All Stories
- Paleontology
Young pterosaurs probably died in violent Jurassic storms
Two hatchling pterosaurs with fractured arm bones point to ancient storms as the cause of mass casualties preserved in Germany’s Solnhofen Limestone.
- Astronomy
Astronomers detect the brightest ever fast radio burst
The fast radio burst came from 130 million light-years away. That proximity allowed an in-depth search for what produced the mysterious signal.
- Animals
Tiny thumbnails may be key for rodents’ global takeover
Thumbnails might have boosted rodents’ food-handling skills, helping them thrive worldwide.
- Life
A sixth mass extinction? Not so fast, some scientists say
A new analysis suggests that recent extinctions have been rare, limited mostly to islands and slowing. But others argue this is all just semantics.
- Animals
Here’s how fruit flies’ giant sperm squeeze into tight spaces
Researchers found that fruit fly sperm push against one another and align in orderly bundles, preventing knots that could block reproduction.
- Archaeology
Venice’s iconic winged lion statue originated in ancient China
European artisans turned a Tang Dynasty tomb guardian sculpture into a symbol of medieval Venetian statehood, researchers say.
- Microbes
Antarctic lake microbes have flexible survival strategies
Life teems under the Antarctic ice sheet. In subglacial Lake Mercer, it is surprisingly versatile and isolated from the rest of the world.
- Animals
This lizard can tolerate extreme levels of lead
Cuban brown anoles have the highest blood lead levels of any vertebrate known — three times that of the previous record holder, the Nile crocodile.
- Planetary Science
A Mars rock analysis tool proved its mettle on a chance find from Arizona
On Mars, the Perseverance rover found a spotted rock that could bear signs of ancient life. On Earth, a researcher used a lookalike for a dry run.
- Health & Medicine
A cold today helps keep the COVID away
A recent cold appears to be a defense against COVID-19 and a partial explanation for kids’ tendency toward milder coronavirus infections.
- Health & Medicine
A bioengineered protein may someday treat carbon monoxide poisoning
Mice treated with the protein, which is found in bacteria, quickly eliminated carbon monoxide from their body in their pee.
- Astronomy
A newborn planet munches on gas and dust surrounding its host star
In a first, astronomers imaged a baby planet within a gap in the disk of material around a star, confirming predictions about how rings form.
