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Nature
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As grandiose as we might think our civilizations have become, we are but the latest entry in the long chronicle detailing life on Earth. We humans share this planet with fellow organisms whose vast numbers completely tower over our own. We borrowed this planet from its previous inhabitants from eons ago and whose lives were written on the soil-turned-rock on which they were laid to rest. Modern Sciences urges its readers to contemplate our planetary co-inhabitants, both past and present.
A 365-million-year-old fish with an extreme underbite showcases vertebrate diversity
Artist reconstruction of Alienacanthus malkowskii, a 365-million-year-old placoderm fish from Poland and Morocco. (Beat Scheffold & Christian Klug),…
Horses, camels and deer get a bad rap for razing plants – but our new research shows they’re no worse than native animals
Erick Lundgren, Queensland University of Technology Large introduced herbivores such as feral horses and camels are often seen…
Get to Know Some of Humanity’s Cousins
The Paranthropus genus, a group of hominins closely related to humans and chimpanzees, took a different evolutionary path…
These fierce, tiny marsupials drop dead after lengthy sex fests – and sometimes become cannibals
Andrew M. Baker, Queensland University of Technology If you are exploring our beautiful Australian wilderness this year, keep…
The animal sounds in most nature documentaries are made by humans – here’s how they do it and why it matters
Damien Pollard, Northumbria University, Newcastle Wildlife documentaries like the BBC’s recent series, Planet Earth III, are renowned for…
Old forests are critically important for slowing climate change and merit immediate protection from logging
An old-growth forest of noble fir trees at Marys Peak in Oregon’s Coast Range. Beverly Law, CC BY-ND…
Ancient Microbes “Rafted” on Ancient Bug Shells Out to Sea
The Cambrian Period saw the emergence of the first groups with hard body parts, such as early arthropods…
How scientists are helping plants get the most out of photosynthesis
italianestro/Shutterstock Jonathan Menary, University of Oxford; Sebastian Fuller, University of Oxford, and Stefan Schillberg, Fraunhofer IME Photosynthesis is…
Coast redwood trees are enduring, adaptable marvels in a warming world
Looking up toward redwoods’ crowns in Redwood Regional Park, Oakland, Calif. Gado/Getty Images Daniel Lewis, California Institute of…
Ancient Microbial Diversity Unveiled in Australian Mudflats
At a Glance In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Papers in Paleontology, researchers from UC Santa…