Located in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and the East Siberian Sea, Wrangel Island is a 7,600 km² enclave, equivalent in size to Crete. It is part of Russia’s Chukotka Autonomous District and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004 due to its unique biodiversity and historical significance. The […]
Animals
Posted inScience
Beyond Cute: California Squirrels Now Hunt and Eat Small Rodents
When picturing a ground squirrel, it’s common to imagine a creature stuffing its cheeks with nuts or seeds. However, a groundbreaking study has revealed an unexpected facet of California ground squirrels’ behavior: these rodents are active hunters that prey on small mammals like voles. This discovery, led by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire […]
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Fossil Remains of the Oldest Mammal Ancestor in the World Found in Mallorca, Spain
An international team of paleontologists, led by the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA) and the Museu Balear de Ciències Naturals (MUCBO | MBCN), has made a discovery that rewrites part of evolutionary history: the fossil remains of the oldest known gorgonopsian. This animal, which lived between 270 and 280 million years ago, represents […]
Posted inArchaeology
An Ancient Floor Paved with Animal Bones Found in a Building in Alkmaar, Netherlands
In the historic center of Alkmaar in the Netherlands, a team of municipal archaeologists made an extraordinary discovery during the renovation of a building on Achterdam Street: a section of an ancient floor partially composed of animal bones. These types of findings are extremely rare and, to date, have only been documented in the North […]
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Wolves Observed Feeding on Flower Nectar for the First Time
A recent study on the feeding behavior of the Ethiopian wolf, a critically endangered species, has documented an unusual interaction between this species and the Kniphofia foliosa plant. This research was conducted by the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program (EWCP), a joint initiative between the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) at the University of Oxford, the […]
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In bees, ants, and wasps, males hatch from unfertilized eggs and females from those that have been fertilized, and it is the queen who decides
In the vast realm of insects, certain beetles, mites, and other insects—including bees, ants, and wasps—use a unique system of sex determination known as haplodiploidy. In this system, the sexual destiny of each individual is determined at the time the egg is laid and hinges on a simple but crucial event: fertilization. Bees, ants, and […]
Posted inArchaeology, Science
A Fossil Found in Utah Reveals the Origin of the Earth’s First Vertebrates
The history of life on Earth dates back more than 500 million years, when complex-structured organisms emerged during the Cambrian period. A recent discovery in the western Utah desert sheds light on this crucial period in the evolution of vertebrates, the group that includes all animals with a backbone. In a geological area known for […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
The Strange Legend of the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary
The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary, also called Borametz and Polypodium Borametz, or “Chinese polypody,” is a plant shaped like a lamb, covered in golden fluff. It stands on four or five roots; the plants around it die, yet it remains lush; when cut, it releases a bloody juice (…) In other monsters, species or animal […]
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Which came first the chicken or the egg? Scientists have found the answer in a species discovered in 2017
The classic question, “What came first, the egg or the chicken?” has intrigued philosophers and scientists for centuries. A recent discovery, however, may finally provide some clarity on this ancient dilemma. In 2017, researchers identified a unicellular species known as Chromosphaera perkinsii, found in oceanic sediments near Hawaii, which could hold the answer. Chromosphaera perkinsii […]
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Fossil of an Extinct Animal That Lacked Eyes Found Petrified in Pyrite in an Exceptionally Well-Preserved State
Paleontologists have made a fascinating discovery in New York State: fossil remains of an ancient species of arthropod that existed approximately 450 million years ago, whose preservation is exceptional thanks to a unique fossilization process that involved the infiltration of pyrite, commonly known as “fool’s gold”. This new species, named Lomankus edgecombei, belongs to an […]
