader effort to protect the iconic species, with climate projections suggesting shrinking suitable habitat across the region in the coming decades.

A landmark genetic study suggests Earth's earliest bats did not originate in the region long assumed, prompting talk of a new 'garden of Eden' for the species' evolutionary origins. Researchers say DNA evidence rewrites the map of where bats first emerged, with implications for understanding mammal evolution. Science writers and animal enthusiasts are sharing the finding widely, calling it a surprising rethink of bat history.

Researchers analysing the evolutionary history of 163 ant genomes, spanning most extant ant subfamilies, found periods of rapid species diversification over the past 100 million years were associated with heightened activity of transposable elements — DNA sequences that move within the genome. The findings suggest genome dynamics played a role in the evolutionary success of ants, one of the most dominant insect groups on Earth.

A preserved green mamba specimen kept in a jar in São Tomé and Príncipe could resolve a mystery dating back roughly 150 years. The snake, dubbed a 'ghost', is being examined to determine whether it represents a distinct or long-lost species from the island nation. Interest centres on what the specimen's analysis could reveal about the archipelago's little-known reptile heritage.

Around 200,000 endangered Indiana bats spend their summers in the forests around Mark Twain Lake in Missouri, and work crews are now thinning trees in the area. The activity has drawn attention because the bats depend on the lake's surrounding woodland for summer roosting, raising questions about how the work will be balanced with protection of the federally endangered species.