Stella Hurtley

2 weeks ago | science.org | Corinne N. Simonti |Jesse R. Smith |Stella Hurtley |L. Bryan Ray

Water Storage Poles on the moveJesse SmithThe Kariba dam on the Zambezi River has created the world’s largest artificial lake. PHOTO: IMPALA PHOTO/ISTOCK PHOTOHuman activities have been conducted at such immense scales that they literally have affected how the world turns. Valencic et al. discuss one dimension of that impact: movement of the poles due to water impoundment.

4 weeks ago | science.org | Karsten Schuhmann |Adam Shaw |Sacha Vignieri |Stella Hurtley

Wildlife Disease A grim and unknown tollSacha VignieriAvian influenza, H5N1, has affected birds for decades. Less well known are its catastrophic effects in marine mammal populations, with recent estimates of mortalities in the tens of thousands across species. Campagna et al. modeled the long-term consequences of an H5N1 outbreak in an Argentine breeding colony of southern elephant seals in 2023 that killed nearly all the pups and an unknown number of adults.

1 month ago | science.org | Bianca Lopez |Wei Wong |Phil Szuromi |Ian S. Osborne |Michael Funk |Jelena Stajic | +8 more

Bird Decline Patterns of lossBianca LopezWetlands, such as the bald cypress forest at Caddo Lake, Texas, pictured here, are experiencing serious declines in bird populations. PHOTO: WANDERLUSTER/ISTOCK PHOTOWe know that birds are declining globally, but more fine-scale information on population trends is needed to guide conservation efforts. Johnston et al.

Dec 19, 2024 | science.org | Corinne N. Simonti |Jesse R. Smith |Sacha Vignieri |Jake Yeston |Sumin Jin |Brad Wible | +3 more

Cognition With intentionSacha VignieriOnce thought to be unique to humans, tool use has now been documented across animals, from mammals to birds and even fish and insects. Thus, it should be no surprise that the elephant, a cognitively advanced mammal, would readily make use of a new tool, as documented by Urban et al. Even more interesting was the disruption of one animal’s use of a hose to shower by another, in an apparent act of intentional disruption.

Jun 27, 2024 | science.org | Caroline Ash |Jesse R. Smith |Sarah Ross |Priscilla Kelly |Yevgeniya Nusinovich |Stella Hurtley | +2 more