Scott Travers

Scott Travers

Contributor|Science

I am an American evolutionary biologist, based at Rutgers University, where I specialize in biodiversity, evolution, and genomics. Drop me a note, here. Thanks for your readership and support.

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85 views23 hours ago

Meet 3 Hawaiian Honeycreepers That Might Go Extinct By 2032

Hawaiian honeycreepers once filled the islands' forests with color and song. Now, the song is fading and the colors are graying as more of these species approach an untimely end.

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57 viewsApr 16, 2025

Adélie Penguins Use Pebbles To Build Nests — But Many Would Rather Steal Than Search

Adélie penguins may look like a bunch of bumbling cartoon characters, but they live under rules stricter than a gated community with too much free time and a neighborhood watch on steroids.

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295 viewsApr 15, 2025

A Biologist Reveals 3 Species That Are Closer To Extinction Under The Trump Administration

Even as “de-extinction” takes the spotlight, several endangered species are left on the brink as new objectives take center stage under the Donald Trump administration.

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266 viewsApr 14, 2025

In 2018, Dickinsonia Was Classified As The Oldest Known Animal — A Biologist Explains

Here's why Dickinsonia challenges our previously held beliefs and changes how we view evolutionary history.

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18,703 viewsApr 13, 2025

Meet 4 Beautiful Birds That Will Never Been Seen Again In The United States, Described By A Biologist

The IUCN Red List, which assesses the extinction risk of species, lists over 100 bird species as extinct since 1500. Sadly, the true number is likely much larger. Here are four impressive bird species that have been lost to the world forever.

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109 viewsApr 13, 2025

Meet The 2 Closest Relatives Of The Dodo. Hint: One Is Extinct While The Other Lives On In Isolated Areas Of Asia And The Pacific

Flightless birds, like the dodo bird of the small Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, have had a rough go of it over the past several hundred years – with many species having gone extinct. Here’s the story of the dodo bird’s closest cousin, and why it met the same fate.

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4,096 viewsApr 12, 2025

Meet The American Version Of The Dodo Bird — A Flightless Bird That Sadly Went Extinct In 1844

The dodo is often viewed as the classic example of extinction and obsolescence. However, the truth is that countless species have met similar fates. Here’s one bird whose epoch ended much in the same way as the Dodo bird, but on the opposite side of the planet.

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43,967 viewsApr 12, 2025

Meet ‘Bear 122’ — The Indestructible Grizzly Who Survived A Train Collision And Killed His Rivals

Tracked by scientists, feared by rivals and undeterred by trains, Bear 122 may be Banff’s most legendary survivor. Here is his story.

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236 viewsApr 11, 2025

This ‘Frog From Hell’ Had The Bite Of A Wolf And Likely Ate Dinosaurs — A Biologist Explains

Before frogs were cute, Beelzebufo ampinga lurked in Madagascar’s shadows with a skull built for bone-crunching — and possibly dinosaur-snacking.

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7,914 viewsApr 10, 2025

Siberia’s ‘Gateway To Hell’ Is A Peek Into The Distant Past — And A Warning For Our Immediate Future

What began as a Soviet-era scar in the forest is now a kilometer-wide reminder that permafrost isn’t permanent. Here’s everything you need to know.