A new study argues that the greatest defining feature of our species is not 'symbolism' or dramatic cognitive change but rather its unique ecological position as a global 'generalist specialist'. The ...

The relationship between lineage formation and variation in the ecological niche is a fundamental evolutionary question. Two prevailing hypotheses reflect this relationship: niche conservatism and ...

Vol. 39, No. 12, Special Issue: The Ecological Niche as a Window to Biodiversity (December 2012), pp. 2112-2118 (7 pages) In a discussion it is often easier to staunchly reject or offer resolute ...

Buckeye (Aesculus californica), gray pine (Pinus sabiniana) and blue oak (Quercus douglasii) are tree species that thrive in rugged local foothill woodland and chaparral habitat. In the last two ...

A land animals' ecological niche is a strong predictor of pupil shape, a new analysis has found. Species with pupils that are vertical slits are more likely to be ambush predators that are active both ...

Berkeley -- While the eyes may be a window into one's soul, new research led by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that the pupils could also reveal whether one is a hunter ...