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: 24-Oct-2026 16:15 ET (24-Oct-2026 20:15 GMT/UTC)

28-May-2026

 

Lanzhou Jiaotong University researchers develop sustainable wastewater-powered electricity generator system

Editorial Office of Journal of Environmental Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology can harvest low-frequency and low-power energy. However, there is limited research on harvesting energy from secondary effluents using TENG. Now, researchers have developed a droplet-based electricity generator system capable of harvesting energy from treated municipal wastewater. Using TENG technology, the system converts low-frequency energy from secondary effluents into usable electricity while simultaneously supporting wastewater treatment processes. The findings highlight a promising low-carbon pathway for sustainable wastewater resource recovery and energy utilization.

Journal

Journal of Environmental Sciences

Funder

Gansu Province University Youth Doctoral Support Project, Department of Education of Gansu Province, Science and Technology Program of Gansu Province

27-May-2026

 

Of feathers and flu: Identifying data gaps in bird flu host dynamics to help conserve vulnerable species

University of Rhode Island
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Johanna Harvey, at the University of Rhode Island, has described bird flu as a quiet virus with loud consequences. To develop a more holistic understanding of risk across species, Harvey has integrated existing information on risk factors into a qualitative analysis, described in a new paper in Wildlife Monographs. Her research seeks to provide research which may be applied to inform disease management and conservation.

Journal

Wildlife Monographs

Funder

U.S. Geological Survey

27-May-2026

 

“Feathered dragon” had some of the longest tail feathers ever found on a fossil bird

Field Museum
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A fossil bird named Plumadraco-- "feathered dragon"-- has some of the longest tail feathers ever found in a fossil bird. Its fancy feathers indicate that it was part of the long tradition, which continues to today, of birds evolving elaborate decorations to impress mates.

Journal

PLOS One

27-May-2026

 

Ancient bird displayed its long tail feathers to attract mates

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recently discovered extinct bird from the early Cretaceous Period (approximately 121 million years ago) may have waggled its long tail feathers to attract mates, according to a study published May 27, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Alexander Clark of the University of Chicago, US, and colleagues.

Journal

PLOS One

Funder

Taishan Scholar Foundation of Shandong Province, National Natural Science Foundation of China

27-May-2026

 

Scientists find groundbreaking potential for tissue regrowth and immortality in the ocean

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Using sea cucumbers, a new study provides the first documented evidence of the long-term viability of tissue growing indefinitely in seawater, highlighting the untapped potential of ocean life and opening up vast new possibilities in the biomedical field. The discovery also suggests a new experimental model for biological research that is more widely accessible and free of many of the ethical and logistical challenges of existing cell lines.

Journal

Science Advances

27-May-2026

 

Ancient bird species found in China's Liaoning: Extra-long tail feathers for elaborate courtship – interview with university of Chicago PhD candidate Alexander D. Clark

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recently discovered extinct bird from the early Cretaceous Period (approximately 121 million years ago) may have waggled its long tail feathers to attract mates, according to a study published May 27, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Alexander Clark of the University of Chicago, US, and colleagues.

Journal

PLOS One

Funder

Taishan Scholar Foundation of Shandong Province, National Natural Science Foundation of China

27-May-2026

 

Third installment of live rattlesnake camera in Pennsylvania allows YouTube viewers to observe timber rattlesnakes around the clock

California Polytechnic State University
Business Announcement

Project RattleCam, a collaboration between Cal Poly and Dickinson College, recently launched its third livestream installation at an undisclosed, remote location in Pennsylvania on May 18. The new channel, now live through early fall, operates 24 hours a day, with night-vision cameras capable of capturing the activities of snakes and other creatures that enter into the frame of the camera lens after dark. Viewers now are able to observe the animals on YouTube as part of a community science project. The researchers also have developed 8-day curriculum that helps elementary school students teach children about ecology using Project RattleCam.

27-May-2026

 

Study clarifies conditions for amphibian species richness on marine islands

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Analysis of data from over 5,000 territories and 1,924 species of toads and frogs shows that two of the main theories about the biodiversity of plants, birds, and mammals in these habitats do not explain the richness of anuran amphibians on their own.

Journal

Ecography

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo