These moths are one of Hawaii’s oldest animal groups. Can they survive the next century?
Akito Kawahara was snapping pictures at a scenic outlook in Hawaii when he spotted the moth equivalent of a dodo.…
Extinct Caribbean bird’s closest relatives hail from Africa, South Pacific
In a genetic surprise, ancient DNA shows the closest family members of an extinct bird known as the Haitian cave-rail…
Escape artists: Birds learn to avoid flashy, hard-to-catch butterflies and their lookalikes
The showy colors of some butterflies could advertise their speed and nimbleness, much like a coat of bright yellow paint…
Rise of marine predators reshaped ocean life as dramatically as mass extinctions
Evolutionary arms races between marine animals overhauled ocean ecosystems on scales similar to the mass extinctions triggered by global disasters,…
Human eye beats machine in archaeological color identification test
A ruler and scale can tell archaeologists the size and weight of a fragment of pottery – but identifying its…
Shark attack numbers remained ‘extremely low’ in 2020, but fatalities spiked
Shark attacks decreased for the third consecutive year, falling to 57 unprovoked bites worldwide in 2020, compared with 64 bites…
Rare lichen unique to Florida discovered in museum collections, may be extinct
Scientists have found a new species of fleshy verdigris lichen, thanks to DNA analysis of museum specimens. Misidentified by its…
Unsure how to help reverse insect declines? Scientists suggest simple ways
Entomologist Akito Kawahara’s message is straightforward: We can’t live without insects. They’re in trouble. And there’s something all...
New genus of tiny, iridescent snake from Philippines found in collection
To be fair, the newly described Waray dwarf burrowing snake is pretty great at hiding. In its native habitat on…
Ancient DNA retells story of Caribbean’s first people
The history of the Caribbean’s original islanders comes into sharper focus in a new Nature study that combines decades of…