Historic numbers of animals across the globe have become endangered or pushed to extinction. But some of these species sit in limbo — not definitively extinct yet missing from the scientific record. Rediscovering a "lost" species is not easy. It can require trips to remote areas and canvassing a large area in search of only a handful of animals. But new technology and stronger partnerships with local communities have helped these hidden, "uncharismatic" creatures come to light.
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Among the changes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reinstate a decades-old regulation that mandates blanket protections for species newly classified as threatened.
French bulldogs have soared in popularity, but they and other short-nosed dogs often have serious health problems. New Hampshire could be the first state to put health restrictions on breeders.
The fast food company said it will now use "no antibiotics important to human medicine" beginning in spring of this year. The company first said it would stop using antibiotics in 2014.
Across the animal kingdom, menopause is something of an evolutionary blip. We humans are one of the few animals to experience it. But Sam Ellis, a researcher in animal behavior, argues that this isn't so surprising. "The best way to propagate your genes is to get as many offspring as possible into the next generation," says Ellis. "The best way to do that is almost always to reproduce your whole life."
So how did menopause evolve? The answer may lie in whales. Ellis and his team at the University of Exeter recently published a study in the journal Nature that studies the evolution of menopause in the undersea animals most known for it. What they uncovered may even help explain menopause in humans.
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The dog popularly known as the Frenchie has held its crown as America's most popular dog breed for the second year in a row, according to the American Kennel Club.
The owner of a 12-foot alligator recently seized by conservation officers is fighting for its return, saying the reptile he has shared a home with is a gentle giant that's no danger to anyone.
Bats and death metal singers have more in common than a love of the dark. A new study has found that some of bats' lower frequency calls appear to use a technique similar to death metal growling.
Charlotte the stingray in a small North Carolina aquarium has been attracting visitors since she got pregnant without a mate. Businesses in Hendersonville are delighted by the influx.
A Georgia family is mystified as to how an alligator got into their home’s fenced-in backyard on St. Simons Island, about an 80-mile drive south from Savannah.
Birds Georgia is looking for coastal volunteers who don’t mind getting up early and aren’t squeamish. Their task will be to walk a predetermined route once a week in downtown Savannah or downtown Brunswick looking for birds that have had a fatal encounter with a building.