State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

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  • Cycle of Abuse Among Nazca Boobies

    Cycle of Abuse Among Nazca Boobies

    Researchers studying Nazca boobies of the Galápagos Islands found high correlations between degree of aggressive behavior among adults and the amount of abuse they endured as nestlings. The findings have implications for those who study human psychology and behavior, as some social scientists argue that abused children are statistically more likely to become abusers later…

  • Polyandrous Mouse Lemurs – The Larger the Better

    Polyandrous Mouse Lemurs – The Larger the Better

    Researchers report that larger female mouse lemurs mate with more male partners at once than smaller females. The findings have implications for polyandry and other mating systems.

  • Critter Corner: News Roundup on Biodiversity – Week of 10/3

    Critter Corner: News Roundup on Biodiversity – Week of 10/3

    Read more about how humans are just modified fish, the discovery of a rare seahorse, the relationship between climate change, elk, and aspen, and the the structure of ambrosia beetle colonies in this week’s edition of The Critter Corner.

  • This Year in Conservation – FREE Panel Discussion

    This Year in Conservation – FREE Panel Discussion

    The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation is hosting a free evening program on Wednesday, October 12.

  • Wasteland Transformed into Magnificent Freshkills Park

    Wasteland Transformed into Magnificent Freshkills Park

    Odors of putrid garbage and mismanaged waste are being replaced by fragrant grass and flowers at Staten Island’s Freshkills Park, once the world’s biggest landfill.

  • Humans Continue to Evolve

    Humans Continue to Evolve

    Modern day human evolution is a contentious topic, but an array of recent studies indicate that our species is still evolving.

  • Reintroduction Boot Camp for Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets

    Reintroduction Boot Camp for Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets

    Animal keepers at the National Zoo’s conservation center recently sent 26 black-footed ferrets to a critter boot camp to help the endangered species learn the necessary skills to survive in the wild.

  • Evolution Battles – Parent and Offspring Rivalry

    Evolution Battles – Parent and Offspring Rivalry

    From an evolutionary perspective, kin are worth assisting in direct relationship to their blood relatedness, or the probability that two individuals share genes. Though it can be difficult at first to think in these mathematically terms, inclusive fitness, parent-offspring conflict and sibling-sibling conflict radically transform our understanding of animal behavior and evolution.

  • Critter Corner: News Roundup on Biodiversity – Week of 9/26

    Critter Corner: News Roundup on Biodiversity – Week of 9/26

    Read more about flies that are sexually aroused by food, tool use among fish, controversial bacteria that may use arsenic in place of phosphorus as the backbone of its DNA, and the nanostructures of ancient bugs in this week’s edition of The Critter Corner.

  • Cycle of Abuse Among Nazca Boobies

    Cycle of Abuse Among Nazca Boobies

    Researchers studying Nazca boobies of the Galápagos Islands found high correlations between degree of aggressive behavior among adults and the amount of abuse they endured as nestlings. The findings have implications for those who study human psychology and behavior, as some social scientists argue that abused children are statistically more likely to become abusers later…

  • Polyandrous Mouse Lemurs – The Larger the Better

    Polyandrous Mouse Lemurs – The Larger the Better

    Researchers report that larger female mouse lemurs mate with more male partners at once than smaller females. The findings have implications for polyandry and other mating systems.

  • Critter Corner: News Roundup on Biodiversity – Week of 10/3

    Critter Corner: News Roundup on Biodiversity – Week of 10/3

    Read more about how humans are just modified fish, the discovery of a rare seahorse, the relationship between climate change, elk, and aspen, and the the structure of ambrosia beetle colonies in this week’s edition of The Critter Corner.

  • This Year in Conservation – FREE Panel Discussion

    This Year in Conservation – FREE Panel Discussion

    The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation is hosting a free evening program on Wednesday, October 12.

  • Wasteland Transformed into Magnificent Freshkills Park

    Wasteland Transformed into Magnificent Freshkills Park

    Odors of putrid garbage and mismanaged waste are being replaced by fragrant grass and flowers at Staten Island’s Freshkills Park, once the world’s biggest landfill.

  • Humans Continue to Evolve

    Humans Continue to Evolve

    Modern day human evolution is a contentious topic, but an array of recent studies indicate that our species is still evolving.

  • Reintroduction Boot Camp for Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets

    Reintroduction Boot Camp for Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets

    Animal keepers at the National Zoo’s conservation center recently sent 26 black-footed ferrets to a critter boot camp to help the endangered species learn the necessary skills to survive in the wild.

  • Evolution Battles – Parent and Offspring Rivalry

    Evolution Battles – Parent and Offspring Rivalry

    From an evolutionary perspective, kin are worth assisting in direct relationship to their blood relatedness, or the probability that two individuals share genes. Though it can be difficult at first to think in these mathematically terms, inclusive fitness, parent-offspring conflict and sibling-sibling conflict radically transform our understanding of animal behavior and evolution.

  • Critter Corner: News Roundup on Biodiversity – Week of 9/26

    Critter Corner: News Roundup on Biodiversity – Week of 9/26

    Read more about flies that are sexually aroused by food, tool use among fish, controversial bacteria that may use arsenic in place of phosphorus as the backbone of its DNA, and the nanostructures of ancient bugs in this week’s edition of The Critter Corner.