Subscribe now
Walrus in the sea

Vikings probably hunted Iceland's walruses to extinction for ivory

16 September 2019

Iceland had a unique population of walruses that disappeared after people first settled there – probably because the Vikings hunted them to extinction


Wild animals are turning nocturnal to keep away from humans

Wild animals are turning nocturnal to keep away from humans

14 June 2018

Dozens of species all around the world are abandoning the day and becoming more active at night, to avoid contact with humans


Half of life on Earth has vanished since we arrived on the scene

Half of life on Earth has vanished since we arrived on the scene

21 May 2018

The biomass of living organisms on the planet has halved since human civilisation began, and humans now outweigh all wild mammals tenfold


Harsh: Europe's cannabis died just as the first farmers arrived

Harsh: Europe's cannabis died just as the first farmers arrived

17 May 2018

Cannabis – the source of the drug marijuana – virtually disappeared from Europe just as farmers arrived, so they didn’t get the chance to grow it for another 4500 years


Stem cells may reveal how Neanderthal DNA works in modern humans

Stem cells may reveal how Neanderthal DNA works in modern humans

11 May 2018

Many of us carry DNA inherited from Neanderthals, but we can’t be sure how it affects us. Stem cells with Neanderthal DNA could tell us


Much of nature is near collapse and that means society is too

Much of nature is near collapse and that means society is too

23 March 2018

An assessment of Earth’s biodiversity predicts catastrophic losses within decades, with severe knock-on effects for human civilisation like shortages of food


Rare wooden tools show that Neanderthals got creative with fire

Rare wooden tools show that Neanderthals got creative with fire

5 February 2018

Wooden tools are hardly ever preserved, but a cache found in Italy suggests Neanderthals made them with fire and used them to dig up foods like tubers


Africa’s giraffes are being slaughtered by Joseph Kony's army

Africa’s giraffes are being slaughtered by Joseph Kony's army

8 December 2017

Elephants, giraffes, giant elands and chimpanzees are being decimated by poachers linked to violent militias in a lawless region of central Africa


Japan’s refusal to stop ivory trade undermines bans elsewhere

Japan’s refusal to stop ivory trade undermines bans elsewhere

6 December 2017

Even though other countries are clamping down on illegal ivory, the unconstrained trade in Japan may offer loopholes for criminals to keep selling ivory – fuelling elephant poaching


Human arrivals wiped out the Caribbean’s giant ground sloths

Human arrivals wiped out the Caribbean’s giant ground sloths

10 November 2017

Many giant mammals in the Americas have died out but it has been hard to say whether humans or natural events were responsible. Now, in the Caribbean at least, we know


Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop