Volcanic eruptions drove dinosaurs to extinction HOW did the dinosaurs disappear from the face of this earth? One school of thought blames it on volcanic eruptions from the Deccan Traps of India. Another insists on an asteroid that hit the earth aeons ago. One of the longest running debates in scientific history, freshly found evidence has fuelled it anew. The Chicxulub crater
Environment ministers from major rich and developing nations signed a deal on Friday to try to slow species loss, but failed to make progress in crucial climate change talks despite US pledges of commitment.
Almost every country in the world in 2002 agreed to a "significant reduction" in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, but scientists say extinctions are gathering pace.
Even though Sri Lanka is a small island, the diversity of its wildlife is significantly important both in a regional and global scale. Sri Lanka has the highest species density (number of species present per 10,000 sq. km) of flowering plants, amphibians, reptiles and mammals in the Asian region.
A tree that covers a large area of eastern Ethiopia but has only recently been categorized by botanists raises hope for finding new species elsewhere, experts said.
The acacia fumosa tree, which grows in an area the size of the island of Crete, was not "found" for scientific purposes until 2006-7, mostly likely because its main habitat is a war zone.
More of Indonesia's critically endangered orangutans are being caught for the pet trade now than in the 1970s, reflecting the country's weak law enforcement, a wildlife protection group said in a report published on Thursday.
The Red List is not perfect, but it is the best conservation tool we've got, say senior staff members at the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
BHUBANESWAR: A team of plant scientists which mapped Khandadhar hill forests in Keonjhar has claimed to have spotted 29 new species of bryophytes in the region.
These bryophytes, land plants without any flower or seed which reproduce by way of spores, have been reported for the first time in Orissa.
Research conducted by experts show that the various shark species in Maldives were in danger of becoming extinct due to overfishing by shark hunters, the Fisheries Ministry has said.
Different species of indigenous fishes is under threat of extinction in Patuakhali due to continued drying up of rivers and lack of adequate water in water bodies like haors and beels.
Once famous for fish resources, the coastal district produced a huge quantity of sweet-water fishes in the rivers and water bodies but now the scenario has changed, local sources said.
