Animals
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LifeFecal architecture is beetle armor
Predators have a hard time getting through the layers of excrement some beetle moms give their young.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsClassic view of leaf-cutter ants overlooked nitrogen-fixing partner
A fresh look at a fungus-insect partnership that biologists have studied for more than a century uncovers a role for bacteria.
By Susan Milius -
LifeKiller bees aren’t so smart
Brains are probably not what powers the invasive bee’s takeover from European honeybees
By Susan Milius -
Health & MedicineGenome 10K: A new ark
Featured blog: Researchers are working to catalog the DNA sequences of just about every vertebrate genus.
By Janet Raloff -
AnimalsTextbook case of color-changing spider reopened
Female crab spiders switch colors to match flowers but may not fool their prey
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsScent of alarm identifies male bed bugs
When mistaken for females, the guys release an alarming pheromone.
By Susan Milius -
LifeSpiders love sweet smell of blood perfume
For on spider species, feeding on blood-gorged mosquitoes adds charm to a mate
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsAncient giant beavers did not chow on trees
The now-extinct animals had a hippo-like diet
By Sid Perkins -
LifeFossil find sparks debate on primate origins
A 37-million-year-old jaw suggests the famous fossil Darwinius does not, as had been suggested, fill a gap in human evolution.
By Bruce Bower -
AnimalsJunk food turns rats into addicts
Bacon, cheesecake and Ho Hos elicit addictive behavior in rats similar to the behavior of rats addicted to heroin.
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Health & MedicinePigs use mirrors
After some time to play around with a mirror, pigs figure out what to do when they glimpse a reflection of food.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsSpider men weave silken tapestry
It took herculean effort, but Madagascar crafters created an extraordinary piece of woven art from spider silk.
By Janet Raloff