Animals
- Life
City dolphins get a boost from better protection and cleaner waters
Bottlenose dolphins near Adelaide, Australia, are slowly growing in number due to better environmental conditions and better protection.
- Genetics
Gene gives mice and chipmunks their pinstripes
A recycled regulator paints on rodents’ light stripes.
- Paleontology
Early birds could achieve liftoff
Early birds and other flying dinosaurs had the strong legs and wing speed needed to launch into the air directly from the ground, researchers argue.
- Genetics
Ancient hookups gave chimps a smidge of bonobo DNA
Genetic evidence suggests bonobos and chimpanzees interbred after becoming separate species.
- Climate
Climate change shifts how long ants hang on to coveted real estate
Simulated climate warming reveals a new pattern in turnover of ant nests.
- Animals
With climate change, grizzly bears may hibernate less
New research shows that food availability and weather are driving when grizzly bears enter and exit their dens for hibernation.
- Animals
Maps show genetic diversity in mammals, amphibians around the world
Maps of genetic diversity within mammal and amphibian species provide a baseline for understanding the effects of human activity and climate change on animals.
- Archaeology
Wild monkeys throw curve at stone-tool making’s origins
Monkeys that make sharp-edged stones raise questions about evolution of stone tool production.
- Animals
Melatonin makes midshipman fish sing
Melatonin lets people sleep but starts male midshipman fish melodiously humming their hearts out.
- Animals
Berries may give yellow woodpeckers a red dye job
A diet of invasive honeysuckle berries may be behind stray red feathers in woodpeckers called yellow-shafted flickers.
- Animals
Be careful what you say around jumping spiders
Sensitive leg hairs may let jumping spiders hear sounds through the air at much greater distances than researchers imagined.
- Animals
Hot and spicy pain signals get blocked in naked mole-rats
Naked mole-rats have a protein that interrupts pain signal.
