Bad gift ideas: ferrets and other exotic wild mammals as pets: As the festive season approaches, the demand for pets as holiday gifts tends to spike. People can be drawn to exotic or unique animals, hoping to surprise their loved ones with something special. Recently, ferrets have become increasingly popular in South Africa, especially in …
How the age of mammals could end: When Pangea Ultima forms, conditions on Earth will be too inhospitable for most mammals to survive. Maurus Spescha/Shutterstock Throughout the past 500 million years, our planet has experienced a total of five mass extinctions. One of these – the Permo-Triassic mass extinction event – led to the demise …
While humans were in strict lockdown, wild mammals roamed further – new research: At one point in 2020, 4.4 billion people – more than half of the world’s population – were under lockdown restrictions to stem the spread of COVID-19. This was such a sudden and substantial event that it has become known as the …
From enormous elephants to tiny shrews: how mammals shape and are shaped by Africa’s landscapes: Africa is the world’s most diverse continent for large mammals such as antelopes, zebras and elephants. The heaviest of these large mammals top the scales at over one ton, and are referred to as megafauna. In fact, it’s the only …
Bird flu continues to spread in mammals – what this means for humans and wildlife: As bird flu continues to decimate poultry and wild bird populations around the world, the virus – a deadly strain called H5N1 – appears to be spreading to mammals. The virus has already been confirmed in foxes and otters in …
Large mammals shaped the evolution of humans: here’s why it happened in Africa: That humans originated in Africa is widely accepted. But it’s not generally recognised how unique features of Africa’s ecology were responsible for the crucial evolutionary transitions from forest-inhabiting fruit-eater to savanna-dwelling hunter. These were founded on earth movements and aided physically by …
Offshore wind farm construction is noisy – but gadgets used to protect marine mammals are working: Harbour porpoises are the most common toothed whale in the turbine-rich North Sea. Onutancu/Shutterstock The European Union had 14.6 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy installed in 2021, and this is projected to increase by at least 25 times …
A fossil baby helped scientists explain how mammals thrived after the dinosaur extinction – new research: An artist's impression of the _Pantolambda bathmodon_ H Sharpe, Author provided Sixty-two million years ago, a mother gave birth to a baby. Overcoming the shock of birth in a matter of minutes, the baby began to explore the world …
Mystery solved: when mammals’ ancestors became warm-blooded: Tritylodon, a therapsid, reconstructed as a night dwelling warm blooded animal. Note the steam coming out of its lungs. Illustrated by Luzia Soares Mammals and birds produce their own body heat and control their body temperatures. This process is known as endothermy, or warm-bloodedness, and it may be …
A first for large African mammals: DNA used to count Gabon’s endangered forest elephants: African forest elephants. GUDKOV ANDREY/Shutterstock Across the African continent the populations of both species of African elephants – forest and savanna – have been declining due to habitat loss, poaching and human-wildlife conflict. Forest elephants are listed by the International Union …
Check out this Paternoster image: Image from page 448 of “The geography of mammals” (1899) Image by Internet Archive Book Images Identifier: geographyofmamma00scla Title: The geography of mammals Year: 1899 (1890s) Authors: Sclater, William Lutley, 1863- Sclater, Philip Lutley, 1829-1913 Subjects: Mammals Zoogeography Publisher: London, K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., ltd. Contributing Library: Smithsonian …
Are marine protected areas helping marine mammals and birds? Maybe, but more can be done: Our oceans are under pressure like never before, with over 60% struggling from the increasing impact of fishing, coastal activities and climate change. The harsh truth is that as we move towards 2022 only 3% of oceans are totally free …
Mammals face an uncertain future as global temperatures rise: Meerkats on high alert. Ronnie MacDonald/Flickr, CC BY-SA Even with fires, droughts and floods regularly in the news, it’s difficult to comprehend the human toll of the climate crisis. It’s harder still to understand what a warming world will mean for all the other species we …
A cool Paternoster image: Image from page 8 of “The geography of mammals” (1899) Image by Internet Archive Book Images Identifier: geographyofmamma00scla Title: The geography of mammals Year: 1899 (1890s) Authors: Sclater, William Lutley, 1863- Sclater, Philip Lutley, 1829-1913 Subjects: Mammals Zoogeography Publisher: London, K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., ltd. Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries …
Fossilised teeth reveal first mammals were far from warm blooded: Artist's impression of early mammals. John Sibbick/University of Bristol, Author provided Warm blood is one of the key traits that led to the success of mammals as they evolved from scurrying beneath the feet of dinosaurs to spreading into the wild and wonderful collection of …
South America is filled with mammals of North American origin but not vice versa – and scientists have figured out why: Sabre-tooth tiger _Smilodon_ meets the South American marsupial, _Thylacosmilus_. This is a classic image of supposedly 'superior northerners' outcompeting 'inferior southerners', but such meetings actually rarely happened as many of the southern species had …
The survival secrets of tiny mammals that could help them avoid extinction: Grey Mouse Lemurs enter torpor to conserve water. Shutterstock We live in a changing world – and humans are the cause. Habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, the spread of invasive species, over-harvesting, pollution and climate change are just some of the problems. It …
What fossils reveal about the hairy history of mammals’ ancestors: Mammals like otters use their whiskers to orientate themselves — just like their pre-mammalian ancestors did. Peter Trimming/Flickr, CC BY Scientists know a fair amount about the evolution of feathers in dinosaurs and birds. But less is known about the origin of hair in mammals’ …