Life sciences writer Susan Milius has been writing about botany, zoology and ecology for Science News since the last millennium. She worked at diverse publications before breaking into science writing and editing. After stints on the staffs of The Scientist, Science, International Wildlife and United Press International, she joined Science News. Three of Susan's articles have been selected to appear in editions of The Best American Science Writing.
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All Stories by Susan Milius
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EcosystemsBeetle attack overturns forest carbon regime
Ravaged Canadian region switches from carbon sink to net carbon source.
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ClimateResearchers rethink fate of celebrity plankton
A poster-species for the hazards of greenhouse gas accumulation thrives in carbon dioxide-rich waters.
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AnimalsFirst Frog without Lungs
An aquatic frog in fast-flowing water in Borneo turns out to be the first frog species with no lungs.
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AnimalsRobin stole credit for Batman’s deeds
Bats turn out to be overlooked but significant eaters of insects, pests and other arthropods on shade-grown coffee farms and in tropical forests.
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Out of Thin Air
Biologists dream of the day when they could engineer crops to make fertilizer out of the nitrogen in the air.
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AnimalsNight Flights: Migrating moths may use a nighttime compass
Silver Y moths choose to fly when wind blows in the same direction that they migrate, and they may even compensate when the wind pushes them off-course.
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High CO2—a gourmet boon for crop pest
Relatively high concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide weaken soybean defenses against Japanese beetles.
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AnimalsFarm girl has the chops
The first big family tree presenting the history of fungus-growing ants shows the leaf-cutters as the newest branch, and a very recent one at that.
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AnimalsFinch Concerts: Female bird brain notes male attention
Male zebra finches sing slightly differently when serenading a female as opposed to twittering to themselves, and females react to those differences.
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New drugs tackle difficult nematodes
Researchers have discovered what could be a new class of drugs for treating animals afflicted with nematodes.
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AnimalsGator Aids: Gators squish lungs around to dive and roll
Alligator researchers say they have discovered a new role for lungs as maneuvering aids under water.
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PlantsCity life changes style of weed seeds
City living pushes for rapid evolution in the seed strategy of a little yellow flower along French sidewalks.