Animals

Animals

Dolphins name themselves with a whistle

The marine mammals respond only to their own handles.

Animals

Fattened livers prep white sharks for extreme migrations

The organ's reserves enable a long journey from waters off California to Hawaii and back, tracking data suggest.

Animals

Sponges boom thanks to Antarctic ice shelf bust

Previously thought to grow at a slow pace, the sea creatures exploded in number.

Animals

Hawkmoths squeak their genitals at threatening bats

Sounds of an approaching predator inspire ultrasonic rasping in insect prey.

Animals

Highlights from the Evolution 2013 meeting

Selections from the meeting include a natural fish experiment, terrapins' light displays and why a variety of eye colors persist in people, presented June 21-25 in Snowbird, Utah.

Animals

Gut microbes may put barrier between species

Wiping out gut bacteria in wasps saves crossbred offspring from death, suggesting that microbes may play a role in speciation.

Animals

Honeybees use right antennae to tell friend from foe

Asymmetry in sense of smell alters insects' behavior in lab tests.

Animals

Cicadas’ odd life cycle poses evolutionary conundrums

Scientists are getting an idea about the odd family tree of periodical cicadas, how the insects synchronize their life cycles and why they breed side-by-side with others unsuitable for mating.

Animals

Lemurs’ group size predicts social intelligence

Primates that live with many others know not to steal food when someone is watching.

Animals

Elephant diets changed millions of years before their teeth

The animals fed on grasses long before their molars could grind the tough plants.

Animals

In dark fishing spiders, males’ postmating nap is permanent

Species prepares for two pairings but goes into a fatal coma after a single encounter.

Animals

Oysters may struggle to build shells as carbon dioxide rises

Ocean acidification could hamper larvae's growth.