World’s newest species of primate – the Tapanuli orangutan – will be appear on UK TV for the first time in new documentary filmed in Indonesia Primates is narrated by Chris Packham, and begins on BBC One next Sunday It follows Tapanuli orangutan in Batang Toru, northern Sumatra, Indonesia They were identified as a new species … Read more
One in five of the world’s large marine animals could go extinct in the next 100 years, according to a new study. Megafauna are most at-risk from climate change and 18 per cent of the oceans’ largest species could be lost forever by the year 2120, UK scientists say This could rise to 40 per … Read more
Coronavirus could push vulnerable species like mountain gorillas and orangutans ‘over the edge’, warns wildlife expert By Mail on Sunday Reporter Published: 02:11 BST, 12 April 2020 | Updated: 02:12 BST, 12 April 2020 Coronavirus presents a ‘clear and present danger’ to wildlife that could push vulnerable species ‘over the edge’, a leading expert warned … Read more
A newly discovered reptile that lived 250 million years ago even before the dinosaurs has been named after a Lord of the Rings character. The new species, called Elessaurus gondwanoccidens, was discovered among rocky deposits not far from the Argentina border. E. gondwanoccidens is named after the Elvish name (Elessar) of Aragorn from Lord of … Read more
Two hawks from different species mated to create a rare hybrid, baffling experts who say the cross would be similar to a house cat coupling with a jaguar Researchers in Sonoma County observed two distant hawk species procreate The hawks were not just different species but entirely different genera Other animals sometimes mate across species … Read more
A new species from the prehistoric group of flying reptiles known as pterosaurs has been found in Morocco by British scientists. The new species, named Afrotapjara zouhrii, belongs to a group of pterosaurs called tapejarids from the Cretaceous period, between 145 million years and 66 million years ago. Tapejarids were small to medium-sized pterosaurs with … Read more
A spider that resembles Vincent van Gogh’s famous ‘Starry Night’ painting has been discovered in Australia. This male, named Maratus constellatus, is no more than four millimeters in length and was spotted in the Little Desert National Park. The colorful arachnid is one of seven new species of Peacock spiders, which are tiny, harmless creatures … Read more
Dragons of the desert: Scientists discover three new species of flying reptiles that lived in the Sahara more than 100 million years ago Professor David Martill, a palaeontologist at University of Portsmouth, led study It revealed a community of pterosaurs that inhabited prehistoric Morocco Identified from chunks of jaws and teeth and had wingspans of … Read more
New species of flying reptile with spiked teeth discovered that formed part of an ancient river ecosystem in the Sahara 100 million years ago Pterosaurs lived in a river ecosystem in the Sahara and caught fish in the air The flying reptile species had a wingspan of up to 13 feet and spiked teeth They … Read more
It’s a butterfly high! Half of Britain’s best-loved species see numbers increase as warmer summers boost caterpillar growth rates The warm spring and summer is believed to have helped caterpillars grow faster It was also wet enough to provide plenty of wildflower leaves to munch Latest figures collected by more than 2,500 volunteers across the … Read more