The Data Diversity Lab in the News

Six teams selected as awardees of the inaugural University of Arizona Big Idea Challenge Spring UA News Six teams selected as awardees of the inaugural University of Arizona Big Idea Challenge. BIO5 members Vignesh Subbian, Nirav Merchant, Cristian Roman Palacios, and Solange Duhamel are among the 2025 Big Idea Challenge awardees. ...read more

Creature culture: What animal behavior can teach us about saving nature Summer University of Arizona News Animal conservationists often move elephants between herds to improve biodiversity and group health, but what if the elephants don't speak the same language? Studies suggest that populations, even those living relatively close to one another, may speak in subtly different "rumbles." What if those differences were more than noise? What if different dialects made it harder for new elephants to make friends, form alliances or even warn others of danger? The elephant language gap is just one example of a growing body of research examining a wide range of behavioral differences in wild animals – differences that may be cultural, not just biological. This could help answer countless questions: Why don't all elephants understand each other? Why do some chimpanzees master stone tools while others don't? How did rats specialize in eating pinecones? ...read more

Six teams selected as awardees of the inaugural University of Arizona Big Idea Challenge Spring University of Arizona News Six teams of University of Arizona experts who presented proposals to accelerate transdisciplinary projects with the potential to transform lives, shape policy, drive economic impact and provide training for the next generation of talent have been chosen as the 2025 Big Idea Challenge awardees. ...read more

Early career research: Increasing access, reproducibility and transparency in phylogenetic analyses with Cristian Román-Palacios Spring Methods Blog Robert May Prize (shortlisted): "I was born in the Colombian Andes (Armenia, Quindío) back in the 90s. I received my bachelor’s degree in Biology from Universidad del Valle, in Cali, Colombia, in 2015. I moved to the US in 2016 to pursue a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona – a degree that I completed in Fall of 2020. Although my research interests seem to have changed over time, most of the time, my main focus has been on addressing long-standing questions and using methods for asking questions primarily in biology from novel perspectives." ...read more

In Brief: Halloween survey, Hispanic Heritage Month reading, learn about disability employment Fall University of Arizona News As campus celebrates the rich cultural contributions and diverse experiences of the Hispanic community during Hispanic Heritage Month, University Libraries and the Campus Store are connecting the community with vibrant narratives from Hispanic authors. ...read more

Lightning Talks: 'MS Data Science' Fall University of Arizona News Please join the School of Information for an hour of enlightening discussions at our first "MS Data Science" lightning talks event. Explore cutting-edge topics like "deep learning," data science and biomedical engineering, data democratization and fraud detection in banking, smart placement of temporary sensors in water supply networks and alternative approaches to enhancing Tableau dashboards. ...read more

Freshwater habitats are fragile pockets of exceptional biodiversity, study finds Spring University of Arizona News A new study led by ecologists at the University of Arizona reveals the origins of diverse animal and plant species richness in terrestrial, ocean and freshwater habitats at a global scale. It also explores the possible causes of these richness patterns. Published in the journal Ecology Letters, the study was led by Cristian Román-Palacios, an assistant professor in the UArizona School of Information in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and John J. Wiens, a professor in UArizona Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the College of Science. It was co-authored by Daniela Moraga-López, a doctoral student at Pontificia Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile. ...read more

Goniurosaurus Spring Wikipedia Goniurosaurus is a genus of geckos in the family Eublepharidae. The genus contains 27 species. Members species are known by various common names including cave geckos, ground geckos, leopard geckos, and tiger geckos. Members of this genus are found in China, Japan, and Vietnam. For this reason they are also known commonly as Asian geckos. ...read more

One-Third of Plant and Animal Species Could be Gone in 50 Years Spring University of Arizona News Accurately predicting biodiversity loss from climate change requires a detailed understanding of what aspects of climate change cause extinctions, and what mechanisms may allow species to survive. A new study by University of Arizona researchers presents detailed estimates of global extinction from climate change by 2070. By combining information on recent extinctions from climate change, rates of species movement and different projections of future climate, they estimate that one in three species of plants and animals may face extinction. Their results are based on data from hundreds of plant and animal species surveyed around the globe. ...read more

Climate change may not claim as many species as we thought Spring Popular Science A new estimate has some good news, but some regions could still be hard hit. ...read more

A third of the world’s plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years, study says Spring Merced Sun-Star One-third of all plant and animal species on Earth could face extinction in the next 50 years, experts say. A new study from the University of Arizona predicts that one in three species of plants and animals could face extinction by 2070 because of climate change. ...read more

A third of the world’s plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years, study says Spring Miami Herald One-third of all plant and animal species on Earth could face extinction in the next 50 years, experts say. A new study from the University of Arizona predicts that one in three species of plants and animals could face extinction by 2070 because of climate change. ...read more

A third of the world’s plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years, study says Spring The Island Packet One-third of all plant and animal species on Earth could face extinction in the next 50 years, experts say. A new study from the University of Arizona predicts that one in three species of plants and animals could face extinction by 2070 because of climate change. ...read more

A third of the world’s plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years, study says Spring The Kansas City Star One-third of all plant and animal species on Earth could face extinction in the next 50 years, experts say. A new study from the University of Arizona predicts that one in three species of plants and animals could face extinction by 2070 because of climate change. ...read more

A third of the world’s plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years, study says Spring The Modesto Bee One-third of all plant and animal species on Earth could face extinction in the next 50 years, experts say. A new study from the University of Arizona predicts that one in three species of plants and animals could face extinction by 2070 because of climate change. ...read more

A third of the world’s plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years, study says Spring The Telegraph One-third of all plant and animal species on Earth could face extinction in the next 50 years, experts say. A new study from the University of Arizona predicts that one in three species of plants and animals could face extinction by 2070 because of climate change. ...read more

A third of the world’s plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years, study says Spring The Charlotte Observer One-third of all plant and animal species on Earth could face extinction in the next 50 years, experts say. A new study from the University of Arizona predicts that one in three species of plants and animals could face extinction by 2070 because of climate change. Researchers used data from hundreds of species to produce their findings, EurekAlert! said in a news release. They looked at local extinctions that have happened and analyzed data from 538 species and 581 places around the world in the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ...read more

A third of the world’s plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years, study says Spring The Sacramento Bee One-third of all plant and animal species on Earth could face extinction in the next 50 years, experts say. A new study from the University of Arizona predicts that one in three species of plants and animals could face extinction by 2070 because of climate change. ...read more

Almost half our species could be extinct in 50 years due to climate change, researchers predict Spring CNet Hundreds of Earth's creatures are at risk of extinction due to climate change : By 2070, we could lose almost half of all animal and plant species -- depending upon human response to the warming planet -- according to a new study from the University of Arizona. ...read more

Arizona researchers predict extinction explosion in bleak new study Spring Arizona Daily Star A cosmic collision with a rock more than 6 miles wide triggered Earth’s last mass extinction, wiping out the dinosaurs along with three quarters of all species that lived on the planet 66 million years ago. This time around, we are the meteor. Human-caused climate change could drive close to a third of all plant and animal species worldwide to extinction in the next 50 years, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Arizona. ...read more

Biodiversité : une espèce sur trois pourrait disparaître d’ici 2070 Spring Futura Planet Estimer le taux d’extinction des espèces dû au réchauffement climatique est un exercice délicat. Aujourd’hui, des chercheurs se sont attaqués au problème d’une manière inédite. Selon eux, même si l’accord de Paris était respecté, nous perdrions deux espèces animales et végétales sur dix. Dans un scénario moins optimiste, il faudrait dire adieu au tiers, voire à la moitié, de nos compagnons d’aventure sur cette Terre. ...read more

Climate change may eradicate ⅓ of animal and plant species in 50 years, study suggests Spring CBS News In 50 years, Billie Eilish will be turning 69 years old, technology will likely be unrecognizable, and the world may have lost ⅓ of all its plant and animal species. A new study has found that warming temperatures will likely cause hundreds of species to go extinct. Researchers at the University of Arizona analyzed 538 plant and animal species from around the world, 44% of which already faced local extinctions in at least one area in the world. What they discovered is that the areas that suffered from species extinctions had "larger and faster changes in hottest yearly temperatures than those without." ...read more

Climate Change May Force The Extinction Of One In Three Plant And Animal Species, Study Finds Spring IFL Science Researchers from the University of Arizona combed through previous data and studies to examine the local extinctions of 538 species from 581 different locations worldwide, focusing on plant and animal species that were surveyed over long periods of time. Specifically, the team was looking for clues that would help to illuminate what aspects of climate change cause extinctions and what adaptations help a species to survive. ...read more

COVID-19, Asteroid Dust and Crane Flies: UArizona's Top Stories of 2020 Fall University of Arizona News It was a year that changed everything. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Arizona responded swiftly to the challenges presented by an unprecedented public health crisis. The entire Wildcat community – from virologists to public health experts to psychologists and everyone in between – contributed their time, energy and expertise to help the university and the nation with life-saving safety efforts and long-term mitigation strategies. In between, the world watched as UArizona researchers "tagged" an asteroid, explored previously unanswered questions about the Maya civilization and, yes, figured out what's up with all those crane flies. ...read more

Earth Could Lose One Third Of Plants And Animals Within 50 Years, Study Says Spring International Business Times The researchers of a new study estimate that about a third of all animal and plant species could be lost to extinction by the year 2070, which is just 50 years from now. The extinctions are about two to four times more common in the tropics, where the majority of animal and plant species are. ...read more

Earth could lose third of all animal and plant species in our lifetimes, scientists warn Spring The New York Post Millions of Earth’s creatures are at risk of extinction by 2070 due to climate change, scientists have warned. A study found that a third of animal and plant species could be wiped from existence as temperatures soar across the globe. ...read more

Extinction risk from climate change Spring Wikipedia There are several plausible pathways that could lead to plant and animal species extinction from climate change. Every species has evolved to exist within a certain ecological niche, but climate change leads to changes of temperature and average weather patterns. These changes can push climatic conditions outside of the species' niche, and ultimately render it extinct. Normally, species faced with changing conditions can either adapt in place through microevolution or move to another habitat with suitable conditions. However, the speed of recent climate change is very fast. Due to this rapid change, for example cold-blooded animals (a category which includes amphibians, reptiles and all invertebrates) may struggle to find a suitable habitat within 50 km of their current location at the end of this century (for a mid-range scenario of future global warming). ...read more

Front line scientists call for mental health support in the wake of catastrophic ecosystem loss Spring Nature Index When ecologist Daniella Teixeira visited her bushfire-ravaged study site on Kangaroo Island, South Australia in February this year, the scale of the damage hit her hard. Teixeira, an ecologist at The University of Queensland, Australia, felt numb and deeply sad as she set foot among the blackened trees and melted nest boxes that were once home to the black glossy cockatoos she studied during her PhD. The fires had burnt through one-third of the island since they started in December 2019. ...read more

Last month was the hottest January in recorded history Spring AOL Last month was the hottest January in all the 141 years that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been keeping track. The global land and ocean surface temperature in January was 2.05 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average of 53.6 degrees, NOAA said. It surpassed the previous record, set in 2016, by 0.04 degrees. ...read more

One-third of all plant and animal species could be extinct in 50 years, study warns Spring USA Today One-third of all animal and plant species on the planet could face extinction by 2070 due to climate change, a new study warns. Researchers studied recent extinctions from climate change to estimate how many species would be lost over the next 50 years. Specifically, scientists from the University of Arizona studied data from 538 species at 581 sites around the world and focused on plant and animal species that were surveyed at the same sites over time, at least 10 years apart. ...read more

One-third of plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years Spring ScienceDaily Researchers studied recent extinctions from climate change to estimate the loss of plant and animal species by 2070. Their results suggest that as many as one in three species could face extinction unless warming is reduced. ...read more

One-third of plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years, study says Spring Phys A new study by University of Arizona researchers presents detailed estimates of global extinction from climate change by 2070. By combining information on recent extinctions from climate change, rates of species movement and different projections of future climate, they estimate that one in three species of plants and animals may face extinction. Their results are based on data from hundreds of plant and animal species surveyed around the globe. ...read more

Recent responses to climate change reveal the drivers of species extinction and survival. Spring Faculty Opinions Recommendation Responses to findings on climate change-extinction correlation. ...read more

Study: One-third of plant and animal species could be gone in 50 years Spring EurekAlert Accurately predicting biodiversity loss from climate change requires a detailed understanding of what aspects of climate change cause extinctions, and what mechanisms may allow species to survive. A new study by University of Arizona researchers presents detailed estimates of global extinction from climate change by 2070. By combining information on recent extinctions from climate change, rates of species movement and different projections of future climate, they estimate that one in three species of plants and animals may face extinction. Their results are based on data from hundreds of plant and animal species surveyed around the globe. ...read more

TOTAL WIPEOUT Earth could lose a THIRD of all animal and plant species in our lifetimes, scientists warn Spring The Irish Sun MILLIONS of Earth's creatures are at risk of extinction by 2070 due to climate change, scientists have warned. A study found that a third of animal and plant species could be wiped from existence as temperatures soar across the globe. Researchers at the University of Arizona examined 538 species at 581 sites worldwide. They focussed on creatures and plants found at the same sites over a ten-year period or more. More than four in ten of the species studied have already gone extinct at one or more sites. After combining this data with predictions of Earth's future climate, scientists made a grim discovery. ...read more

UA researchers warn of time frame for species extinctions Spring Arizona Public Radio Some researchers at the University of Arizona are warning a third of Earth's species are headed for extinction within 50 years. A study co-authored by UA ecology and evolutionary biologists John Wiens and Cristian Roman-Palacios estimates the rates of future extinctions from climate change data. They looked at local extinctions that have already happened based on repeated studies of plants and animals over time. ...read more

Un tercio de las especies de plantas y animales podrían desaparecer en 50 años Spring La Vanguardia Si no empezamos a tomar medidas para mitigar los efectos de la crisis climática el futuro que nos espera es devastador. Esto es lo que evidencia un nuevo estudio científico, liderado por investigadores de la Universidad de Arizona, donde se han estudiado extinciones recientes fruto del calentamiento global para estimar la pérdida de especies de plantas y animales en 2070. Los resultados del estudio, publicados en la revista PNAS, estima que una de cada tres especies de plantas y animales pueden enfrentar la extinción global para 2070. ...read more

Warming may drive one-third of plant, animal species to extinction by 2070 Spring Tribune India Climate change may cause one in three species of plants and animals worldwide to become extinct in the next 50 years, according to a study. The researchers from the University of Arizona in the US compiled detailed estimates of global extinction from climate change by 2070. ...read more

Climate change may doom 1 in 3 species of plants and animals in the next 50 years Spring CNN Using data from surveys that studied 538 animals, insects and plants from 581 sites across the globe, researchers John J. Wiens and Cristian Román-Palacios from the University of Arizona found that approximately one in three plant, insect and animal species could face extinction by 2070. However, things could be even worse if emissions continue to rise as rapidly as they have in recent decades. ...read more

Being an omnivore is actually quite odd Fall Futurity The researchers scoured the literature for data on the dietary habits of more than a million animal species, from sponges to insects and spiders to house cats. They classified a species as carnivorous if it feeds on other animals, fungi, or protists (single-celled eukaryotic organisms, many of which live on bacteria). The researchers classified species as herbivorous if they depend on land plants, algae, or cyanobacteria for food, and omnivorous if they eat a mixture of carnivorous and herbivorous diets. The scientists then mapped the vast dataset of animal species and their dietary preferences onto an evolutionary tree built from DNA-sequence data to untangle the evolutionary relationships between them. ...read more

Comment les régimes alimentaires ont-ils évolué au sein du règne animal ? Fall Trust My Science Dans ce qui est la première étude aussi complète à examiner l’évolution des préférences alimentaires dans le règne animal, des chercheurs de l’Université d’Arizona ont examiné plus d’un million d’espèces, remontant jusqu’à 800 millions d’années. L’équipe rapporte plusieurs découvertes inattendues, notamment que le premier animal était probablement un carnivore et que les humains, ainsi que d’autres omnivores, appartiennent à une espèce rare. ...read more

Ensimmäinen eläin oli luultavasti lihansyöjä Spring Helsingin Sanomat Valtaosa nykyisinkin elävistä eläinlajeista on lihansyöjiä. Monilla lihansyöjillä kaikki esivanhemmat eläinkunnan alkuun saakka ovat syöneet lihaa. ...read more

La inesperada dieta del primer animal del mundo Fall ABS.es El primer animal del mundo probablemente fue un carnívoro . Esta es una las sorprendentes conclusiones de un estudio sin parangón que profundiza en las preferencias dietéticas a través de todo el reino animal desde su aparición hace 800 millones de años. La investigación, publicada en la revista, revela también que hay muchos más aficionados a la carne de lo que los científicos creían y que la opción humana -comer de todo- es la más extraña. ...read more

The Paleozoic diet: Why animals eat what they eat Fall NCYT What an animal eats is a fundamental aspect of its biology, but surprisingly, the evolution of diet had not been studied across the animal kingdom until now. Scientists at the University of Arizona report several unexpected findings from taking a deep dive into the evolutionary history of more than one million animal species and going back 800 million years, when the first animals appeared on our planet. ...read more

The Paleozoic diet: Why animals eat what they eat Fall Phys In what is likely the first study to look at how dietary preferences evolved across the animal kingdom, UA researchers looked at more than a million species, going back 800 million years. The team reports several unexpected discoveries, including that the first animal likely was a carnivore and that humans, along with other omnivores, belong to a rare breed. ...read more

The Paleozoic diet: Why animals eat what they eat Fall Science Daily In what likely is the first study on the evolution of dietary preferences across the animal kingdom, researchers report several unexpected discoveries, including that the first animal likely was a carnivore and that humans, along with other omnivores, belong to a rare breed. ...read more

The Paleozoic Diet: Why Animals Eat What They Eat Fall University of Arizona News Cristian Román-Palacios, Joshua Scholl and John Wiens, all with the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the UA, scoured the literature for data on the dietary habits of more than a million animal species, from sponges to insects and spiders to housecats. A species was classified as carnivorous if it feeds on other animals, fungi or protists (single-celled eukaryotic organisms, many of which live on bacteria). Species were classified as herbivorous if they depend on land plants, algae or cyanobacteria for food, and omnivorous if they eat a mixture of carnivorous and herbivorous diets. ...read more

The world's first animal was probably a carnivore Fall Science The ancestor of all animals was most likely a carnivore, according to a new study that examines animal diets dating back 800 million years. The research also finds that there are many more meat eaters out there than scientists would expect. To analyze how diets evolved across the animal kingdom, John Wiens, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and his colleagues compiled a data set of more than 1000 extant species. These included vertebrates from humans to ducks and nearly 140 species of beetles, and encompassed detailed information about their eating habits. The researchers then created a phylogeny—a huge family tree—of all the creatures to determine what their ancestors likely ate. ...read more