Susan Milius

Susan Milius

Life Sciences Writer

Life sciences writer Susan Milius has been writing about botany, zoology and ecology for Science News since the last millennium. She worked at diverse publications before breaking into science writing and editing. After stints on the staffs of The Scientist, Science, International Wildlife and United Press International, she joined Science News. Three of Susan's articles have been selected to appear in editions of The Best American Science Writing.

All Stories by Susan Milius

  1. Animals

    Deepwater dweller is first known warm-hearted fish

    The opah, a deep-diving fish, can keep much of its body warmer than its surroundings, making it similar to warm-blooded birds and mammals.

  2. Animals

    Nighttime light pollution sabotages sex pheromones of moths

    Artificial lighting at night can trick female moths into releasing skimpy, odd-smelling sex pheromones.

  3. Animals

    Pruning bug genitals revives puzzle of extra-long males

    Surgical approach highlights question of length mismatch in his and hers morphologies.

  4. Microbes

    Possible nearest living relatives to complex life found in seafloor mud

    New phylum of sea-bottom archaea microbes could be closest living relatives yet found to the eukaryote domain of complex life that includes people.

  5. Plants

    How slow plants make ridiculous seeds

    Coco de mer palms scrimp, save and take not quite forever creating the world’s largest seeds.

  6. Animals

    Bees may like neonicotinoids, but some may be harmed

    Two high-profile tests raise worries that bees can’t avoid neonicotinoid pesticides and that wild species are at special risk.

  7. Animals

    Finland’s brown bears on surprise fast track to recover diversity

    Brown bears in southern Finland show surprisingly fast improvements in genetic diversity and connections with other bears.

  8. Animals

    When mom serves herself as dinner

    For this spider, extreme motherhood ends with a fatal family feast.

  9. Animals

    Whether froglets switch sexes distinguishes ‘sex races’

    Rana temporaria froglets start all female in one region of Europe; in another region, new froglets of the same species have gonads of either sex.

  10. Plants

    Bits of bacterial DNA naturally lurk inside sweet potatoes

    Samples of cultivated sweet potatoes worldwide carry DNA from Agrobacterium cousin of bacterium used for GMOs.

  11. Animals

    Gazing deeply into your dog’s eyes unleashes chemical attraction

    Dogs and people gazing into each other’s eyes give each other a bond-strengthening rush of oxytocin.

  12. Animals

    Shimmer and shine may help prey sabotage predators’ aim

    Iridescent prey was more difficult to strike in a video game for birds.