Surprise, Surprise

Species form faster in the Tropics, right? That's why there's so much biodiversity there. Wrong! A new study in Science shows that species actually form and die out fastest at the poles.

And, while we're at it, here's another surprise from the science news: The Amazon rainforest is actually greener in the dry season. Weird, eh? Stranger still, it seems the forest 'manufactures' the wet season by pumping moisture into the air. From the NASA news release:

The researchers report that the rain forests sprout new leaves in anticipation of the coming dry season. The greener forests capture more sunlight, absorb more carbon dioxide and evaporate more water during the dry season compared to the wet season, according to scientists. By gradually humidifying the atmosphere, the forests play an integral role in the onset of the wet season, scientists observed.