All Stories by Susan Milius
- Math
Chicks do arithmetic
Using the natural inclination of young chickens to cluster in large groups, researchers show that the birds are hatched with a numerical sense.
- Life
Wild herring prove fast organizers
Recent technology helps researchers find out how a bunch of fish turn into a shoal.
- Animals
It’s not just his croak
Male tree frogs with redder vocal sacs prove more popular with females, even at night.
- Ecosystems
Too much intermingling puts native trout in trouble
Even a small amount of hybridizing may cause problems for the native westslope cutthroat trout.
- Animals
Public tantrums defeat monkey moms too
Rhesus macaque moms are more likely to give in to screaming babies when bystanders are watching and reacting
- Ecosystems
Fish shrinkage reversible, but better hurry
In an experiment, scientists show that, although it takes generations, fish can rebound from evolutionary pressures created by selective harvesting, which has pushed some populations to become small and slow-growing.
- Animals
Climate change discourages second families
Birds out of sync with local baby food supply of caterpillars aren’t nesting a second time.
- Plants
Animals’ jaundice pigment found in plants
Bilirubin, a compound well known in animals, gives seed fuzz its intense orange.
- Ecosystems
Marine census: Surprising number of creatures bipolar
Census of Marine Life offers a preview of massive international census gives fuller count, shows some sea species at both poles.
- Climate
Winter birds shift north
More than 170 common North American species are wintering farther north than they did in the past.
- Life
Caterpillar noise tricks ants into service
Sneaky interlopers mimic the “voice” of an ant queen to get royal treatment from the colony. (Audio included.)
- Life
Nemo could get lost again as seawater approaches acidity
Reef fish raised at a seawater pH expected for the year 2100 don't smell their way around normally.
