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 10:15 ET (24-Oct-2026 14:15 GMT/UTC)

21-May-2026

 

HKUST researchers reveal carbon storage potential and biological mediations on carbon cycling in South China Sea coral reef ecosystems

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A collaborative research team led by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST),  the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOZ-CAS) and the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (GML) has revealed the long-overlooked carbon storage potential of coral reef ecosystems and how reef-dwelling fish, corals, and surface sediments jointly shape reef carbon reservoirs.

Journal

Advanced Science

21-May-2026

 

Ocean acidification is ruining reef fishes’ social lives

Adelaide University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study from Adelaide University has found that when ocean acidification makes reef habitat less complex, the fish living there gather in smaller shoals that offer less social protection.

Journal

Journal of Animal Ecology

21-May-2026

Data on human and wildlife movement during the pandemic suggest new ways for us to coexist

University of California - Santa Barbara
Peer-Reviewed Publication

For thousands of years, humans have shaped the world around us, leaving other animals to adapt to the activities of the industrious ape. But new research shows how animals also respond directly to our physical presence.

Journal

Science

21-May-2026

 

Evolutionary arms race stretches hawkmoths and flowers to extremes

Florida Museum of Natural History
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Hawk moths hold the record for having the world's longest proboscis, the specialized feeding tubes insects use to drink. A new study shows how this structure evolved in hawk moths over the last 44 million years.

Journal

Royal Society Open Science

21-May-2026

The secret to keeping ticks at bay this summer: Woodchips

University of Ottawa
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research from the University of Ottawa has shown woodchips to be the secret weapon to keeping ticks off recreational woodland trails, including eliminating nearly all Lyme disease-carriers when treated with insecticide.

Journal

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases

Funder

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

21-May-2026

 

Climate change and limited dispersal doom Andean Giant Plant: urgent conservation needed

South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

A global survey of 44,711 endangered Puya raimondii plants reveals topography and poor seed dispersal will erase nearly all habitat by 2100 under +5°C warming, requiring assisted colonization.

Journal

Biological Diversity

Funder

Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos

21-May-2026

Social mammals live longer – but bigger groups don’t add many extra years

University of Southern Denmark
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mammals that live with others tend to live longer than those that live alone, according to the largest comparative study of mammalian lifespan to date. Using data from 1,436 mammal species, researchers found that species living in pairs or groups consistently outlive solitary species, even after accounting for body size and evolutionary history.

Journal

Ecology and Evolution

21-May-2026

   

Cell movement in the embryo

Institute of Science and Technology Austria
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Hair, nails, and horns, all made up of keratin, are some of the hardest and most resilient structures in animals. Inside zebrafish cells, keratin plays a distinct role, giving them the strength they need to move together as a coherent tissue while modulating the driving forces behind their movement during early development. But what happens when keratin is missing? A new study from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), published in Nature Communications, reveals how crucial this protein is for life itself.

Journal

Nature Communications

Funder

Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Austrian Science Fund