Environmental Science · Ecology
Humpback whales in Monterey Bay fed more frequently when California sea lions were present. The whales appeared to spend less time searching and approaching prey, while the effort and movement of individual lunges showed no detectable increase.
Humpback and fin whales often move into killer whales’ herring-hunting groups in northern Norway, feeding on dense patches that the killer whales have gathered. The intrusions can end killer whale hunts, while whale-watching tourism adds further disruption to feeding.
A study in Ladakh, India, found that three closely related pika species use different combinations of elevation, vegetation and rock cover. The results show that a species that appears broadly distributed across a mountain region can still be highly selective at smaller scales.
Satellite tracking of 21 southern right whales from Aotearoa New Zealand found that they used one of two routes to reach shared summer feeding grounds. The results suggest the whales may balance faster travel against lower energy costs, while adjusting their route as individuals.
A study of the Kimberley rock-rat finds that patchy habitat and long-isolated islands have produced strongly separated local populations. Island groups have smaller effective population sizes, and the researchers warn that local extinctions could be difficult to reverse.
Terrestrial vertebrate communities in Australian mangroves and saltmarshes were shaped mainly by how connected they were to natural land, rather than by small-scale habitat features. The survey recorded 45 species in mangroves and 38 in saltmarshes across 115 sites in seven estuaries.
Pygmy owls in boreal Finland moved farther and used home ranges about twice as large as owls in the Italian Alps. Yet in both regions, the forest specialists consistently relied on mature, continuous forest and avoided open habitats and recent clear-cuts.
Researchers developed an explainable AI system that classified the sex of wild mountain gazelles from camera-trap images. It achieved 75% accuracy and an F1 score of 75%, while highlighting body shape, legs, heads and male horns as important visual cues.
Ancient DNA from dogs buried at Erlitou in China reveals several maternal lineages, including one linked to western Eurasia. The diversity suggests that people and dogs moved between regions as early state society and agriculture developed.
A study of Ecuadorian pumas provides the first genomic evidence of inbreeding in South American pumas. The findings suggest that climate history shaped older population connections, while fragmentation in the past 70 years has disrupted gene flow between some groups.
Pallas’s cats continued to occur in Bogd Khan Mountain near Mongolia’s capital, despite activity by people, livestock and free-ranging dogs. Their presence was associated with red squirrel activity, while the study found no strong response to the human-disturbance measures it examined.
Victoria’s lowland temperate grasslands have been extensively cleared and degraded by farming, urban growth, invasive species and poor management. A review warns that without substantial conservation action, the fat-tailed dunnart could be among the species pushed to extinction.
A study in northern Australia found that wetland plots disturbed by feral pigs released more methane and nitrous oxide than undisturbed reference plots. The highest emissions occurred at recently disturbed sites, suggesting feral pig management could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands.
A study of illegal markets for ivory, pangolin scales and succulent plants suggests that scarcity can sometimes increase the appeal of wildlife products. The researchers say this can create feedback loops that accelerate species’ decline, limiting the effectiveness of enforcement focused only on supply.
