Ein gewisses Maß an Ungleichheit mag in komplexen Gesellschaften unvermeidbar sein. Ungerecht wird es da, wo sie auf Umständen basiert, die die Benachteiligten nicht beeinflussen können.

Wer Igel fit für den Winter machen will, sollte seinen Garten fit für Igel machen, denn Gärten sind für die stacheligen Tiere wichtige Lebensräume. Das ideale Winterquartier besteht aus einem Haufen aus totem Holz, Reisig und Laub.

Eine aktuelle NABU-Analyse zeigt: Zwei Drittel der Arten und drei Viertel der Lebensräume in Deutschland sind in schlechtem Zustand. Mit wirksamen Schutzgebieten und der Wiederherstellung von Natur ist die dringend nötige Trendwende möglich. Doch die Zeit drängt.

New studies show that a bacterial molecule, peptidoglycan, is present in the brain and fluctuates with sleep patterns. This challenges the idea that sleep is solely brain-driven, instead suggesting it’s a collaborative process between our bodies and microbiomes. The theory links microbes not only to sleep but also to cognition, appetite, and behavior, pointing to a profound evolutionary relationship.

Scientists have confirmed that the Atlas blue butterfly carries the most chromosomes of any animal, with 229 pairs. Unlike duplication, its chromosomes split apart, reshaping its genome in surprising ways. This discovery sheds light on evolution, conservation, and even cancer research.

Fungi may have shaped Earth’s landscapes long before plants appeared. By combining rare gene transfers with fossil evidence, researchers have traced fungal origins back nearly a billion years earlier than expected. These ancient fungi may have partnered with algae, recycling nutrients, breaking down rock, and creating primitive soils. Far from being silent background players, fungi were ecosystem engineers that prepared Earth’s surface for plants, fundamentally altering the course of life’s history.

Billions of years ago, Earth’s atmosphere was hostile, with barely any oxygen and toxic conditions for life. Researchers from the Earth-Life Science Institute studied Japan’s iron-rich hot springs, which mimic the ancient oceans, to uncover how early microbes survived. They discovered communities of bacteria that thrived on iron and tiny amounts of oxygen, forming ecosystems that recycled elements like carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur.

The ocean is engine of all life on Earth, but human-driven climate change is pushing it past its limits. Here are five ways the ocean keeps our climate in check — and what can be done to help.

A focus on valuing nature through the lens of the market has contributed to the global biodiversity crisis, according to a recent report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). IPBES produced an in-depth assessment in 2019, concluding that 1 million species of plants and animals could go extinct as part […]

People can intuitively sense how biodiverse a forest is just by looking at photos or listening to sounds, and their gut feelings surprisingly line up with what scientists measure.

A new study reveals that the majority of Earth’s species stem from a few evolutionary explosions, where new traits or habitats sparked rapid diversification. From flowers to birds, these bursts explain most of the planet’s biodiversity.

Tiny ocean microbes called Prochlorococcus, once thought to be climate survivors, may struggle as seas warm. These cyanobacteria drive 5% of Earth’s photosynthesis and underpin much of the marine food web. A decade of research shows they thrive only within a narrow temperature range, and warming oceans could slash their populations by up to 50% in tropical waters.