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Stories from Alexa Robles-Gil

The golden mussel is an invasive freshwater bivalve recently discovered near the Port of Stockton in California. 

Invasive Mussels Recently Spotted in California Mark a First for North America

The species may have been carried to the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta in ballast water on ships

An artist depicts the tadpole and frog individuals of the Notobatrachus degiustoi species. The oldest known tadpole fossil, which belongs to this species, was found in the Patagonia region of Argentina.

Scientists Unearth the Oldest Tadpole Fossil Ever Found, and It’s a 161-Million-Year-Old ‘Giant’

Found in a rock in Argentina, the six-inch-long tadpole sheds light on the history of frog metamorphosis

A view of a snow-covered Mount Fuji from Fujiyoshida in Japan.

Japan’s Mount Fuji Has Now Remained Snowless for the Longest Time in Its 130-Year Record

After a summer that tied for the country’s hottest, meteorologists say an unusually warm autumn is delaying snowfall

Calcea Johnson (right), currently studying environmental engineering at Louisiana State University, published the new study with her high school classmate, Ne'Kiya Jackson (left), now a student in pharmacology at Xavier University of Louisiana.

Two High Schoolers Found an ‘Impossible’ Proof for a 2,000-Year-Old Math Rule—Then, They Discovered Nine More

Ne’Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson of Louisiana published a new study proving the Pythagorean theorem using trigonometry, a feat mathematicians long thought could not be done

Grizzly 399, along with one of her cubs, in Grand Teton National Park in 2021.

The ‘World’s Most Famous Grizzly’ Was Killed by a Car. Was Her Death Preventable?

Grizzly 399 became a celebrity of Grand Teton National Park in her lifetime. Now, her death has drawn attention to wildlife-vehicle collisions and how they might be reduced

The lack of a sense of smell, called anosmia, can be congenital or acquired at some point in a person's lifetime.

People Born Without a Sense of Smell Have Different Breathing Patterns, Study Finds

Study participants with lifelong anosmia sniffed less than those with a normal sense of smell. Future research could shed light on whether this has negative implications for their health

The Upper Klamath River is also part of restoration work. The salmon's return inspires biologists to continue their efforts in the upper basin.

Salmon Make a Long-Awaited Return to the Klamath River for the First Time in 112 Years, After Largest Dam Removal in U.S.

Chinook salmon spark excitement among local Klamath Tribes, who have advocated for decades to restore the flow of the river in California and Oregon

Aerial view of Government Point, located within Point Conception State Marine Reserve and the newly designated Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary

A New Marine Sanctuary Off California Will Be Co-Managed by Indigenous Peoples

NOAA designated the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary this month, following a decade of advocacy by supporters. The protected site will be finalized after a 45-day review period

Oregon residents spotted a rare Arctic fox, which does not live in the region. Now, the animal is receiving care at a wildlife rehabilitation hospital.

Experts Don’t Know How This Mysterious White Fox Ended Up in Oregon, More Than 1,000 Miles Away From Home

Identified as an Arctic fox, the animal is believed to have been kept in captivity far from its native habitat in the tundra. Now, it’s receiving care from wildlife officials

Two comb jellies have fused together and are being probed by a pipette.

These Frankenstein-Like Sea Creatures Can Actually Fuse Their Bodies Together

Two comb jellies can merge their digestive and nervous systems and even sync their bodily functions, according to new research. The discovery could have implications for human medicine

Andrew Irvine, back left, stands beside George Mallory and other members of the British Mount Everest expedition in 1924.

Famous Explorer’s Remains Discovered on Mount Everest Offer Clues in a Century-Long Mystery

In 1924, Andrew “Sandy” Irvine joined George Mallory’s expedition to the world’s highest peak. Now, Irvine’s recently found foot and boot hint at what might have happened on that ill-fated undertaking

In the 1980s, there were only 22 surviving California condors. Now, after careful conservation measures, there are over 300 in the wild and 200 in captivity. (The above bird is not Milagra.)

Meet Milagra, a Rare Condor Rescued as an Egg and Newly Released Back Into the Wild

Milagra, Spanish for “miracle,” was hatched and raised in captivity by foster condor parents after her mother died of avian flu in April 2023

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick captured this image of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from the International Space Station, when the comet was 99.4 million miles away on September 22, 2024.

How to See the Bright Comet Flaring Up in the Night Sky This Week

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS should be visible to the naked eye as it passes Earth on its way out of our solar system

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, who together discovered microRNA.

American Scientists Win Nobel Prize in Medicine for ‘Groundbreaking’ Gene Discovery Made by Studying Worms

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun discovered microRNA, tiny molecules that play a crucial role in how cells develop, paving the way for new treatments for diseases

An illustration of a nova similar to T Coronae Borealis shows a binary system of a white dwarf and a red giant orbiting each other.

Astronomers Are Watching for a Once-in-a-Lifetime Nova Explosion. When Will We See It?

A recurrent nova, known as the Blaze Star or T Coronae Borealis, is predicted to soon appear in the night sky. But the exact timing of the rare eruption remains unknown

The Marco Polo sheep is a subspecies of argali, the largest living wild sheep.

Montana Rancher Who Created Giant, Hybrid Sheep Sentenced to Six Months in Prison

Arthur “Jack” Schubarth cloned illegally imported genetic material from the Marco Polo argali to create hybrid sheep that would draw higher prices from hunting preserves

A new study suggests that coyotes, like the ones seen here, have the same face muscle as dogs that's used to make pleading "puppy eyes."

Coyotes Might Make ‘Puppy Eyes,’ Suggesting the Facial Expression Evolved for More Than Just Cuteness

The wild canines have the same muscles used by domestic dogs to create the wide-eyed, pleading look that captures humans’ hearts

A biologist holds a Bethany Beach firefly, found on a survey in 2019. The dwindling species is now being considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

This Green-Flashing Firefly Could Become the First Ever Listed as Endangered in the U.S.

The Fish and Wildlife Service will consider granting federal protections to the Bethany Beach firefly, which is rapidly losing its coastal habitat to development and climate change

A sloth in its natural habitat in Costa Rica, where sloth populations have decreased in the past decade, according to Rebecca Cliffe, lead author of the research.

Amid Rising Temperatures, Sloths’ Slowness May Put Their Survival at Risk

The world’s slowest mammal is at risk of extinction by the end of the century due to their low metabolic rate and climate change

Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula is known for its extinct and active volcanoes.

Extinct Volcanoes May Be an Untapped Source of Rare Metals

Unexplored iron-rich magma could help power current and future technologies

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