Science/Nature

[ad_1] Tony Jolliffe / BBC The Flow Country is a vast expanse of blanket bog in the North of ScotlandAfter an almost 40-year campaign, a stunning but little-known UK landscape has been awarded world heritage status.The Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland in the far north of Scotland covers almost 2,000 sq km (469,500 acres) of one of the most intact and extensive blanket bog systems in the world.Blanket bogs

[ad_1] Maija KaralaThe small furry Jurassic mammal scampered at the feet of dinosaurs (artist impression)Two incredibly rare fossils found on Scotland's Isle of Skye are rewriting our understanding of how mammals evolved.While modern small mammals live as little as a year, one of the first to roam the earth, alongside dinosaurs, could reach seven years and beyond, scientists have discovered.Only a handful of fossils of the primitive shrew-like mammal, Krusatodon,

[ad_1] Getty ImagesUntil this discovery, it was believed that oxygen could not be produced without sunlightScientists have discovered “dark oxygen” being produced in the deep ocean, apparently by lumps of metal on the seafloor.About half the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean. But, before this discovery, it was understood that it was made by marine plants photosynthesising - something that requires sunlight. Here, at depths of 5km, where no

[ad_1] The company planning to build a new coal mine in Whitehaven, Cumbria has fought its case in court, saying it can and will build a “unique” net zero mine.The High Court hearing in London is the first test of a major ruling in June that raised doubts that any new fossil fuel project could be approved in the UK.The head of the mining company sat side-by-side in court with

[ad_1] Cambodia has welcomed 60 baby Siamese crocodiles - a hatching record for the endangered species in this century, conservationists say.They have called it a "real sign of hope", after more than 20 years of efforts to revive the reptile's numbers in the remote Cardamom Mountains. The olive green freshwater reptile has a distinct bony crest at the back of its head - by some estimates, it can grow up

[ad_1] A large dinosaur's skeleton has fetched $44.6m (£34m) at a Sotheby's auction in New York City - the most ever paid for a fossil.The plant-eating stegosaurus - nicknamed Apex - is 11ft (3.4m) tall and 27ft long from nose to tail, and "ranks high among the most complete skeletons ever found", Sotheby's said.It was sold to an anonymous buyer, who said: "Apex was born in America and is going

[ad_1] Just nowBy Victoria Gill, @vic_gill, Science correspondent, BBC NewsTyler RossAs the climate warms, polar bears are seen on land earlier in the season At the end of the Canadian Arctic summer, polar bears head inland to wait for the ice to form. And while thousands of tourists flock to catch a glimpse of these magnificent predators, researchers are developing novel ways to keep people and bears safely separated. New tracking devices that

[ad_1] 7 minutes agoBy Jonah Fisher, BBC Environment correspondentBBC/Tony JolliffeThe Mount Mabu chameleon Rhampholeon maspictus is one of dozens of unique species that have been found in the forestPerched on a remote mountain top and surrounded by lowlands, Mabu is what's known as a "sky island" and is the largest rainforest in southern Africa. BBC environment correspondent Jonah Fisher went to Mabu with a team of scientists who have discovered dozens of

[ad_1] Scientists have for the first time discovered a cave on the Moon.At least 100m deep, it could be an ideal place for humans to build a permanent base, they say.It is just one in probably hundreds of caves hidden in an “underground, undiscovered world”, according to the researchers.Countries are racing to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon, but they will need to protect astronauts from radiation, extreme

[ad_1] 8 minutes agoBy Malcolm Prior, @NewsMPrior, BBC News, rural affairs correspondentKerry McClayKerry McClay says more female police officers are needed in the countryside to deal with domestic abuseVictims of domestic abuse in the countryside are still being let down by a “woeful” number of convictions five years after a report criticised the work of several rural police forces, says its author.Former North Yorkshire police and crime commissioner Julia Mulligan said the latest