New! Sign up for our email newsletter on Substack.

Ancient Poems Reveal Dramatic Decline of China’s “Smiling” River Porpoise

Poetry from China’s imperial dynasties has unveiled the stark reality of habitat loss for the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise, according to new research published Monday in Current Biology. Scientists analyzed 724 ancient poems mentioning the iconic “smiling” porpoise, documenting a 65% range contraction over the past 1,400 years – with most of this decline … Read more

The post Ancient Poems Reveal Dramatic Decline of China’s “Smiling” River Porpoise appeared first on SciChi.


Quick Note Before You Read On.

ScienceBlog.com has no paywalls, no sponsored content, and no agenda beyond getting the science right. Every story here is written to inform, not to impress an advertiser or push a point of view.

Good science journalism takes time — reading the papers, checking the claims, finding researchers who can put findings in context. We do that work because we think it matters.

If you find this site useful, consider supporting it with a donation. Even a few dollars a month helps keep the coverage independent and free for everyone.