Animals

Animals

Komodo dragon teeth get their strength from an iron coat

Studying the reptile’s ironclad teeth in more detail could help solve a dinosaur dental mystery.

Health & Medicine

Bird flu has been invading the brains of mammals. Here’s why

Although H5N1 and its relatives can cause mild disease in some animals, these viruses are more likely to infect brain tissue than other types of flu.

Genetics

Freeze-drying turned a woolly mammoth’s DNA into 3-D ‘chromoglass’

A new technique for probing the 3-D structure of ancient DNA may help scientists learn how extinct animals functioned, not just what they looked like.

Animals

Tiny saunas help frogs fight off chytrid fungus

Balmy shelters could bolster resistance to the deadly fungus in amphibian populations, but experts caution they won’t work for all susceptible species.

Health & Medicine

Bird flu viruses may infect mammary glands more commonly than thought

H5N1 turning up in cow milk was a big hint. The virus circulating in U.S. cows can infect the mammary glands of mice and ferrets, too.

Paleontology

The last woolly mammoths offer new clues to why the species went extinct

The last population of woolly mammoths did not go extinct 4,000 years ago from inbreeding, a new analysis shows.

Animals

Beneficial bacteria help these marine worms survive extreme cold

Three species of marine worms living in Antarctic waters have beneficial relationships with bacteria that produce antifreeze proteins.

Animals

Can leeches leap? New video may help answer that debate

For some, it’s the stuff of nightmares. But a grad student’s serendipitous cell phone video might resolve a long-running debate over leech acrobatics.

Animals

‘Cull of the Wild’ questions sacrificing wildlife in the name of conservation

In his new book, ecologist Hugh Warwick seeks middle ground in the waging battle that is wildlife management.

Anthropology

Fossil finds amplify Europe’s status as a hotbed of great ape evolution

A kneecap and two teeth belonged to the smallest known great ape, a study contends. If so, it’s the first to coexist with another great ape in Europe.

Genetics

Horses may have been domesticated twice. Only one attempt stuck

Genetic evidence suggests that the ancestors of domestic horses were bred for mobility about 4,200 years ago.

Health & Medicine

Bird flu can infect cats. What does that mean for their people?

Pet owners can take precautions to avoid H5N1, such as keeping cats indoors and making sure they don’t eat raw meat or milk.