2,477 results
- Life
In the real world, cheetahs rarely go all out
Famous for speed, the big cats actually rely on acceleration and maneuverability to capture prey.
- Animals
Pandas enjoy the sweet life
Unlike many of their carnivore relatives, bamboo-loving pandas can taste natural, and some artificial, sugars.
- Genetics
Neandertal legacy written in Europeans’ fat metabolism
DNA inherited from Neandertal interbreeding may have helped people adjust to Europe’s environment.
- Animals
Animals were the original twerkers
From black widow spiders to birds and bees, shaking that booty goes way back.
- Ecosystems
Cities are brimming with wildlife worth studying
Urban ecologists are getting a handle on the varieties of wildlife — including fungi, ants, bats and coyotes — that share sidewalks, parks and alleyways with a city’s human residents.
- Ecosystems
Noise made by humans can be bad news for animals
Animals live in a world of sounds. Clever experiments are finally teasing out how human-made noise can cause dangerous distractions.
- Animals
A gory 12 days of Christmas
Insects and spiders are among the biggest gift-givers, often as part of mating, and anything from cyanide to a wad of saliva can be a present.
- Neuroscience
Like people, dogs have brain areas that respond to voices
MRI study may help explain how pups understand human communication.
- Archaeology
Animal mummies were a message direct to the gods
A new theory about the purpose of animals mummified by ancient Egyptians proposes that the cats, ibises and other dead critters were more than just simple sacrifices.
- Animals
A parasitic cuckoo can be a good thing
Great spotted cuckoo chicks show that brood parasites may benefit their hosts.
- Climate
How species will, or won’t, manage in a warming world
Fast evolution and flexibility, in biology and behavior, may allow some species to adapt to a warming world. Others may need help from humans, or risk dying out.
- Animals
Dog-paddle science debunks notion of underwater trot
From Newfoundlands to Yorkshire terriers, canines swim with similar, distinctive gait.
