Why do some species evolve to miniaturize?

The island rule hypothesizes that species shrink or supersize to fill insular niches not available to them on the mainland.

Credit: Frank Glaw
  • Brookesia nana, the nano-chameleon, may be the smallest vertebrate ever discovered.
  • The "island rule" states that when new species migrate to islands, they may shrink or grow as they evolve to fill new ecological niches.
  • It remains unclear whether the island rule can explain the nano-chameleon or nature's other extreme miniaturizations.
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Citizen scientists are filling research gaps created by the pandemic

Participation in community science programs has skyrocketed during COVID-19 lockdowns.

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The rapid spread of COVID-19 in 2020 disrupted field research and environmental monitoring efforts worldwide. Travel restrictions and social distancing forced scientists to cancel studies or pause their work for months.

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2020 ties for hottest year on record, says NASA and NOAA

In a joint briefing at the 101st American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, NASA and NOAA revealed 2020's scorching climate data.

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  • 2020 is tied with 2016 for being globally the hottest year on record.
  • The year's hotspot included the Arctic, which is warming at three times the global mean.
  • The United States endured a record-breaking year for billion-dollar natural disasters.
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    9 of the most shocking facts about global extinction - and how to stop it

    Across the world, wildlife is under severe threat.

    Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash

    Earth's fate and the devastation of the natural world were recently put under the microscope with the release of Sir David Attenborough's Netflix documentary A Life On Our Planet.

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    Warming tropical soils may add carbon to the air

    Carbon locked in soils can be emitted by bacteria. Turning up the heat on them releases more carbon.

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    • A new study shows that an increase in temperature can increase the amount of carbon released by the soil.
    • This is in line with previous studies, though this one demonstrates a larger increase than the older experiments.
    • The risk is that increasing temperatures cause a positive feedback loop.
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