Rio de Janerio

A History of Brazil

The largest country in South America is home to a wide variety of cultures, fascinating history, and some of the most pristine wilderness found anywhere in the world.
Several overlapping Purple Starfish

The “Keystone Species” Concept That Transformed Ecology

Dr. Robert Paine's "keystone species" concept was a profound discovery that changed the field of ecology forever.
Wildlife cams

Why We Can’t Turn Away from Wildlife Cams

Wildlife cams have steadily gained popularity among both scientists and casual observers. But viewers aren't always prepared for wildlife unscripted.
Hobbits from The Lord of the Rings. Photo credit: Neal Peters Collection

Were Hobbits Real?

New research suggests that a distinct species, dubbed "hobbits", existed between 17,000 and 95,000 years ago.
A dead fish in sand

We’re Down to Half the Fish in the Sea

Since the 1970s, half of the world's fish population has disappeared. We trace the history of this ecological disaster.
Close-up of a brown centipede

Journey to the Center(pede) of the Earth

The deepest living centipede has been discovered in a Croatian cave.
A Sawfish swimming in the water

With Few Mates, Female Sawfish Go It Alone

Smalltooth sawfish are increasingly reproducing without males, according to new research.
Phytoplankton

Old Data, New Discoveries: Solving The Paradox of the Plankton

In 1961, G. E. Hutchinson first outlined what he called the paradox of the plankton. Over 50 years later, it may be solved.
Crashing surf on the shore of a Tonga Island

The Once and Future Island

There's a new island on Earth.
Fossilized shells

Searching for a New Species? Look in the Museum

A Doncaster museum found that an old plaster cast of an ichthyosaur was in fact a brand new species.