These giant ‘drop bears’ with opposable thumbs once scaled trees in Australia. But how did they grow so huge?

Scientists look into skeletons of huge tree-dwelling herbivorous marsupials, known as Nimbadon

Bringing woolly mammoths back from extinction might not be such a bad idea — ethicists explain

Mammoth-like creatures could help restore this ecosystem by trampling shrubs, knocking over trees, and fertilising grasses with their faeces

Extinct but not gone — the thylacine continues to fascinate us

Aboriginal peoples hold intergenerational knowledge of thylacines, 3,000 years after their extinction on mainland Australia

Simply Put: Giraffes may go extinct

Australia’s mean temperature rises, finds government ‘State of the Environment’ report

Australia’s mean temperature has risen by roughly 1.4 degrees Celsius, since 1910

Unique birds are at a higher risk of going extinct, finds study

Threat of extinction can have severe consequences on ecosystem functioning 

One in three species threatened with extinction, action needed, says study

Growing conservation investments and efforts could put off the risk of extinction for one in three species that can be threatened or extinct by 2100

The jury is still out on the de-extinction of the woolly mammoth

There are several ethical concerns in bringing an extinct species back to life, some scientists have said about the woolly mammoth; others …

Ungulate thought to be extinct re-discovered in Vietnam

The silver-backed chevrotain is neither a rodent nor a cervid but is, in fact, the world's smallest hoofed animal

Two of five amphibians threatened with extinction; climate change emerging as primary driver: Study

Habitat loss, diseases and climate change are majorly deteriorating the status of vertebrates

2022 too short, too far: A sixth mass extinction is unfolding

Down To Earth recaps the primary environment, health and developmental news from 2022

How did elephants evolve such a large brain? Climate change is part of the answer

The evolutionary history of elephants is interesting. It parallels humans’ in many ways

Look back at the decade: Extinction

Future loss of species to reduce plant production

Sixth Extinction? Over 150,000 species vanished in last 500 years

Nearly half of 177 mammal species surveyed lost more than 80% of their distribution between 1900 and 2015

Study identifies potential areas for discovering new plant species in Indian grasslands

Over 200 endemic plant species have so far been discovered from the Indian savanna, finds study

Sixth mass extinction will be worse than previously thought, say scientists

The population of around 33% of the species currently categorised as ‘non-threatened’ by the IUCN Red List show a declining trend

Rare dinosaur eggs found in Narmada Valley show how ancient reptiles shared traits with today’s birds: Study

Eggs belong to 6 species, suggesting a higher diversity of these extinct giants in India

All 5 freshwater dolphins threatened, 31 species extinct: IUCN Red list

Over-harvesting, destructive fishing methods and introduction of predatory species among major reasons for increasing decline of 17 fish species …

Should we bring back the dodo? De-extinction is a feel-good story, but these high-tech replacements aren’t really ‘resurrecting’ species

A section of scientists have argued that de-extinction will eventually help restore ecosystems. But others disagree

Rewilding Tasmania with emus will be good for the island state’s ecosystems

Why did the Tasmanian emus go extinct and should we reintroduce them?

World Biodiversity Day 2023: Are we on track to meet targets under global framework

With just around 7 years to achieve the targets set under the Global Biodiversity Framework, the progress so far is unimpressive

Avoiding climate breakdown depends on protecting Earth’s biodiversity — can the COP15 summit deliver?

COP15 brings together parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) with a goal of negotiating this decade’s biodiversity …

World lost 68% vertebrates in 1970-2016: WWF

Freshwater wildlife down 84%; Latin America, the Caribbean particularly hit