Animals
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Animals
Flowers make the menu for nearly all Galapagos birds
Almost every species of Galapagos land bird has been found feeding on the nectar and pollen of flowers. Such an expansion of diet has never before been observed.
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Animals
Hummingbird may get promoted
Not just a subspecies: A flashy, squeaky hummingbird should become its own species, ornithologists argue.
By Susan Milius -
Ecosystems
When animals invade human spaces
‘Feral Cities’ explores the wildlife living amongst us, sometimes noticed and sometimes not.
By Nathan Seppa -
Animals
Lemurs expected to lose much of their ranges this century
As the climate warms, Madagascar’s little primates will lose habitat, threatening some with extinction.
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Animals
How a young praying mantis makes a precision leap
Videos of juvenile praying mantises flying through the air reveal how the insects manage to always make a perfect landing.
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Animals
Killer whales follow postmenopausal leaders
Taking the lead on salmon hunts may be postmenopausal killer whales’ way of sharing their ecological knowledge.
By Susan Milius -
Animals
Insects may undermine trees’ ability to store carbon
Insects eat more leaves on trees grown in carbon dioxide-rich environments than those grown without the extra CO2. That may undermine forests as carbon sinks in the future.
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Animals
How pigeons bob and weave through obstacles
When navigating an obstacle course, pigeons weigh energy efficiency against the danger of collision, research finds.
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Plants
Tropical plant knows whose bill is in its flowers
A rainforest plant avoids inbreeding by accepting pollen only from hummingbird species that must travel to reach it.
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Animals
Delicate spider takes down tough prey by attacking weak spots
The Loxosceles gaucho recluse spider can take down a heavily armored harvestman by attacking its weak spots, a new study reveals.
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Life
Sexual conflict in mosquitoes may have worsened spread of malaria
Sexual conflict in Anopheles mosquitoes may have intensified their power to fuel human malaria.
By Susan Milius