Tasmanian tigers are believed to have gone extinct in 1936, when the last surviving specimen died in captivity. However, researchers now think they might be able to bring the animal back from the dead. A breakthrough discovery brought back some new information on their DNA, and sequencing it might offer the long-lost species a new chance.

Tasmanian tigers went extinct 80 years ago

Tasmanian tigers were marsupials, and belonged to the same family as wallabies, koalas, and kangaroos. However, it shared some evolutionary traits with dogs, from whose genetic lines they parted 160 million years ago. The animal, also known as thylacine, was sand colored, and had some dark stripes on its back. It existed for several millions of years in Australia and Tasmania, but then humans drove it extinct due to extreme hunting.

However, the situation might not soon change. A team of researchers managed to sequence their DNA, which might be used to bring back the Tasmanian tigers. More than 100 years ago, a team of researchers managed to take a thylacine pup from its mother’s pouch and keep it in alcohol. The DNA of the pup was perfectly preserved.

Tasmanian tigers were already vulnerable when humans appeared

However, the discovery doesn’t only offer a slight chance for the revival of the species. By analyzing the DNA, researchers could see that Tasmanian tigers were already struggling, even before humans started hunting them. The genetic diversity of the species was extremely small, making it vulnerable to any kind of threat.

Due to some unknown natural factors, this diversity, or the number of genetic traits preserved in the DNA, went down between 70,000 and 120,000 years ago. More precisely, this happened before humans reached Australia, at the beginning of one of the glacial cycles.

The genetic sequencing was possible only because the thylacine pup was preserved in alcohol. Whenever researchers tried to sequence some DNA from other remains which belonged to Tasmanian tigers, the genes were way too fragmented. This happened because they collected the DNA from bones or pieces of skin.

The study was published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
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Narwhals are unique creatures which never cease to amaze us. However, it turns out they are a lot more vulnerable than we thought, as human interference might actually cost them their lives. They are easily stressed and disturbed, and their response to such situation puts them in great danger.

Narwhals suffer extreme stress when they face human threats

Narwhals used to live in distant areas, where they could be completely isolated from human populations. Sometimes, the Inuit hunted them, but they mostly had to be afraid of natural predators, such as orcas or polar bears.

However, global warming caused the gradual decline of the Arctic layer of ice. This means that humans could advance and get closer to these creatures, and their activities managed to put a great disturbance on their habitat. As people started extracting oil, fishing for commercial purposes, and then transporting all this fish to land, the narwhals got more and more stressed.

Therefore, a team of researchers developed a study on the human effects on these populations of narwhals. Whenever they get surprised by these disturbing activities, they react to stress in ways extremely harmful for their health.

Their response to the human threat puts their heart in danger

There are three ways they can respond to a threat, freeze, flee, or fight. Whenever a natural predator appears, they slowly dive into the depths. This means their heart is not affected. However, when a human danger appears, they react through a combination of responses, a freeze-flee.

To analyze the effects of this technique, researchers put heart monitors on the narwhals. They noticed how they made rapid dives to escape the danger, and then their heart rate decreased to extremely low levels. This is bad for them, as they also do not conserve oxygen whenever this happens.

The human danger is quite new for narwhals, meaning that they didn’t have the time to develop a healthy response to the attacks. Meanwhile, they might suffer great consequences, and their populations might get seriously affected.

The study was published in the journal Science.
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A team of researchers caught a glimpse of a unique event which occurred for the first time in 150 years, since Charles Darwin wrote its theory of evolution. They observed a process called speciation, where a species of Galapagos finches evolved into a completely different species.

While looking at the bird populations on Daphne Major, one of the Galapagos Islands, scientists noticed one species which slowly turned into a different one. The birds in question are known as Darwin’s finches, which helped Darwin illustrate how the process of natural selection occurs. After analyzing the physical traits and genes of the bird, they discovered it turned into a whole new species.

In 1981, there were three species of finches on the island. Then, a male belonging to the cactus finch group also arrived there, and scientists quickly noticed the specimen was different from the three native species. Therefore, it couldn’t have been born on the island.

An entirely new species of finches evolved in less than 40 years

Shortly after its arrival, this bird started mating with the females of a native group, the medium ground finches. This is how they laid the bricks of a new species, which now numbers about 30 individuals. The process was quite slow and difficult, as the offspring lived isolated and needed to mate with its own kind.

Fortunately, the new species of finches was bigger, had a different call, and had a bigger beak. This gave them a clear advantage in getting food from difficult locations, which made it easier for them to survive. Even so, the evolution of an entire species occurred over a period of 30 years, which is still extremely quick.

Now, there are four species of finches which are native on Daphne Major. These newly evolved specimens might soon start breeding with other of the three species, which might give rise to a new speciation process. The study has been published in the journal Science.
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A team of scientists made a major discovery in the south of Illinois, when they spotted an animal seen so rarely that they feared it might have gone extinct. The animal in question was an alligator snapping turtle, and it was the first time in 50 years when scientists could see it. However, shortly after discovering the rare species, they lost track of it again.

Researchers lost the alligator snapping turtle shortly after spotting it

This was the second individual belonging to the alligator snapping turtle species that scientists have seen in 50 years. Therefore, they attached a transmitter on the back of the turtle, hoping they might track it back to where it lives, and maybe find other specimens.

However, back luck struck the researchers. The battery of the radio transmitter quickly died off, and they are no longer aware of the location of the alligator snapping turtle. They hope their discovery proved the existence of other specimens, and that this particular turtle wasn’t the only one left alive.

Researchers need to know if other specimens might be hiding in the wild

Unfortunately, one single specimen wandering around is no solid proof of the existence of a stable population. If there are no others of its kind left alive, the animal might keep moving from one place to another while waiting for the end to come. However, researchers keep hoping.

They spotted the alligator snapping turtle near Clear Creek, an area of the Mississippi River where other turtles of the same species were last seen 50 years ago. Now, researchers hope this region provides a good environment for the species to thrive.

Such kind of discoveries can be vital for an endangered population. Spotting such a specimen in the wild should tell researchers if a group of animals need protection, or if it’s already endangered and new specimens need to be reintroduced in the wild.

The study on the rare turtle has been published in the journal Southeastern Naturalist.
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Sometimes, it might be difficult to track down and study endangered species, such as turtles. Therefore, a team of researchers from the UK found a unique way to monitor their movements. Instead of intervening in their environment and disturbing their natural balance, they used a tracking method worthy of criminal investigations.

Researchers used forensic methods to track turtles down

Researchers observed how many turtles gathered in Cyprus to breed, but they knew these animals came from a long way. Therefore, they needed to find an effective method to track down their migration routes, and find out what foraging grounds they originated from. Therefore, they decided to try satellite tracking, and make use of criminal-monitoring technologies.

Forensic researchers often use stable isotope ratios to track down the movements performed by criminals, and this method usually proved effective. Therefore, the researchers from the University of Exeter borrowed this technique.

This way, they could identify Lake Bardawil, a formation in northern Egypt, as the main turtle foraging ground. Then, these turtles went on to migrate to Cyprus, and reach the main breeding area in the country, Alagadi.

This criminal-tracking method answered many questions regarding the turtle populations

Researchers kept using satellite tracking for a few years, but they still overlooked many important turtle foraging areas. They put up a list of several areas they had previously identified, and then compared them with the isotope ratios collected from the turtles. This is how they discovered how several ratios didn’t match any of the foraging areas on the list.

Therefore, researchers selected five of these turtles with different isotope ratios, and monitored them individually. After tracking down their movements, they saw how all of them went to Lake Bardawil in Egypt. This way, scientists found out how reliable this criminal tracking could be when monitoring the movements of turtles.

The study has been published in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.
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Over time, researchers have noticed how most of the mammoth fossils they found belonged to males. They have been wondering for quite a long time why this happened, but a recent research found the answer. Young male woolly mammoths put themselves in danger a lot more often than females, so they were more likely to fall in a freezing river and get caught into ice.

Woolly mammoths living in the Ice Age resembled today’s elephants quite a lot. This means that their young males often roamed away from the group, and started exploring unknown terrains on their own. As a result, they sometimes fell into rivers, got caught in tight holes in ice, and their bones could be preserved for thousands of years.

On the other hand, females were a lot more precautious. They always stuck to the group, which was led by the old matriarch. She knew all the traps and dangers of the area, and could keep the other members safe.

Male mammoths were more reckless than their female counterparts

The study has been led by researchers from the Swedish Museum of Natural History, and published in the journal Current Biology. As a sample, they used 98 Siberian fossils which belonged to the woolly mammoth species. They performed a thorough study of their genome, and identified the sex of all the 98 individuals.

Researchers knew that male and female mammoths were usually born in similar numbers. However, their genomic analysis revealed that 69 percent of the individuals trapped in ice were male. Initially, they were surprised at the results, but they quickly realized certain living habits must have been involved.

Since male mammoths spent less time with the herd led by the matriarch, they were more likely to fall into natural traps. All the Siberian specimens have been incredibly well preserved, while the tusks and bones of other mammoths didn’t last. Therefore, researchers think these remnants must have been buried in an attempt to be hidden from the harsh weather.
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Researchers discovered a sneaky little dinosaur which used its coating and color patterns to hide and make itself undetectable by both predators and prey. This dinosaur was called Sinosauropteryx, and lived about 126 million years ago in today’s China. Also, it used to be in the spotlight even before, as it became the first known dinosaur with feathers.

Not all dinosaurs looked like plain reptiles with a single color on their coating, like they are depicted today in children books and art. Just like many of today’s animals, they made use of their patterns for camouflage and for the confusion of the predators. Sinosauropteryx is one of the best examples.

This dinosaur was brought to the public’s attention in 1996, when paleontologists identified it as the first known specimen of the family to be covered in feathers. Then, they found out these feathers had a specific purpose, namely to make it invisible for predators and prey alike. The camouflage skills were strengthened by the color pattern of the animal, which had some stripes across the eyes resembling a bandit mask.

Sinosauropteryx had a color pattern we often see in today’s animals

Sinosauropteryx was about 3 feet long, and weighed 6 pounds. Its size helped it hide quite well, but it evolved these color patterns and feather coating to make sure it would go undetected by both small lizards or bigger dinosaurs. With the help of some high-resolution scanners and some well-preserved fossils, researchers determined the color and distribution of the feathers.

They were surprised to find out the patterns on the feathers resembled many animals known today for their camouflage skills. It sported a striped tail, dark back, and lighter belly, making the body look flat. What stood out was the bandit mask across Sinosauropteryx’s eyes, which was unique among dinosaurs. This could help it get its eyes hidden.

A reconstruction of the color pattern of Sinosauropteryx brought a better insight on the behavior of dinosaurs, things which cannot be found in the analysis of bones. This reveals more about their hunting technique, and shows more resemblances with today’s animals than we would have expected. The study has been published in the journal Current Biology.
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Researchers have noticed an interesting behavior among birds. Certain species often choose to reproduce later and, instead, help other birds of the same species take care of their offspring. Although it might seem peculiar, researchers clarified that they saw the opportunity of being in another specimen’s territory as a chance for later inheriting it.

Why do birds help others with their offspring?

According to the researchers, about 10 percent of all species exhibit such a behavior. Some individuals choose to give up their chance of reproduction for later and, instead, help some of their peers in the tending of their offspring. In fact, such a behavior is present among some mammals, insects, or fish as well.

Previously, researchers thought animals did all they could to pass on their genes to future generations. However, this hypothesis is contrary to the recent observations, so researchers have started questioning what birds can benefit from if they help other specimens with their offspring.

Initially, researchers claimed they only help those specimens which are related to them. This way, they can still make sure their genes survive without having to engage in reproduction. However, a recent study, published in the journal Nature Communications, contradicts this idea.

Birds are complex being which can set and achieve goals

For this study, researchers studied 44 species of birds, and some of them denied their own reproduction to help others. Some of those helped their relatives indeed, but others were more likely to go towards strangers if they saw even the slightest chance for them to inherit their territory.

This is quite clever, as it makes perfect sense to make the territory grow and be worth more. Also, once the helper comes to inherit it, once it finally reproduces, the offspring it has taken care of can play the role of helpers themselves. Such a behavior is interesting to see in an animal, and suggests they are much more complex beings, which can act towards a goal.
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Sometimes, even the most innocent human acts might cause a species to change its traits. In the UK, such an act was the sudden popularity of birdfeeders, which determined a certain species of birds to adapt in order to get more food. More precisely, the UK great tits now have longer beaks.

Why do UK great tits have longer beaks?

Researchers have started a comparative study on populations of great tits from Oxford and on those from the Netherlands. After 70 years of collecting data on both breeds of birds, they discovered some significant differences. Over this period of time, the great tits in the UK have grown longer beaks than their siblings living in Europe.

This phenomenon was easily explained by the bigger percentage of birdfeeders present in the UK. By using electronic trackers, researchers could find out how much time the birds spent in such feeders, and the UK species spent twice the time of the other birds.

Therefore, an extra source of food triggered some changes in the birds’ anatomy, so that it might become more accessible. As a result, in a relatively short period of time, the great tits grew a longer beak. Researchers were interested in finding out what was responsible with such a change, so they started a genetic analysis.

The long-beaked specimens score better than the short-beaked counterparts

Those genes which triggered the evolution of a longer beak are similar to those which determine face shape in humans. Also, these were the same genes identified by Darwin in its analysis of finches. In other words, they have evolved thanks to natural selection.

Also, this somehow artificial evolution hasn’t been bad for the species. Researchers discovered the great tits with longer beaks underwent a more prolific process of reproduction than the European counterparts. If they can get food more easily, they develop a better health condition, so the offspring will be healthier as well.

All the details on the study have been published in the journal Science.
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Scientists didn’t know much about the sex life of marine mammals or about their reproductive anatomy, so they decided it was time to find out. They found quite an unusual way to do it, but the research returned valuable results. The innovative technique consisted of inflating dead dolphin genitalia and studying the particularities of the organs.

Researchers inflated dolphin genitalia to see how they worked

Male genitalia is one of the most interesting organs out there, as they are incredibly diverse, and can evolve differently from one species to another, even if they are closely related. Female genitalia is given less attention, as researchers thought they developed individually. However, the study points out to a common evolution of the male and female organs.

To see how the evolution of sea mammal sexual organs, researchers collected penises and vaginas coming from a series of animals, such as two species of dolphins, one species of porpoises, and seals. All the animals had undergone a natural death, and the best-preserved specimens were selected to have their genitalia inspected.

The male and female sexual organs evolved together

All the organs were kept in a solution of formaldehyde to avoid disintegration after the penises were injected with saline to stay in an erect shape. Then, the two organs were sewn into one another, simulating a sexual interaction. With the help of a tomography, researchers could see what was happening inside, how the two organs fit, and what other parts of the dolphin genitalia got into contact.

It might seem odd that they needed to know if the organs fit. However, dolphin genitalia is extremely complex. These animals have more folds in the vagina, as well as more intricate canals that the sperm needs to enter for a successful fertilization.

The results of the study revealed male dolphin genitalia didn’t evolve on its own. It was rather a common evolution of the two organs, as both the male can deal with the complexity of the female organ, and the female can avoid fertilization by placing her body at a different angle.

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