News
Wednesday 1st July 2009
To mark the day in 1858 when Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection was first presented to his fellow scientists, the ARKive team is pleased to unveil amazing new online material celebrating the eminent naturalist’s legacy. This new ARKive content has been supported by the British Council’s ‘Darwin Now’ project, commemorating the bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s birth and 150 years since the publication of ‘On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection’. The Darwin Now project brings together an exciting series of global events and initiatives that aim to explore Darwin’s ideas about evolution and their lasting impact in today’s world. At ARKive, we now have 200 ‘Darwin’ species profiles that pay tribute to Darwin’s famous voyage aboard the Beagle. Below is a small selection of some of the animals and plants he encountered:
San Cristobal mockingbird (Mimus melanotis)
One of the first animals Darwin encountered when he arrived in the Galapagos in 1835 was the San Cristobal mockingbird. His subsequent discovery of two more species of mockingbird, each occupying a different island and differing subtly in appearance, provided tinder for his incendiary theory of Natural Selection.
Common cactus-finch (Geospiza scandens)
One of the most well known of Darwin's finches, and one that the famed naturalist initially mistook for a kind of blackbird, is the common cactus-finch. Its long, pointed beak enables it to exploit food sources less accessible to the other finches.
Falkland Island wolf (Dusicyon australis)
When Charles Darwin first encountered the Falkland Island wolf in 1833, he noted that its population was already in decline, and predicted that, with the arrival of permanent settlers, its extinction would be assured. Sadly, his prediction proved to be accurate, as within the space of just 50 years this remarkable species had entirely disappeared.
Long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus)
In the words of Darwin, who dragged a fleeing specimen from its refuge, the long-nosed potoroo “is an animal, as big as a rabbit, but with the figure of a kangaroo”. Indeed, this compact Australian marsupial belongs to a family sometimes referred to as the rat-kangaroos.
Visit MyARKive to view a selection of images and videos in the Darwin 200 scrapbook, or follow this link to see ARKive's Darwin species profiles
Further information
To find out more about the British Council's Darwin Now project:
- Darwin Now: www.britishcouncil.org/darwin-homepage.htm
Tuesday 3rd November 2009
2009 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - Extinction crisis continues
Monday 19th October 2009
ARKive dives deeper for digital imagery
Monday 5th October 2009
ARKive working with STERNA to create access to European digital collections
Friday 16th September 2009
ARKive's UAE Wildlife Photography Competition - Winner Announced
Friday 4th September 2009
BBC's Last Chance to See
Wednesday 19th August 2009
Giant carnivorous plant discovered in Philippines
Wednesday 1st July 2009
Celebrating Darwin
Friday 26th June 2009
World's smallest cetacean on the brink
Wednesday 17th June 2009
New havens for the Hawaiian monk seal
Monday 8th June 2009
World Oceans Day 2009
Wednesday 3rd June 2009
Research reveals jaguar secrets
Thursday 21st May 2009
Komodo dragon found to be venomous
Friday 15th May 2009
The United States celebrates Endangered Species Day
Thursday 14th May 2009
More birds threatened with extinction than ever before
Friday 8th May 2009
Released pygmy hogs alive and well
Wednesday 29nd April 2009
Shark finning crackdown
Wednesday 22nd April 2009
World celebrates Earth Day 2009
Wednesday 15th April 2009
Intrepid scientists discover new orang-utan population on Borneo
Wednesday 1st April 2009
Rapid response helps the sociable lapwing
Friday 27th March 2009
ARKive works with WWF to promote Earth Hour
Friday 20th March 2009
Deadly fungus strikes mountain chicken
Wednesday 11th March 2009
Explore ARKive's threatened marine species using Google Earth
Monday 23rd February 2009
Good news for Critically Endangered parrot
Monday 2nd February 2009
Find ARKive's threatened marine species using Google Earth
Thursday 29th January 2009
Mysterious penguin decline
Friday 16th January 2009
An important message from the DNA of an extinct marsupial
Wednesday 7th January 2009
Wildscreen chairman receives OBE
Monday 15th December 2008
Albatross under threat from predatory mice
Monday 8th December 2008
Conservationists battle to save the gharial from extinction
Tuesday 18th November 2008
ARKive Photographers Feature at UK’s Largest Natural History Photography Symposium
Monday 6th October 2008
2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
Wednesday 3rd September 2008
International partnership takes Wildscreen's work to the United Arab Emirates
Wednesday 27th August 2008
Newly discovered monkey clings to survival
Wednesday 13th August 2008
A whale of a recovery
Friday 8th August 2008
China under the spotlight
Thursday 31st July 2008
New light shed on the ocean depths
Wednesday 23rd July 2008
Half of Philippine fauna nearly extinct
Wednesday 16th July 2008
One third of reef-building corals face extinction
Thursday 10th July 2008
New Natural Wonders added to the World Heritage List
Thursday 3rd July 2008
Rare white-tailed eagle spotted in Northern Ireland
Monday 23rd June 2008
National Insect Week
Friday 13th June 2008
Fishermen help protect Indian Ocean albatrosses
Tuesday 3rd June 2008
The return of Cambodia's wildlife
Thursday 22nd May 2008
International day for biological diversity
Wednesday 14th May 2008
Koalas at risk from climate change
Thursday 1st May 2008
Time is running out for Asian vultures
Tuesday 22nd April 2008
Migrating birds in decline
Friday 11th April 2008
Wildscreen's Patron Sir David Attenborough launches ARKive layer on Google Earth
Tuesday 25th March 2008
WWF reports that Australian wildlife is under pressure
Wednesday 12th March 2008
Tiger numbers 'halve in 25 years'
Tuesday 26th February 2008
South Africa lifts the ban on culling elephants
Latest news
3rd November 2009: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - Extinction crisis continuesMore
What's new in ARKive
Under the Sea
Since the megamouth shark's discovery, only 17 sightings have been recorded of this elusive fish.More
ARKive principal sponsor
© Wildscreen 2003-2009. By using this website you agree to the Terms of Use
