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A female Anopheles quadrimaculatus mosquito takes a blood meal from a host. For millennia, this mosquito has spread malaria. Researchers now think that these mosquitoes — and the disease they carry — played a critical role in determining where ancient humans settled and whether they thrived or failed to thrive.

How mosquitoes — and malaria — helped shape the whereabouts of early humankind

A new study looks at an unexpected force that played a critical role in shaping the lives of ancient humans.

FILE- In the Aug. 9, 2017 file photo, the East Branch of the Penobscot River flows over Pond Pitch in the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, in northern Maine. The 87,500-acre property in Maine consists of mountains, streams and ponds next to Baxter State Park, home of Mount Katahdin, the state's tallest mountain. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is reiterating his support for a "made in Maine" solution that keeps intact the boundaries of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

Group calls for tripling protected wildland in New England by 2060

More than 80% of New England is forested, but only about 4% of that forest is fully protected from development.

Rules Force Washington To Cut Emissions More Than Other States

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced strict new carbon emissions regulations. Washington state has the largest reduction target — about 72 percent overall.

Colorado Becomes First State To Restrict Methane Emissions

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas from oil and gas production. The rules require companies to find and repair equipment leaks. The rules also will reduce air pollution that contributes to smog.

Smoke rises from the Bogus Creek Fire, one of two fires burning in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Alaska.

Wildfires In Canada And Alaska Drive Thousands From Homes

Thousands of fires are burning in the continent's northwest, sending smoke as far as Tennessee. Some blame a brewing El Niño for the unprecedented start to the season; others point to climate change.

A fully loaded container ship sails along the coast. Historically, ships have taken most of the sea measurements that go into the estimate of Earth's average surface temperature.

Scientists Cast Doubt On An Apparent 'Hiatus' In Global Warming

Though past measurements have suggested global warming all but stopped in the late 1990s, newly refined figures show Earth's warming has continued unabated.

Obama To Wield Executive Power To Limit Carbon Emissions

President Obama plans to announce Monday his most ambitious plan yet to combat climate change. NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Princeton professor Michael Oppenheimer about the significance of the plan.

Soybean plants grow in a field near Tiskilwa, Ill.

An Airbnb For Farmland Hits A Snag, As Farmers Raise Data Privacy Concerns

The Internet startup Tillable wants to match farmers with farmland available for rent. The problem? Farmers already on that land fear their farm data is being used against them.

When It Comes To Recent Powerful Storms, Hurricane Dorian Is 1 Of Many

An increase in hurricane intensity over the years has been linked to climate change. For more how on intense storms like those, Ailsa Change talks to by meteorologist Jeff Berardelli.

A New South Wales Rural Fire Service large air tanker drops fire retardant on the Morton Fire burning in bushland close to homes at Penrose, south of Sydney, on Friday.

Enormous 'Megafire' In Australia Engulfs 1.5 Million Acres

Two fires have merged into a single blaze more than three times as big as California's largest-ever known fire. A quarter of a million people have been urged to evacuate towns south of Sydney.

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