New species of lungless salamander found in Appalachian foothills of the US

October 3rd, 2009 LONDON - Earthworms have pipped mankind and dinosaurs to emerge as the most successful 100 species on Earth in a new league table. Christopher Lloyd, the author of 'What on Earth Evolved?', examined the entire history of the planet and its life forms to determine the most successful ones.

September 29th, 2009 SYDNEY - About 850 new species inhabiting underground water, caves and micro-caverns have been discovered in semi-arid Australia. These invertebrates include various insects, small crustaceans, spiders, worms and many others.

September 28th, 2009 LONDON - Experiments in stickleback fish have shown for the first time that the evolution of new sex chromosomes is the driving force behind the formation of a new vertebrate species. Up until now, most evidence has shown that new species arise because they have adapted to new environments.

September 26th, 2009 LONDON - American scientists have suggested that growing mountains may give rise to new species, thus making them cradles of evolution. "The major times of (species) diversification directly coincide with times of large tectonic events," Catherine Badgley, a palaeontologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, told Nature News.

September 2nd, 2009 LONDON - A scientist in India has claimed to have found three rare species of frogs that make nests in which to lay their eggs. According to a report by BBC News, the discovery was made in the rainforests of the Western Ghats mountain range in the southern Indian states of Kerala and Karnataka.

July 29th, 2009 TORONTO - Botanists have identified a pair of genes which can help catalogue plants worldwide, using a technique known as DNA bar coding. "Bar coding provides an efficient means by which we can discover the many undescribed species that exist on earth," said Spencer Barrett, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Toronto (U-T), who led the study.

July 28th, 2009 LONDON - A new survey has indicated that two thirds of all species of freshwater crab maybe at risk of going extinct, with one in six species particularly vulnerable. According to a report by BBC News, the study, which is the first global assessment of the extinction risk for any group of freshwater invertebrates, makes freshwater crabs among the most threatened of all groups of animals assessed so far.

July 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has come up with the strongest evidence yet that noise pollution negatively influences the nesting habits of birds. The study also indicates that at least a few species opt for noisy areas over quiet ones, perhaps because of their vocalisation pitches, a reduction in nest predators and less competition from other song birds that prefer quiet environments.

July 15th, 2009 TORONTO - In the plant world, bigger isn't always better, says a new study. "Until now most of the thinking has suggested that to be a good competitor in the forest, you have to be a big plant," said Queen's University biologist Lonnie Aarssen.

July 7th, 2009 LONDON - A new research has indicated that although trees might hog the bulk of the resources, they still leave enough "crumbs" for smaller neighbouring plants to eke out a living. The finding contradicts previous notions of plant competition and adds support to a new view of how a plant's size affects the survival and composition of its neighbouring species.

June 25th, 2009 LONDON - In a new study, scientists have found out that evolution in animals is faster in regions with warmer climates, which could help explain why the warm topics are so species-rich. According to a report by BBC News, researchers have found that among pairs of mammals of the same species, the DNA of those living in warmer climates changes at a faster rate.

June 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The loss of endangered species sends alarm bells ringing among conservationists, but what happens to the parasites they host? Although most people would side with the panda over the parasite, which group should we worry about more? North Carolina State University (NCSU) biologist Rob Dunn and colleagues examined the concept of co-extinction, the loss of one species upon the extinction of another. "Decline in host species could drive parasite species to switch onto alternative hosts, which could escalate the rate of emerging pathogens and parasites both for humans and our domesticated animals and plants," Dunn said.

May 31st, 2009 LONDON - While many studies have predicted that global warming will cause widespread disruptions to ecosystems, a new study has found that a species of starfish may benefit from rising ocean temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations. Previous studies have concluded that sea animals with calcified shells or skeletons, such as starfish, will suffer as carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels dissolves in the sea, making the water more acidic and destroying the calcium carbonate on which the creatures depend.

May 14th, 2009 LONDON - An exotic fish, which can trigger LSD-like hallucinations when eaten, has been discovered in UK waters. The mind-bending species of bream, sarpa salpa, was found many hundreds of miles away from its normal habitat in the English Channel.

April 15th, 2009 LONDON - Biologists at the University of Arizona have identified an all-female species of ant, which has dispensed with sex. The researchers have revealed that the ant species - Mycocepurus smithii - rely upon cloning for reproduction.