World’s Largest Plant Survey Reveals Alarming Extinction Rate

The world’s seed-bearing plants have been disappearing at a rate of nearly 3 species a year since 1900 — which is up to 500 times higher than would be expected as a result of natural forces alone, according to the largest survey yet of plant extinctions. From a report: The project looked at more than 330,000 species and found that plants…

Why super-sized beavers went extinct

Super-sized beavers were as big as black bears. They suddenly became extinct 10,000 years ago, while small modern beavers survived. Now scientists know why. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/why-giant-beavers-went-extinct…

No, koalas are not ‘functionally extinct’, but they are in trouble

A conservation group has claimed that koalas are “functionally extinct”. That isn’t true, but many populations are falling sharply due to habitat loss and global warming Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2203655-no-koalas-are-not-functionally-extinct-but-they-are-in-trouble/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

The strangest crab that has ever lived

Meet Callichimaera perplexa, the platypus of crabs. It’s a 95-million-year-old extinct species that, scientists say, will force us to rethink the definition of a crab. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/callichimaera-perplexa-strangest-extinct-crab…

Major discovery suggests Denisovans lived in Tibet 160,000 years ago

The first Denisovan remains discovered outside Siberia suggest our extinct cousins lived at extreme altitude in Tibet long before our species made it there Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24232283-700-major-discovery-suggests-denisovans-lived-in-tibet-160000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…