THE AMERICA ONE NEWS
Jun 5, 2025  |  
0
 | Remer,MN
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge.
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge and Reasoning Support for Fantasy Sports and Betting Enthusiasts.
back  
topic
The Economist
The Economist
23 Mar 2025


NextImg:How bush pigs saved Madagascar’s baobabs
Science & technology | Long-standing mystery

How bush pigs saved Madagascar’s baobabs

Non-native species are not always harmful

THE MALAGASY baobab tree, whose thick trunks and tiny branches dot Madagascar’s landscape, should not, by rights, have survived to the present day. Scientists believe that its large seeds were once dispersed by the giant tortoises and gorilla-size giant lemurs that roamed the island. When these species went extinct over one thousand years ago owing to human activity, the baobab tree should have vanished too. It did not. Seheno Andriantsaralaza at the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar and Onja Razafindratsima at the University of California, Berkeley, now think they may know the reason why.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “In hog heaven”

Illustration of a vape cigarette turned into a regular cigarette at the bottom. The vape has a stub.

How harmful are electronic cigarettes?

The risks of vaping may be worth the benefits

Grey seals play underwater

Why don’t seals drown?

They can time their dives to match their blood oxygen


Illustration of a person holding their with the side effects of 5G displayed on the screen.

Rumours on social media could cause sick people to feel worse

They are powerful triggers of an inverse placebo effect


Can people be persuaded not to believe disinformation?

AI chatbots and critical thinking courses might help

Do viruses trigger Alzheimer’s?

A growing group of scientists think so, and are asking whether antivirals could treat the disease

What is the best way to keep your teeth healthy?

Tooth-brushing reigns supreme. But fluoride in tap water is a good safety net