Decades ago, India’s tigers were on the brink of extinction. Slowly, their numbers have rebounded. But that ecological success has prompted a dire problem—and a race to save many of them from genetic ...

Charles II of Spain became infamous as Europe’s most inbred king. Centuries of royal intermarriage left him with the Habsburg jaw, severe health issues, and infertility that ended his dynasty. This ...

The Habsburg Empire, a dynasty spanning nearly 600 years, wielded vast influence over central and Eastern Europe. Unlike other monarchies, the Habsburgs were a family lineage rather than a single ...

Scientists have proven inbreeding brought about severe facial deformations and collapsed of one of Europe’s most powerful historical dynasties. The University of Santiago de Compostela researchers ...

The meager dating pool available to Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake poses this problem for Michigan's only species of venomous snake: inbreeding. New research led by a former Michigan State University ...

Michigan’s only species of venomous snake is in trouble. Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus catenatus) are becoming more isolated because of habitat fragmentation in the state, which is ...

Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes are found in the wetlands of Michigan and other Midwestern states. “These are fairly large and stable populations of Eastern Massasaugas,” study co-author and Michigan ...

Habitat loss is putting the timid wetland reptiles in a genetic bind. By Laura Baisas Published Aug 18, 2025 3:00 PM EDT Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 ...

Charles II was the final monarch of Spain from the House of Habsburg, often viewed as a tragic symbol of the nation's decline and as a striking example of the harmful effects of dynastic inbreeding.

In the first 100 days of the Trump administration, Americans find themselves asking some absurd questions: Are we going to war with Canada? (No.) Can the president wipe trillions from the stock market ...