Animals
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Materials ScienceShark jelly is strong proton conductor
A jelly found in sharks and skates, which helps them sense electric fields, is a strong proton conductor.
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AnimalsTwo newly identified dinosaurs donned weird horns
Two newly discovered relatives of Triceratops had unusual head adornments — even for horned dinosaurs.
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Quantum PhysicsQuantum fragility may help birds navigate
Birds’ internal compasses may rely on the delicate nature of the quantum world.
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LifeCities create accidental experiments in plant, animal evolution
To look for evolution in human-scale time, pick a city and watch a lizard. Or some clover.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsReptile scales share evolutionary origin with hair, feathers
Hair, scales and feathers arose from same ancestral appendage.
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AnimalsInsect debris fashion goes back to the Cretaceous
Ancient insects covered themselves in dirt and vegetation just as modern ones do, fossils preserved in amber suggest.
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AnimalsBacteria make male lacewings disappear
Scientists have tracked down why some green lacewings in Japan produce only female offspring: Bacteria kill off all the males early in life.
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AnimalsBaby birds’ brains selectively respond to dads’ songs
The neurons of young male birds are more active when listening to songs sung by dad than by strangers, a new study finds.
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Health & MedicineIn malaria battle, indoor bug spraying has unintended consequence
Years of spraying indoors may inadvertently have push malaria-spreading mosquitoes to venture outdoors for a bite.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsThree-toed sloths are even more slothful than two-toed sloths
The three-toed sloth Bradypus variegatus has the lowest field metabolic rate ever recorded, a new study finds.
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AnimalsThat ‘Dory’ for sale may have been poisoned with cyanide
Preliminary results from a new study show that over half of aquarium fish sold in the United States may have been caught with cyanide.
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SpaceReaders weigh in on ET and the meaning of life
Reader feedback from the June 25, 2016, issue of Science News