In case you missed them, we’ve compiled our feature stories from 2024.
But these sea turtles face a hidden danger – boat strikes.
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s Environmental Archaeology Program received a nearly $800,000 National Science Foundation grant to curate some of its most delicate specimens and vital data, documenting 14,000 years of biodiversity in vulnerable regions around the Caribbean. Environmental a
damaged material and digitize handwritten specimen labels and other information in danger
Spiny Butterfly Ray Gymnura altavela These broad, flat diamond-shaped rays are much wider than they are long, with a short tail that has one or more serrated spine at the base. They are generally dark brown, sometimes with pale-rimmed dark spots or blotches. They have been reported at almost
Danger to Humans The spiny butterfly ray is harmless to humans as it is not aggressive
Arachnologists (spider scientists) are studying how color impacts spider behavior. Male Coloration Colorful markings paired with a flashy dance might tell a female jumping spider that a male is the right species, and ready to mate. Colors give females subtle information and only males in
Voracious Visual Predators For visual predators, bright colors in prey often warn of danger
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are as bitter and toxic as they are hard to pronounce. They’re produced by several different types of plants and are among the leading causes of accidental death in cattle. Plants that contain these alkaloids have made it very clear they don’t want to be consumed, but that
If bella moths perceive themselves to be in danger, they exude a frothy sphere of
From the jungles of Southeast Asia to the Greek Islands, Florida Museum of Natural History botanist Nico Cellinese has searched for the answers to how evolution works. But during fieldwork in the Mediterranean Basin—a biodiversity hotspot—she found more questions than answers. “There are so many
the Roucela group rare, Crowl is the first to point out they may actually be in danger
The human environmental footprint is not only deep, but old. Ancient traces of this footprint can be found in animal bones, shells, scales and antlers at archaeological sites. Together, these specimens tell the millennia-long story of how humans have hunted, domesticated and transported animals,
of hutia, several species of which are currently vulnerable to extinction or in danger
The saying “Birds of a feather flock together” is being given new meaning by a study published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society b. Flocking birds often travel in groups made up of a single species, in which individuals are nearly indistinguishable from one another, as noted by
For small to medium flocking birds, the biggest source of danger comes from above
The annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count concluded last week with volunteers tallying bird sightings in 28 countries throughout North, Central and South America. Despite inclement weather, the count marked another exceptionally good year for birds in Gainesville, Florida, where volunteers observed
of multiple species from the sky, which work together to confront the suspected danger
In a new study published in PNAS, researchers have extracted the first ancient DNA from Caribbean parrots, which they compared with genetic sequences from modern birds. Working with fossils and archaeological specimens, they showed that two species thought to be endemic to particular islands were on
They’re one of the only native parrots in the region not in imminent danger of extinction
