EurekAlert! In the Spotlight

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: 25-Oct-2026 21:17 ET (26-Oct-2026 01:17 GMT/UTC)

27-Apr-2026

Deforestation policies are failing to protect against a potentially bigger threat to the Brazilian Amazon

University of Cambridge
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Policies that have helped reduce deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon over the past two decades have mostly failed to stop forest degradation: a slower and potentially more dangerous form of destruction. Unlike deforestation, where whole areas of forests are cleared for farming, industry or infrastructure, a degraded forest still has trees standing. However, it has been so damaged by fire, illegal logging, fragmentation, droughts and over-hunting that it has lost much of its ecological value.

By 2050, degradation could affect the entire Brazilian Amazon, but it has barely featured in the policies meant to protect it.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

27-Apr-2026

Groundbreaking review unveils genetic diversity and molecular breeding potential of Ethiopian cattle

South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

This comprehensive study illuminates the extraordinary genetic richness of indigenous Ethiopian cattle and provides a roadmap for leveraging cutting-edge molecular tools to revolutionize sustainable livestock breeding in the region.

Journal: Biological Diversity

27-Apr-2026

An acoustic device helps reduce bycatch of endangered Black Sea porpoises

Pensoft Publishers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The harbour porpoise is the smallest marine mammal in European seas, yet its Black Sea population is currently listed as Endangered. A primary threat is accidental entanglement in turbot fishing nets, which kills thousands of porpoises annually. A new study by Bulgarian researchers, published in the journal Nature Conservation, reveals the PAL Wideband acoustic deterrent (pinger) as a promising solution. When deployed on nets, the device reduces porpoise bycatch by 74%, offering a powerful tool to prevent unnecessary deaths and protect this endangered species.

Journal: Nature Conservation

26-Apr-2026

Groundbreaking phylogeny resolves the largest legume tribe: astragaleae redefined

South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

A global collaborative study has clarified the phylogeny and generic boundaries of tribe Astragaleae, the most species-rich legume group containing the world’s largest angiosperm genus Astragalus.

Journal: Biological Diversity
Funder: Science and Technology Projects in Guangzhou, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University through a Hu Award, Guangdong Science and Technology Department, National Natural Science Foundation of China, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences