extinction

New Study Reveals That Ammonoids Thrived Until Their Sudden Extinction

New Study Reveals That Ammonoids Thrived Until Their Sudden Extinction

Science
Dr. Thomas Hughes

A new study challenges the view that ammonoids were declining before their extinction 66 million years ago, showing instead that they remained ...

Secrets of Survival and Mysterious Extinction on Wrangel Island

Secrets of Survival and Mysterious Extinction on Wrangel Island

Science
Dr. Thomas Hughes

The woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island, derived from a very small initial population, sustained themselves for 6,000 years despite genetic hurdles. Their ...

Ancient Extinction Holds Clues to Today’s Climate Crisis

Ancient Extinction Holds Clues to Today’s Climate Crisis

Science
Dr. Thomas Hughes

Researchers found clues in Italian limestone about a Jurassic-era marine extinction caused by volcanic CO2 emissions, paralleling today’s climate change concerns. Limestone ...

Mass extinction 183 million years ago offers dire warning for modern oceans

Mass extinction 183 million years ago offers dire warning for modern oceans

Science
Dr. Thomas Hughes

Earth has endured multiple mass extinctions during its existence—the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE), for example, decimated the planet’s marine ecosystems. But ...

New Family Tree Revises Our Understanding of Bird Evolution

New Family Tree Revises Our Understanding of Bird Evolution

Science
Dr. Thomas Hughes

By Center for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology at Zhejiang University April 3, 2024 A groundbreaking study employing full genome-scale data has revolutionized ...

De-extinction of the woolly mammoth takes a major step forwards: Scientists successfully reprogramme elephant stem cells

De-extinction of the woolly mammoth takes a major step forwards: Scientists successfully reprogramme elephant stem cells

Science
Dr. Thomas Hughes

Colossal Biosciences has made induced pluripotent stem cells from elephants These cells could be used to make elephant-mammoth hybrids in the future  ...

Is the Y chromosome disappearing? And will that cause the extinction of men?

Is the Y chromosome disappearing? And will that cause the extinction of men?

Science
Dr. Thomas Hughes

The humble Y chromosome may seem simple, but it’s responsible for determining the male sex. And the bad news… It’s degenerating in ...

Scientists Uncover Startling New Insights Into the Devastating End-Triassic Mass Extinction

Scientists Uncover Startling New Insights Into the Devastating End-Triassic Mass Extinction

Science
Dr. Thomas Hughes

Skeleton of the early dinosaur Coelophysis bauri from the Late Triassic. The protracted restructuring of Early Jurassic terrestrial ecosystems coincided with the ...

Evaluating the Classification Split Between Neanderthals and Modern Humans (Video)

Evaluating the Classification Split Between Neanderthals and Modern Humans (Video)

Science
Dr. Thomas Hughes

Exploring the enigmatic aspects of Neanderthal psychology reveals intriguing facets of their cognitive landscape. While understanding an extinct species’ psyche is speculative, ...

Scientists Have Determined the Cause of Lethal Climate Change That Occurred Millions of Years Ago

Scientists Have Determined the Cause of Lethal Climate Change That Occurred Millions of Years Ago

Science
Dr. Thomas Hughes

Scientists have linked mass extinctions and climate change over the past 260 million years to massive volcanic eruptions and Earth’s astronomical cycles. ...