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Fossils: Scientists weigh in on 'giraffe relative' fossil
An ancient relative of the giraffe was a huge, heavy animal with thick legs, a flat face and massive, curly horns flaring out from its skull, said a study Wednesday.The reconstruction of a skeleton of an extinct giraffe-like animal, assumed to be the biggest ruminant mammal ever [Credit: AFP/Christopher Basu]Dubbed Sivatherium gig…
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Palaeontology: Isle of Skye fossil makes three species one
The discovery of a tiny, 170-million-year-old fossil on the Isle of Skye, off the north-west coast of the UK, has led Oxford University researchers to conclude that three previously recognised species are in fact just one.The Skye fossil [Credit: Close et al.]During a fossil-hunting expedition in Scotland last year, a team of rese…
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Natural Heritage: Global wildlife populations decline by 58 percent
Global populations of vertebrates -- mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish -- have declined by 58 percent between 1970 and 2012, states a new report from World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Animals living in the world's lakes, rivers, and freshwater systems have experienced the most dramatic population declines, at 81 percent. Bec…