SMALL BUT DEADLY The potent toxin epibatidine was first discovered in 1974, when it was isolated from the skin of the phantasmal poison frog, Epipedobates anthonyi (one shown).
R. Tarvin/University of Texas at Austin
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Magazine
In the Sept. 30 SN: Smog's health woes, secrets of the bat brain, slug slime inspires surgical glue, wild beer, Neandertal tar recipes, the sun's recent flare-ups and more.
Life & Evolution
Topic Image Rail
PROTEIN BOOST Hadrosaurs like Gryposaurus monumentensis (illustrated) may have supplemented their veggie diets with meaty treats, roughly 75-million-year-old fossilized poop reveals.
© Victor O. Leshyk
UNDERWATER MOBILE HOME A newly discovered hermit crab species is the first known to use mobile corals as a covering, rather than scavenged shells.
M. Igawa
Life & Evolution
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Animals
News
This newfound hermit crab finds shelter in corals, not shells
A newly discovered hermit crab takes its cue from peanut worms and uses walking corals as a permanent shelter.Feature
Bat brain signals illuminate navigation in the dark
New lab technologies that let bats fly freely allow scientists to track nerve cell signals as the animals dodge and weave. -
Plants
News in Brief
A new portrait of the world’s first flower is unveiled
A reconstruction of the first flowers suggests the ancient blooms were bisexual.News
Borrowed genes give mums the blues
Scientists have genetically modified chrysanthemums to be “true blue” for the first time. -
Microbes
News
Now we know how much glacial melting ‘watermelon snow’ can cause
Algae that give snow a red tint are making glacial snow in Alaska melt faster.News
Microbes survived inside giant cave crystals for up to 50,000 years
Microbes trapped in crystals in Mexico's Naica mine may represent some of the most distinct life-forms found in Earth so far. -
Fungi
Science TickerHow a mushroom gets its glow
For the first time, biologists have pinpointed the compound that lights up in fungal bioluminescence.News in Brief
How a mushroom gets its glow
For the first time, biologists have pinpointed the compound that lights up in fungal bioluminescence. -
Conservation
News
Light pollution can foil plant-insect hookups, and not just at night
Upsetting nocturnal pollinators has daylight after-effects for Swiss meadow flowers.Wild ThingsA message to rock climbers: Be kind to nature
Scientists are only just starting to figure out the impacts that the sport of rock climbing is having on cliff ecosystems. -
Evolution
News
How horses lost their toes
Fossils reveal that as horses evolved to have fewer toes, they also got stronger and faster.Reviews & Previews
‘Darwin’s Backyard’ chronicles naturalist’s homespun experiments
In the new book Darwin’s Backyard, a biologist explores Charles Darwin’s family life, as well as four decades’ worth of his at-home experiments. -
Ecology
Science Stats
Earth’s dry zones support a surprising number of trees
A Google Earth-based estimate of dryland forests adds serious leafage to Earth’s total tree count.Mystery Solved
Hawk moths convert nectar into antioxidants
Hawk moths use their sugary diet to make antioxidants that protect their muscles. -
Paleontology
News
Shhhh! Some plant-eating dinos snacked on crunchy critters
Scientists studying dinosaur poop found that some duck-billed dinos cheated on their vegetarian diets by snacking on crustaceans.News
Like sea stars, ancient echinoderms nibbled with tiny tube feet
An ancient echinoderm fossil preserves evidence of tube feet like those found on today’s sea stars. -
Biophysics
Teaser
Ladybugs fold their wings like origami masters
Ladybug wings could lead to new foldable technologies.News
How a flamingo balances on one leg
Flamingos’ built-in tricks for balance might have a thing or two to teach standing robots or prosthesis makers someday.
