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The Horseshoe crab outlived the dinosaurs but is no match for medicine’s hunger for its blood

Few people in the world are aware their wellbeing may one day depend on a blue-blooded crab that looks like a cross between the facehugger from Alien and a gigantic louse. Fewer still realise this ancient creature now faces its greatest threat in more than 450m years.

The American horseshoe crab outlived the dinosaurs and has survived four previous mass extinctions, but is now menaced by the pharmaceutical industry, fishing communities, habitat loss, climate change and, most recently, choking tides of red algae off the east coast of the United States.

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Introducing the Guardian’s new series The Age of Extinction, the renowned primatologist describes the dramatic vanishing of wildlife she has witnessed in her lifetime – and how we can all play a vital role in halting its destruction

During my years studying chimpanzees in Gombe national park in Tanzania I experienced the magic of the rainforest. I learned how all life is interconnected, how each species, no matter how insignificant it may seem, has a role to play in the rich tapestry of life – known today as biodiversity. Even the loss of one thread can have a ripple effect and result in major damage to the whole.

I left Gombe in 1986 when I realised how fast chimpanzee habitat was being destroyed and how their numbers were declining. I visited six chimpanzee range states and learned a great deal about the rate of deforestation as a result of foreign corporations (timber, oil and mining) and population growth in communities in and around chimpanzee habitat, so that more land was needed for expanding villages, agriculture and grazing livestock.

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The world has two years to secure a deal for nature to halt a ‘silent killer’ as dangerous as climate change, says biodiversity chief

The world must thrash out a new deal for nature in the next two years or humanity could be the first species to document our own extinction, warns the United Nation’s biodiversity chief.

Ahead of a key international conference to discuss the collapse of ecosystems, Cristiana Pașca Palmer said people in all countries need to put pressure on their governments to draw up ambitious global targets by 2020 to protect the insects, birds, plants and mammals that are vital for global food production, clean water and carbon sequestration.

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Burden of enforcement will hit poorer nations already struggling to cope, say conservationists

China’s decision to loosen a 25-year ban on the trade of tiger bones and rhino horn will put pressure on poor foreign nations as well as endangered global wildlife, according to experts on the illegal trade in animals.

Government officials in Beijing say the introduction of quotas for these body parts to be used in traditional Chinese medicine will allow them to manage legal demand, but conservationists say the move will cause more conflict in African and Asian countries that are trying to limit the illegal supply.

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The animal in western India is said to have killed 13 people and evaded capture for two years.

His business card says 'desert walker' and he's not afraid of death.

By use of ionic liquids, Douglas MacFarlane and his team have developed a super-efficient way of producing ammonia using renewable energy. Ammonia is used for production of fertiliser, and as a medium for transporting hydrogen.

The plastic replaces bitumen and promises to be the start of a new channel for the use of soft plastic which currently is either stockpiled or buried.

The surprisingly simple science behind the clever chemistry that helps your night go off with a bang.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

The Dec-18 EUA contract on ICE shot up by nearly €2 on Friday to climb back above €17, leaving behind the previous day's four-month low to finish the week down 6.6%.

Following numerous unsuccessful attempts to put a price on Washington state's GHG emissions, a broad coalition of stakeholders is again rallying voters to overcome industry lobbying and make the state the first in the US to introduce a carbon tax.

A sewing group helps bridge the generation gap one stitch at a time; Warwick's rubbish rambler helps keep Australia clean; and Cobdogla embraces Halloween.

Exclusive: slimmed-down Carmichael plan calls into question eligibility to delay royalties payment

The Adani mining company has still not signed a royalties agreement with the Queensland government, despite its claims to be just weeks away from green-lighting the Carmichael mine.

This week, Adani’s Australian mining head, Lucas Dow, gave a series of interviews claiming the company was close to financing a slimmed-down, $2bn integrated Carmichael mine, rail and port proposal.

Analysts say the strategy is to get the mine into production while spending as little upfront cash as possible. Guardian Australia understands it relies heavily on vendor financing agreements, in which payments to contractors and suppliers are effectively withheld for several years.

Adani now insists it can start Carmichael for a fraction of the investment previously required. But Queensland government sources say the slimmed-down plan calls into question Adani’s eligibility to delay payment of royalties.

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Nasa releases a video describing the perilous landing its InSight Mars probe will face later this month.

A Bengal tiger, oystercatchers and a new species of butterfly are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world

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The 3.1 million EU Allowances being auctioned by Latvia on Nov. 16 originate from its 2011 legal victory against the European Commission over its Phase 2 allocation, Carbon Pulse has learned.

As Palau bans sunscreen to protect coral reefs, we look at other products causing environmental damage.

European industry hands over a key piece of hardware for America's next-generation astronaut capsule.

Plans to speed up the planning process to boost fracking are not going down well with some Tory MPs.