Animals
-
AnimalsDog-paddle science debunks notion of underwater trot
From Newfoundlands to Yorkshire terriers, canines swim with similar, distinctive gait.
By Susan Milius -
ArchaeologyAnimal mummies were a message direct to the gods
A new theory about the purpose of animals mummified by ancient Egyptians proposes that the cats, ibises and other dead critters were more than just simple sacrifices.
-
AnimalsFlightless birds face extinction
New Zealand’s flightless birds have limped through the last few decades, but conservation efforts have had some success.
-
AnimalsSmoker’s breath saves caterpillars’ lives
Larvae of the tobacco hornworm caterpillar exhale nicotine, driving away predatory spiders.
By Susan Milius -
PlantsKleptoplast
A cellular part such as a light-harvesting chloroplast that an organism takes from algae it has eaten.
-
-
AnimalsYear in Review: Odd cicada history emerges
Brood II returns better understood.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsYear in Review: Canine genealogy
Competing clues confuse the story of dog domestication.
By Meghan Rosen -
AnimalsA year of rediscovered species
Thousands of species go extinct each year, but at least a few are found after many years of being lost.
-
AnimalsAfrican frog conceals itself with chemicals
Two small peptides keep the West African savanna frog from being stung by ants.
-
AnimalsPenguin huddles move like traffic jams
When one emperor penguin takes a step, he sets off a wave of movement.
-
AnimalsNew species of tapir found in the Amazon
A sixth species of the large, snouted mammal was hiding in plain sight, well known by indigenous people.