Dactylonax kambuayai – eine von zwei Beuteltierarten, die wiederentdeckt wurden
A female Dactylonax kambuayai from the Klalik area on the Vogelkop Peninsula. The species is one of two marsupial species recently rediscovered alive after being known only from fossils for a long time. (© Foto: Carlos Bocos, edited, aus: Flannery et al. 2026, Records of the Australian Museum, CC BY 4.0)

New Guinea: Two marsupials lost for 6,000 years rediscovered

In March 2026, an Australian research team led by zoologist Tim Flannery published two studies with surprising results: On the remote Vogelkop Peninsula in northwestern New Guinea, two marsupial species were found alive that had previously been known only from fossils approximately 6,000 to 7,500 years old. Such rediscoveries are

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EIner der Vögel Nordamerikas, dessen Bestandsrückgang sich beschleunigt: der Rotflügelstärling (Agelaius phoeniceus)
The red-winged blackbird is one of the most recognizable birds of North American wetlands and agricultural landscapes. Yet even for this once very common species, the decline in populations is accelerating. (© Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Bird populations in North America: Decline accelerating—nearly every second species affected

Bird populations in North America have been declining for decades. But a new study now shows that not only are bird numbers falling, the speed of this decline is also increasing. This is the conclusion of a study published in the journal Science by researchers from Ohio State University and

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Singvögel im Museum
Museum bird specimens as scientific reference objects—and as a mirror of historical collecting practices. (© Doreen Fräßdorf, Naturkundemuseum Berlin, 2025)

The invisible half of biodiversity — How male-biased collections skew research and species conservation

We will probably never find out what the females of Schomburgk’s deer (Rucervus schomburgki) looked like. In historical drawings, travel reports, and museum collections, only remains of males are found—with their unique, many-branched antlers. Females likely carried none, and apparently collectors in the 19th century considered them too inconspicuous to

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Qutang-Schlucht am Jangtse (Changjiang) in der Drei-Schluchten-Region in China
The Qutang Gorge on the Yangtze (Three Gorges region): heavily burdened for decades—a study now shows the first signs of ecological recovery. (© Tan Wei Liang Byorn, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Hope for the Yangtze: study shows how a fishing ban is reviving the river

The Yangtze River is Asia’s longest river at over 6,300 kilometers and the third-longest river in the world. For millennia it was among the world’s most species-rich freshwater ecosystems. It supplied people, animals, and entire cultures with water, food, and habitat—and formed the ecological backbone of large parts of China.

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Moth Drepanogynis insciata (Axiodes insciata) rediscovered after more than 140 years
For almost 150 years it was considered lost: this photo by Cameron Scott shows a male specimen of Drepanogynis insciata in January 2022 in Mossel Bay (South Africa) – alive, emerald-green, and back in the focus of science for the first time. (© cyamscott via iNaturalist, CC BY-NC 4.0)

South Africa: Moth thought extinct rediscovered after 147 years

Until a few years ago, the geometrid moth Drepanogynis insciata, which for a long time was listed under the name Axiodes insciata, was little more than a footnote in entomology. For nearly 150 years, only two historical museum specimens from the vicinity of the South African town of Swellendam and

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Threatened by invasive species: Partula radiolata
The endangered tree snail Partula radiolata from the island of Guam. A recent study shows that snails are particularly often victims of invasive species: since the 1970s, the introduction of the rosy wolfsnail has led to the extinction of more than 50 Partula species on Pacific islands. (© USFWS - Pacific Region, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Invasive species & extinction: What role do non-native animals and plants play?

Whether rats on tropical islands, introduced snails in the Pacific, or feral cats in remote bird colonies – invasive alien species (IAS) can throw entire ecosystems off balance and push animal and plant species to the brink of extinction. In 2023, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

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rediscovery of the rusty bush lark (Calendulauda rufa)
The image shows the rusty bush lark rediscovered in early February 2026 — one of the first photographs of the species ever taken. (© Pierre Defos du Rau, Idriss Dapsia, Julien Birard)

Rediscovery in Africa: rusty bush lark documented for the first time in 94 years

Africa: A bird species that has so far been little studied and had been considered missing for almost a century has now been rediscovered. In early February 2026, the rusty bush lark (Calendulauda rufa) was recorded alive again in Chad for the first time in decades. The rusty bush lark

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Taurus cattle in the Gerhausen/Beiningen quarry (Baden-Württemberg)
Taurus cattle in the “Urzeit-Weide” grazing project (Baden-Württemberg). An ecological approximation of the extinct aurochs—not a “bringing back” of extinct species. (© Jens Kramer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

De-extinction: Does the prospect of reviving an extinct species reduce concern about the extinction of extant species?

Less than a year ago, the US company Colossal Biosciences announced with great media fanfare that it had brought the so-called dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus), which went extinct around 13,000 years ago, back to life. The same is said to become possible in the future for other iconic extinct and

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Earthworms as indicators of healthy soil
Earthworms are considered indicators of healthy soils because they promote soil structure, nutrient cycles, and microbial activity – and at the same time are sensitive to stressors such as pesticides. (© Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Study: Pesticide residues found in more than two-thirds of European soils – not only in agricultural landscapes

When pesticides are discussed, the focus is usually on bees, birds, or residues in food. Less attention is paid to the place where many of their effects begin: the soil. Yet it forms the basis of our food supply and is home to billions of organisms. An international study, published

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Red List of breeding birds in Rhineland-Palatinate 2025: Barn Owl
The barn owl (Tyto alba) is among the losers on the new Red List in Rhineland-Palatinate: While it was still on the preliminary warning list in 2014, it is now considered critically endangered. The same trend is evident in the spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes).

Red List of breeding birds in Rhineland-Palatinate: 55% of species at risk

Birds shape our landscapes, accompany our everyday lives, and are also sensitive indicators of the state of nature. When their populations shrink, it is almost always a warning sign of profound ecological problems. The new Red List of breeding birds in Rhineland-Palatinate clearly shows: The loss of biodiversity continues to

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