Jonathan Lambert

Staff Writer, Biological Sciences, 2019-2021

Jonathan Lambert was a staff writer covering biological sciences at Science News from 2019 to 2021. He earned a master’s degree from Cornell University studying how a bizarre day-long mating ritual helped accelerate speciation in a group of Hawaiian crickets. A summer at the Dallas Morning News as a AAAS Mass Media fellow sparked a pivot from biologist to science journalist. He previously wrote for Quanta Magazine, NPR, and Nature News.

All Stories by Jonathan Lambert

  1. Ecosystems

    Wild donkeys and horses engineer water holes that help other species

    Dozens of animals and even some plants in the American Southwest take advantage of water-filled holes dug by these nonnative equids.

  2. Life

    Only 3 percent of Earth’s land hasn’t been marred by humans

    A sweeping survey of terrestrial ecosystems finds that vanishingly little land houses all the animals it used to. Species reintroductions could help.

  3. Life

    These are the 5 costliest invasive species, causing billions in damages

    Invasive species have cost the global economy at least $1 trillion since 1970 and $162.7 billion in 2017 alone. The annual cost is increasing.

  4. Life

    A plant gene may have helped whiteflies become a major pest

    An agricultural pest may owe part of its success to a plant detox gene it acquired long ago that lets the insect neutralize common defenses.

  5. Health & Medicine

    The latest Ebola outbreak may have started with someone infected years ago

    Rather than stemming from a virus that jumped from an animal to a person, this outbreak might have originated from someone who had a dormant virus.

  6. Animals

    Cone snail venom may trick mate-seeking worms into becoming meals

    Cone snail venom contains worm pheromone mimics, suggesting the chemicals may be used to lure worms during hunting.

  7. Health & Medicine

    The COVID-19 pandemic is now a year old. What have scientists learned?

    As we enter the pandemic’s second year, researchers share what they’ve learned and what they look forward to.

  8. Animals

    Female green tree frogs have noise-canceling lungs that help them hear mates

    When inflated, female green tree frog lungs resonate in a way that reduces sensitivity to the sounds of other species.

  9. 50 years ago, U.S. commercial whaling was coming to an end

    Commercial whaling has brought many whale species to the brink of extinction. But after bans, some show signs of recovery.

  10. Health & Medicine

    Global inequity in COVID-19 vaccination is more than a moral problem

    Wealthy countries are vaccinating at much higher rates than low-income countries. Such inequities could ultimately prolong the pandemic for all.

  11. Health & Medicine

    The U.K. approved the world’s first COVID-19 human challenge trial

    Dozens of young, healthy volunteers will be deliberately exposed to the coronavirus to find out how much virus it takes to get someone sick.

  12. Life

    Meatier meals and more playtime might reduce cats’ toll on wildlife

    Outdoor cats kill billions of birds and mammals each year. Simply satisfying their need to hunt or supplementing their diets could lessen that impact.