Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

This August, we're exploring the science behind the animals that share our planet. From the behaviors and adaptations that help species thrive to the conservation efforts protecting wildlife around the world, animal awareness days like World Lion Day, World Elephant Day, International Cat Day, and International Wolf Day are an opportunity to celebrate biodiversity and discover the research helping us better understand and protect the species that call our planet home.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Oct-2026 22:17 ET (22-Oct-2026 02:17 GMT/UTC)

8-Oct-2026

 

Novel device will help show how wildfire smoke impacts wildlife

Colorado State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Colorado State University researchers have developed an air quality monitoring device that can be paired with systems that track wildlife location and physiological data to learn how smoke impacts wildlife health and behavior.

Journal

Methods in Ecology and Evolution

Funder

U.S. Forest Service

7-Oct-2026

 

Genetic analysis of the world's oldest land animal reveals secret of living 194 years

University of Cambridge
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers studying a giant tortoise named Jonathan say it’s not just good genes, but lack of genetic wear and tear that have kept him going for nearly two centuries.

Journal

Science Advances

Funder

Voland Fund

7-Oct-2026

 

1 in 20 pet cats in North America might have Giardia infection, with young, male, unneutered cats especially at risk, per analysis of more than 150,000 feline stool samples

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

1 in 20 pet cats in North America might have Giardia infection, with young, male, unneutered cats especially at risk, per analysis of more than 150,000 feline stool samples

Journal

PLOS One

7-Oct-2026

 

Ancient spotted bat samples help researchers understand present-day population dynamics

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Understanding changes in North American bat populations is critical to measuring risk of extinction from emerging threats such as habitat loss, climate change, white nose syndrome and other disturbances. A study published October 7, 2026, in the open access journal PLOS One by Faith M. Walker at Northern Arizona University, USA, and colleagues describes an innovative research design involving the genetic analysis of ancient, modern, and contemporary biological samples from North American spotted bats.

Journal

PLOS One

7-Oct-2026

 

Study: ‘Classic example’ of sexual dimorphism in fossil record actually shows nuance between males and females

University of Kansas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study from the University of Kansas appearing in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal PLOS One shows the differences between male and female uintatheres might not be as vast as paleontologists have long believed.

Journal

PLOS One

7-Oct-2026

 

Dogs and owners disturb each other in the night, but still get pretty good sleep

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Sleeping alongside your dog probably doesn’t disrupt your sleep as much as you might think, according to a study published October 7, 2026 in the open access journal PLOS One by Ming Fei Li of the University of Toronto, Canada, Lavania Nagendran of the University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada, and colleagues.

Journal

PLOS One

7-Oct-2026

 

Internal documents show that the trade association for U.S. beef production knew about livestock’s outsized role in global warming by 1989

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Internal documents show that the trade association for U.S. beef production knew about livestock’s outsized role in global warming by 1989 and undertook strategic communications operation to convince the public otherwise.

Journal

PLOS Climate