What are the odds that elephants will become extinct in the next 30 years? [more inside]
posted by Joe Beese on Sep 11, 2009 - 5 answers

Help me settle a bet about the total number of identified bacteria and viruses. [more inside]
posted by greytape on Sep 22, 2008 - 8 answers

Curiosity-filter: Why can't we drink primate milk? [more inside]
posted by Ugh on Sep 17, 2008 - 10 answers

Anyone follow environmental issues or general politics in the US Southwest (AZ, NM, UT, CO)? [more inside]
posted by salvia on Mar 1, 2008 - 9 answers

What are some things that humans do, that no other animal species does? [more inside]
posted by Solomon on Jan 27, 2008 - 90 answers

I once read a claim that the Chinese government had funded "research" whose aim was to prove that Han Chinese are a different species to other humans. It was a physical book, not online. What might it have been? And incidentally, is the claim true?
posted by hoverboards don't work on water on May 18, 2007 - 14 answers

Is there a species (mammal, reptile, amphibian, etc.) that has two functioning sexual organs? [more inside]
posted by goalyeehah on Dec 24, 2006 - 19 answers

Books about people and animals -- the less cheesy the better -- any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by salvia on Sep 22, 2006 - 43 answers

extinction tracker? ... is anyone tracking the daily list of vanishing species from this planet? like some sort of online resource of known exctinctions as they happen?
posted by specialk420 on Jun 18, 2006 - 9 answers

What are the most important animals for your region of the country? [more inside]
posted by salvia on May 1, 2006 - 27 answers

Who was the person who famously intended to eat one of every animal? [more inside]
posted by scodger on Jan 31, 2006 - 6 answers

Assume you had a list of different animal species, and you wanted to order it from most intelligent species to least. (1) What measure of intelligence would you use to compare different species--average number of neurons, for example, or ability to solve certain kinds of tests? Or something else entirely? (2) Can you give some examples of how some common farm, food, or pet animals might rank on the list? [more inside]
posted by yankeefog on Jan 25, 2006 - 17 answers

How do species come to have different numbers of chromosomes? [more inside]
posted by luftmensch on Jan 20, 2006 - 14 answers

I am trying to identify a bird by its call. [more inside]
posted by jimfl on Jul 3, 2005 - 3 answers

I'm would like to help support vanishing wildlife and ecosystems - I am already a sierra club and NRDC member, but I would like to do some more localized giving perhaps to the gorilla fund, or jane goodall ... [more inside]
posted by specialk420 on Jun 9, 2005 - 6 answers

Is there a limit to scientific advancement? If there is only a certain number of elements to the universe, will there reach a technology plateau? [more inside]
posted by the fire you left me on Jul 17, 2004 - 24 answers

It's easy to tell when a species has gone extinct. How do you tell when a new species has evolved? Are there any criteria besides not being able to mate with the former species?
posted by ph00dz on Mar 2, 2004 - 24 answers

Can fish interbreed like dogs? My SO and I have been talking about dogs lately so the mixed-breed thing has been a regular topic of conversation. Last night we were at a Thai restaurant with a large fish tank and some gigantic fish. Too big for the tank, in my opinion. And that got me to wondering....can different kinds of fish, genetically speaking, be bred with each other? Even if they wouldn't do it on their own (mating rituals, etc.), could they do it with a scientists help?
posted by jaded on Feb 24, 2004 - 8 answers