Animals

Animals

Genetics might save the rare, elusive saola — if it’s not already extinct

A new genetic study could help saolas survive by enabling better searches through environmental DNA. But some experts fear they may be extinct already.

Animals

Bedbugs may have been one of the first urban pests

Common bedbugs experienced a dramatic jump in population size about 13,000 years ago, around the time humans congregated in the first cities.

Life

The first cicada concert was 47 million years ago

A 47-million-year-old cicada fossil from Germany’s Messel Pit could teach us about the evolution of insect communication.

Climate

Penguin poop gives Antarctic cloud formation a boost

Penguin poop provides ammonia for cloud formation in coastal Antarctica, potentially helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the region.

Animals

Juvenile capuchins are kidnapping infants of another monkey species

Over 15 months on Jicarón Island, researchers saw five capuchin juveniles abduct 11 endangered howler monkey infants — all for no clear purpose.

Animals

A ‘talking’ ape’s death signals the end of an era

Kanzi showed apes have the capacity for language, but in recent years scientists have questioned the ethics of ape experiments.

Science & Society

Some science seems silly, but it’s still worthwhile

The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog contends that curiosity-driven research helps us understand the world and could lead to unexpected benefits.

Genetics

What gene makes orange cats orange? Scientists figured it out

Researchers found the gene and genetic variation behind orange fur in most domestic cats, solving a decades-long mystery.

Paleontology

This exquisite Archaeopteryx fossil reveals how flight took off in birds

Analyses unveiled never-before-seen feathers and bones from the first known bird, strengthening the case that Archaeopteryx could fly.

Animals

Wild chimpanzees give first aid to each other

A study in Uganda shows how often chimps use medicinal plants and other forms of health care — and what that says about the roots of human medicine.

Animals

This tool-wielding assassin turns its prey’s defenses into a trap

This assassin bug's ability to use a tool — bees’ resin — could shed light on how the ability evolved in other animals.

Animals

Chimp chatter is a lot more like human language than previously thought

Chimpanzees combine hoots, calls and grunts to convey far more concepts than with single sounds alone. It may be a first among nonhuman animals.