There has been a flurry of wildlife news headlines recently, from the dental history of blue whales to the flower preferences of bumble bees. Here's a round-up of the top stories:

• Blue Whale Ancestor Was No Gentle Giant (Scientific American) — A 25 million-year-old fossil unearthed in Australia thought to be the ancestor of today's blue whale turns out to have a sharp set of teeth.
• Rays of Hope in the Philippines (WWF) — Nine manta rays were spotted in Basura, a diving site off the coast of the Philippines where the rays have been absent for over 20 years.
• Aussie Battler Contends with Drought and Fires (BirdLife International) — A rare Australian bird, the Mallee Emuwren (Stipiturus mallee), is under threat from the regions forest fires.
• State Creates Marine Haven (Los Angeles Times) — Fishing is now banned or heavily restricted along 18% of California's coast after the state established a set of marine reserves.
• Bumble Bees Like it Hot (CNN) — Scientists have found that bumble bees prefer warm nectar and select flowers by color, based on which is likely to contain nectar of a higher temperature.
• Saving Sumatra's Wild Orangutans (NPR)— August 7, 2006. Habitat loss is driving orangutans to the brink of extinction but one conservation group is trying to save the species by reintroducing orangs to protected forests.

Find out more: Wildlife News Archive 2006

Photo © Laura Klappenbach