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: 23-Oct-2026 11:17 ET (23-Oct-2026 15:17 GMT/UTC)

4-Aug-2026

   

Family ties shape social lives of bull sharks

University of Exeter
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Bull sharks have a slight preference for spending time with their relatives, new research shows.

Journal

Ecology and Evolution

Funder

Hai Stiftung Shark Foundation, Rufford Foundation, Waitt Foundation, Fiji Shark Lab

4-Aug-2026

 

The deadly heat waves evolving coral reefs

Texas A&M University

The ghostly white corals of Mo’orea tell a story of a reef in crisis—and a hidden story of survival. New Texas A&M University-led research reveals that adult survivors of the deadly 2019 heat wave passed heat-tolerant genetic variants linked to survival to the next generation, providing one of the clearest records of rapid evolution in the wild.

Journal

Evolutionary Applications

4-Aug-2026

 

Fossils from Wyoming’s Smiley Draw deepen understanding of early primate evolution

University of Kansas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study from the University of Kansas complicates the picture of primates living in North America some 55 million years ago during the Eocene, a warm period that allowed mammals to diversify quickly.

4-Aug-2026

 

In Atlantic Forest restoration, connection between fragments is more important than fragment size

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

Study covering 52 areas of the biome shows that natural dispersal of new plants is boosted by the amount of surrounding forest and rainfall regime.

Journal

Journal of Ecology

Funder

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

4-Aug-2026

 

A resilient native seagrass species could help reshape coastal restoration

Florida Atlantic University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A resilient native seagrass could offer a new path to restoring Florida’s troubled coastal waters. Researchers found that Ruppia maritima can survive repeated flooding, poor water quality and other environmental stressors in the Indian River Lagoon, then regenerate from a persistent seed bank when conditions improve. Its successful cultivation and self-sustaining growth in a seagrass nursery suggest this hardy species could serve as a pioneer for jump-starting recovery in degraded coastal habitats.

Journal

Regional Studies in Marine Science

Funder

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

4-Aug-2026

 

Cat training program helps children with developmental disabilities – and cats too

Oregon State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A cat-training program for children with developmental disabilities fostered healthy child behaviors, strengthened relationships between children and their family cats and improved cats’ social behavior, a new study found.

Journal

Animals

4-Aug-2026

 

China's first cave-dwelling freshwater snail named after a mythical mountain god

Pensoft Publishers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team of scientists has announced the discovery of Erhaia dijiang, a species of eyeless freshwater cavesnail. This study marks the first freshwater cavesnail ever recorded in China, and it represents the highest-altitude distribution known among cave-dwelling species in the family Erhaiidae. The snail was found hidden in a cave in the Hongta District of Yuxi City, Yunnan Province, and has been officially described in the open-access journal Subterranean Biology.

Journal

Subterranean Biology