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 20:16 ET (23-Oct-2026 00:16 GMT/UTC)

24-Aug-2026

 

Large mammals alter soil chemistry and increase fertility in the Atlantic Forest

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

Study reveals that tapirs, peccaries, agoutis, and deer act as true ecosystem engineers by reducing soil acidity, increasing diversity, and accelerating the decomposition of organic matter in the forest. Living in groups of sometimes more than one hundred individuals, peccaries churn up the soil of tropical forests, altering its chemical properties.

Journal

Ecological Monographs

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

24-Aug-2026

 

Researchers zap microbe DNA in the name of food safety

University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and collaborating institutions found that electron beam (eBeam) technology shows promise as a way to improve the safety of poultry products by reducing harmful foodborne pathogens while maintaining meat quality.

Journal

Poultry Science

Funder

National Institute of Food and Agriculture

24-Aug-2026

 

WVU AI research could transform how scientists monitor ecosystems

West Virginia University
Grant and Award Announcement

With help from artificial intelligence, West Virginia University researchers are speeding up environmental scientists’ access to time-sensitive data about ecosystem health, allowing experts to respond rapidly to events like droughts or wildfires.

24-Aug-2026

 

Scientists uncover environmental cues behind bear hibernation

Virginia Tech
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research from Virginia Tech scientists in the College of Natural Resources and Environment provides fresh insight into how environmental conditions influence black bear hibernation, with implications for wildlife management in today's environment. The study examines how ambient temperature and day length interact to shape hibernation behavior in American black bears. 

Journal

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences

24-Aug-2026

 

Glacier retreat could promote the spread of diseases among bees

University of Lausanne
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study conducted in the Swiss Alps by the University of Lausanne ( Switzerland) and the University of Milan (Italy) shows that glacier retreat and the changing vegetation could influence the spread of certain pathogens between honeybees and wild bees.

Journal

Oikos

24-Aug-2026

 

Evolutionary arm race in Cenozoic seas shaped modern diversity of marine snails

Swedish Museum of Natural History
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A large scale study of nearly 700 species reveals the evolutionary relationships and history of Neogastropoda, a diverse group of marine snails. The findings provide new evidence for their single origin, identify four new families and reveal a previously undetected burst of diversification in the early Cenozoic.

Journal

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

Funder

H2020 European Research Council

24-Aug-2026

 

Online marketplaces are putting biodiversity at risk

University of Helsinki
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In just six weeks, researchers found more than 1,600 primates for sale on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. A new international study led by the University of Helsinki shows that online platforms are fuellng a growing and hard-to-track wildlife tra

Journal

Nature Reviews Biodiversity

23-Aug-2026

New Cochrane gap map highlights big gaps in dengue prevention research

Cochrane
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new Cochrane evidence and gap map (EGM) has mapped the global research landscape on dengue prevention, finding plenty of research but not enough of it synthesized in ways policymakers can use.

Journal

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews