Nat Geo Animals
Whistling Orangutan May Hint at Language Evolution
Rebecca Carroll in Washington, D.C.
for National Geographic News
Bonnie’s whistling isn’t so surprising to her caregivers. The 140-pound (63.5-kilometer) orangutan at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has been whistling for about two decades. Now a new study suggests that the sounds she makes could hold clues about the origins of human [...]
Vampire Moth Discovered — Evolution at Work
John Roach
for National Geographic News
October 27, 2008
A previously unknown population of vampire moths has been found in Siberia. And in a twist worthy of a Halloween horror movie, entomologists say the bloodsuckers may have evolved from a purely fruit-eating species.
Only slight variations in wing patterns distinguish the Russian population from a widely distributed moth species, [...]
28Oct2008 | Sara | 0 comments | ContinuedChimps 90 Percent Gone in a “Final Stronghold”
Rebecca Carrollfor National Geographic News
October 13, 2008
West African chimpanzees have declined by 90 percent in the last 18 years in an African country that is one of the subspecies’ “final strongholds,” a new study stays.
Scientists counting the rare chimps in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) found only about 800 to 1,200 of the apes—down from about [...]
“Loving” Bonobos Seen Killing, Eating Other Primates
Matt Kaplanfor National Geographic News
October 13, 2008
A type of chimpanzee known to use sex for greetings, reconciliations, and favors may not be all about peace, love, and understanding after all.
A new study reveals that some bonobos—one of humankind’s closest genetic relatives—hunt and eat other primates.
Groups of the endangered chimpanzee subspecies were observed stalking, chasing, [...]
Heavy Metal-Eating “Superworms” Unearthed in U.K.
James Owen for National Geographic News
Newly evolved “superworms” that feast on toxic waste could help cleanse polluted industrial land, a new study says.
These hardcore heavy metal fans, unearthed at disused mining sites in Britain and Wales, devour lead, zinc, arsenic, and copper.
The earthworms excrete a slightly different version of the metals, making them easier [...]
Noisier Oceans May Be “Disaster” For Marine Animals
Richard A. Lovettfor National Geographic News
As the world’s oceans become more acidic, the underwater sounds that whales and other marine mammals depend on for survival may turn into a confusing racket, a new study says.
That’s because the ocean’s ability to conduct sound is expected to increase dramatically due to global warming.
The shift could make [...]
Fewer Male Reptiles Due to Warming — And That’s Good?
Matt Kaplanfor National Geographic News
A trend toward more females and fewer males in a type of Australian reptile may actually benefit the species in the short-term, a discovery that’s contrary to previous research, a new study says.
As temperatures rise due to global warming, so does the proportion of female spotted skinks, reptiles found only [...]
Blind “Ant From Mars” Found in Amazon
Scott Norrisfor National Geographic News
September 16, 2008
An ant so unlike all other living ants that it was given an extraterrestrial name has been discovered in the Amazon rain forest, biologists announced today.
The tiny new species is the only known surviving member of an ant lineage that separated from the main family more than a hundred [...]
New Rare Primate Groups Found in Cambodia
Sara Goudarzi
for National Geographic News
September 3, 2008
Two new populations of rare primate species, both numbering in the thousands, have been discovered in a Cambodia preserve.
A 2008 survey estimates 42,000 black-shanked doucs and 2,500 yellow-cheeked crested gibbons live in Cambodia’s Seima Biodiversity Conservation Area.
“These Cambodian animals represent undoubtedly the largest [known] remaining [...]