A new documentary makes some controversial claims about the health of kangaroo populations. But the real threat is not to Australia’s iconic kangaroos – it’s to dozens of other, obscure species.
Articles on Extinction
Displaying 281 - 300 of 421 articles
A drying climate caused a mass extinction among plants, but paved the way for the ancestors of modern reptiles, mammals, and birds.
Australian government environmental funding has decreased by a third since 2013. At the same time, Australia is experiencing massive species loss as funding for the sector dries up.
The new Tasmanian tiger genome reveals some fascinating facts about this extinct marsupial, including why they were so similar to dogs, and how they were growing more vulnerable to genetic disease.
Computer models have produced some very worrying results.
The failed attempt to reinstate land clearing regulations in Queensland has prompted ‘panic clearing’, pushing Australia into the global top-ten deforesters.
Australia was once home to giant fightless birds - much bigger than today’s emus and cassawories. But where did they come from, and where did they go?
Bringing back aurochs is a competitive and ambitious venture aiming at recreating wilderness in Europe. But ethical and scientific questions linger.
For the first time, researchers have estimated the toll taken by feral and pet cats on Australia’s bird life - and the numbers are high enough to push several species towards extinction.
They survived the pressures of globalisation and now thrive internationally.
A collection of The Conversation Global’s best articles on animals, from glow-in-the-dark frogs to the wood beetles that do humanity’s dirty work.
As much as one-third of animal species in the tropics could be eradicated if their habitats continue to be converted for monoculture farming. We can all do something to make a difference.
Large birds once lived across Australia, only to become extinct around the time that giant marsupials and other megafauna died out during the Pleistocene “ice ages”.
The “decision science” approach helps avoid unanticipated consequences of programs to bring species such as New Zealand’s little bush moa, Waitomo frog, or laughing owl back from extinction.
Giraffe populations have declined by more than a third over the past 30 years. Two wildlife law experts explain the protections that would come with including them on a US list of endangered species.
Congress is considering proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act. In this roundup we offer views on what’s lost when species disappear and the complexities of bringing them back from the brink.
Cats have a bad reputation as wildlife killers (deservedly so). But dogs aren’t off the hook: new research shows domestic dogs have contributed to the extinction of at least 11 species.
The notion of using dingoes to protect Australia’s wildlife is based on wolves in the US, but research cast doubts on the link.
The extinction of the giant reptiles, marsupials and birds that once called Australia home has been the subject of much debate, including the role early Australians may have had on their fate.
Are giraffes really facing extinction? The decline of these beloved animals - and many others – has been hidden in plain sight as Africa builds ever more roads, railways and cities.
Top contributors
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Professor of Conservation Biology, Charles Darwin University
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Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
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Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University
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Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Node Leader in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures, Flinders University
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Professor in Conservation Science, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Wildlife Conservation, Australian National University
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Distinguished Professor of Ecology, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
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Associate Professor in Vertebrate Palaeontology, Flinders University
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Professor in Conservation Science, School of Ecosystem and Forest Science, The University of Melbourne
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Professor, Urban Ecology and Biodiversity, The University of Melbourne; RMIT University
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University Fellow in Biodiversity, Charles Darwin University
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Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland
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Lecturer in the School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University
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Honorary Research Fellow, University of Sydney
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Distinguished Research Professor and Australian Laureate, James Cook University