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: 22-Oct-2026 15:16 ET (22-Oct-2026 19:16 GMT/UTC)

4-Sep-2026

 

Satellites spot forest stress two years before bark beetle die-offs become apparent

University of Utah
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Satellite measurements detected declining photosynthetic activity in Western U.S. forests two years before bark-beetle mortality appeared in aerial detection surveys, according to new University of Utah-led research. The first-of-its-kind study suggests that satellite-observed chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), a measure of plant photosynthesis, could provide an early warning of forest stress. As drought, wildfire and insect outbreaks occur with increasing frequency across the American West, the technology could also help scientists understand how these disturbances affect forests’ ability to absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere.

Journal

Remote Sensing of Environment

Funder

NASA Carbon Monitoring Systems, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, University of Utah Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy, USDA Forest Service Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center

4-Sep-2026

 

The extinct American ‘cheetah’ was not a cheetah after all

Cell Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

With their slender bodies and long front legs, Miracinonyx trumani—often nicknamed the “American cheetah”—was long thought to be a North American analog of the African big cat. But in a new study publishing September 4 in the Cell Press journal Current Biology, researchers reveal that the extinct cat was more closely related to pumas. Some populations living near the Arctic preyed almost exclusively on fish, challenging the long-held assumption that these “cheetahs” chased fast-running prey, such as pronghorns. 

Journal

Current Biology

Funder

National Science Foundation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

4-Sep-2026

 

Research explains why feeding birds can make you feel better

Virginia Tech
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A Virginia Tech-led study of people who feed birds in the United States and Canada found that most believed feeding and watching birds had a positive effect on their well-being. The study also identified three ways people described that connection: through emotions, engagement, and a sense of meaning.

Journal

AMBIO

4-Sep-2026

 

New digital tool shows where exactly California’s water goes — and how climate change might disrupt it

University of California - Berkeley

A UC Berkeley-led project aims to make it easier for all Californians to understand the state’s complex water system and have a say in how this critical resource is used. With input from stakeholders from around the state, the team is creating tools that help illustrate where California’s water is going, the impacts of different water priorities, and how climate change will shift the water landscape.

4-Sep-2026

   

What happens when a shoreline scavenger consumes microplastics?

Kyushu University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study investigated how ingesting expanded polystyrene (EPS) affects wharf roaches, a common shoreline scavenger. EPS-fed animals showed no significant reduction in lifespan, but their guts displayed altered expression of genes involved in chemical defense, DNA repair, and digestion. Gut microbial communities were largely unchanged, although several rare taxa were detected only in EPS-fed specimens. The findings highlight the need for a more comprehensive understanding of how microplastic pollution affects marine ecosystems.

Journal

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Funder

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Ministry of the Environment

4-Sep-2026

 

Why not every ant helps

Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Why do some ants help nestmates in distress while others don't? A research team from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Tel Aviv University has addressed this question in a new study. The researchers examined worker ants of the species Cataglyphis niger, some of which had shown rescue behavior while others had not. The result, recently published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, suggests that the key difference lies not in body size, morphology, or the animals' energy reserves, but in gene activity in the nervous system.

Journal

Journal of Experimental Biology

4-Sep-2026

 

Updated checklist reveals rich, threatened terrestrial mammal diversity on Hainan Island

South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A revised species inventory updates Hainan’s terrestrial mammal fauna, highlights island‑specific conservation risks and provides baseline data for regional wildlife management.

Journal

Biological Diversity

Funder

Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China