Polar bears and other iconic animals could be extinct by the end of the century if ocean temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, marine biologists warned Monday. Warming temperatures caused by climate-changing emissions may result in a catastrophic loss of marine wildlife and drastic changes to ocean food webs by 2100, scientists at the Florida Institute of Technology and the University of North Carolina said in a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Much current marine life will be unable to tolerate ocean temperatures that are projected to increase by 2.8 degrees Celsius on average, according to the study. “With warming of this magnitude, we expect to lose many, if not most, animal species from marine protected areas by the turn of the century,” said the study’s lead author, John Bruno, a biologist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Marine protected areas, established as sanctuaries for polar bears, coral reefs and other … [Read more...] about Hotter seas threaten marine wildlife with extinction: Researchers
Polar bears extinction
Popularity of tigers, lions, bears could be their downfall: Study
Iconic animals like elephants, tigers, lions and panda bears are everywhere in movies, books and toystores. But their wide pop culture presence skews public perception of how endangered these animals really are, researchers said Thursday. Online surveys, zoo websites, animated films and school questionnaires were scoured by US and French researchers for the study, published in journal PLOS Biology. Using these sources, scientists made a list of the top 10 most charismatic animals: tigers, lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards, pandas, cheetahs, polar bears, gray wolves and gorillas. Researchers also found that almost 49 percent of all the non-teddy bear stuffed animals sold in the United States on Amazon were one of these 10 charismatic animals. In France, 800,000 "Sophie the giraffe" baby toys were sold in 2010, more than eight times the numbers of giraffes living in Africa. Lead author Franck Courchamp of the University of Paris said that these animals are so common in pop culture and … [Read more...] about Popularity of tigers, lions, bears could be their downfall: Study
What’s behind fast paced extinction of many animal species? Researchers find it out
Even though many animal activists are struggling to protect several endangered species, new research by French National Research Institute shows that the most popular and charismatic animals on the earth are facing life and death issue ahead of fast-paced extinction as a species. The research was published on Thursday, April 13, in PLOS Biology. It stated that tigers, lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, pandas, polar bears, wolves, cheetahs and gorillas are considered the most charismatic or the "charismatic megafauna", which means the animals which people notice much and care about more than they do for other animals. The researchers of this study have collected 5,422 survey responses from participants in France, Spain and England about what they spot as the most favourite animals among others. The lead author of the study and an ecologist at the French National Research Institute, Franck Courchamp told Newsweek that as per his observation people like large animals such as bear and … [Read more...] about What’s behind fast paced extinction of many animal species? Researchers find it out
Interbreeding not happening among modern-day elephants, are they on verge of extinction?
A new study conducted by an International team of researchers has successfully sequenced genomes of extinct and living elephant species. The team which included researchers from McMaster University, Harvard Medical School, Uppsala University, and the University of Potsdam sequenced fourteen genomes of several ancient elephant species including mammoth and mastodons which lived millions of years ago. During the study, researchers found that ancient elephants had a very complicated history, characterized by widespread interbreeding. However, the researchers made it clear that interbreeding is not happening among elephants which roam the modern world, adding to the growing fears of the future of a few species which remains on earth. Interbreeding often helps to survive The researchers said that it was the interbreeding behaviour prevalent among mammoths which helped them to become so successful over such long periods of adverse and diverse conditions. While interbreeding may help … [Read more...] about Interbreeding not happening among modern-day elephants, are they on verge of extinction?
Study: Ancient elephants interbred, today’s do not
MIAMI: Ancient species of elephants and mammoths interbred, swapping genes that helped them adapt to new habitats and climates, a practice that is lost among modern-day elephants, researchers said Monday. Today, the two kinds of living elephants in Africa -- savanna and forest elephants -- are indeed different species but researchers found no recent evidence that they mate with each other Today, the two kinds of living elephants in Africa -- savanna and forest elephants -- are indeed different species but researchers found no recent evidence that they mate with each other. The study offers the first comprehensive look at the genome of mammoths and mastodons and their cousins the elephants, once plentiful on Earth but now dwindling fast due to poaching, which kills 50,000 each year. "Interbreeding may help explain why mammoths were so successful over such diverse environments and for such a long time," said senior author Hendrik Poinar, an evolutionary geneticist at McMaster … [Read more...] about Study: Ancient elephants interbred, today’s do not