Nature reports

Scientists conducting the first circum-global assessment of mitochondrial DNA variation in the Southern Hemisphere’s humpback whales have found that whales faithfully returning to calving grounds year after year play a major role..

Male birds often use brightly coloured plumage to be attractive to females. However, such eye-catching trimmings may also attract unwanted attention from predators. Now, a new study led by Monash University has found that showy..

In 2016, the fourth symposium ‘Future of Butterflies in Europe’ was held in Wageningen. Now a selection of papers from that meeting is published in the Journal of Insect Conservation. ..

A large variety of species in the world is not doing so well. They range from corals to trees to bears. Ten of these species are highlighted in this article. ..

Researchers have determined that the fossils of an extinct species from the Triassic Period are the long-missing link that connects amphibians to wormlike creatures with a backbone and two rows of sharp teeth. The discovery fills..

As with humans, most animals prefer to associate with some individuals and not with others. The social structure can influence how a population responds to changes in its environment. Examining social networks is a promising..

Wildebeest carcasses, casualties of the world's largest overland animal migration, pile up annually on the banks of the Mara River in Africa and play a crucial role in the vibrant ecosystem of the Serengeti plains, a new Yale-led..

Ecosystems can suddenly collapse when the pressure becomes too high. For this reason, predicting such tipping points is very important. An international team of researchers now shows that when the recovery of salt marshes slows..

If a dangerously inbred puma population in Southern California is to survive in the future, an urgent need for genetic connectivity must be met, according to two scientific papers from a team of researchers coordinated by the..

From 31 May to 7 June, Wageningen Economic Research investigated the litter that had washed up on remote beaches in the Arctic. The most commonly found items were pieces of plastic, fishing nets and rope...