Today, you’ll learn about a new study shedding light on what species are most vulnerable to extinction from climate change, why species of living fossils take their time evolving, and a new theory about how the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs also impacted birds.

Extinction Risk

“New study reveals insight into which animals are most vulnerable to extinction due to climate change.” University of Oxford. 2024.
“What is mass extinction and are we facing a sixth one?” by Tammana Begum. 2021. Updated 2023.
“Mass extinctions, their causes and consequences: an interview with Douglas H. Erwin and Shuzhong Shen.” by Shucheng Xie. 2023.
“Species and climate change.” IUCN. 2021.
“Humanity’s Fitting Place on the List of Mass Extinction Events.” by Sam Baker. 2018.

Living Fossils

“Study of slowly evolving ‘living fossils’ reveals key genetic insights.” by Mike Cummings. 2024.
“A New Discovery Reveals Why Darwin’s ‘Living Fossil’ Keeps Defying Evolution.” by Tim Newcomb. 2024.
“Giraffe Evolution.” by Adam Atwood. 2024.

Asteroid vs Birds

“An Asteroid Wiped Out Dinosaurs. Did It Help Birds Flourish?” by Carl Zimmer. 2024.
“Dust Might Have Snuffed Out the Dinosaurs.” by Miriam Fauzia. 2023.
“How Did Birds First Take Off?” by Carl Zimmer. 2023.
“Genomes, fossils, and the concurrent rise of modern birds and flowering plants in the Late Cretaceous.” by Shaoyuan Wu, et al. 2024.

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