How bison, moose and caribou stepped in to do the cleaning work of extinct mammoths
The historical record is full of surprises – and it could encourage conservationists to think more creatively.
Primary Results
Seabed fossils show the ocean is undergoing a change not seen for 10,000 years
Cold-water plankton is being replaced by warm-water species.
Were Denisovans tall compared to other ancient humans? We should be sceptical
Two Denisovan leg bones from Taiwan came from tall individuals. But we can’t generalise to a whole species just yet.
South America is filled with mammals of North American origin but not vice versa – and scientists have figured out why
Why were mammals travelling south through newly-formed Panama so much more successful than those heading north?
Anthropocene vs Meghalayan: why geologists are fighting over whether humans are a force of nature
When it comes to the geological record, airbrushing out humans’ impact on the environment makes little sense.
This waterlogged corner of England was once only habitable during summer. Climate change could make it so again
As the UK experiences high levels of rain, Somerset Levels in the south-west of England is trying to cope with extreme flooding and its consequences.
1953 storm surge: how Britain’s worst natural disaster kicked off the debate on climate change
Scientists correctly realised there was an increasing risk of major flooding. But they didn’t know humans were to blame.
8 billion people: how different the world would look if Neanderthals had prevailed
Neanderthals were wiped out by chance changes in the environment. The rise of Homo sapiens wasn’t inevitable.
Doggerland’s lost world shows melting glaciers have drowned lands before, and may again
When scientists from Imperial College released a simulation of a tsunami, triggered by a vast undersea landslide at Storrega off the coast of Norway around 6000 BC, it probably came as a surprise to many…
Weathermen of Westeros: does the climate in Game of Thrones make sense?
We’ve never had multi-year seasons here on Earth, but long cold spells might be similar to a Westerosi winter.
Secondary Results
