Animals
- Paleontology
Ancient sea creature took to land and sea
A primitive relative of the ichthyosaur had strong bones and big flippers.
- Animals
‘Animal Weapons’ examines evolution of natural armor
Biological arms races have led to the evolution of horns, tusks and other extreme armament in the natural world.
- Animals
Hermit thrushes, humans share some musical basics
The melodious birds share a humanlike bias for notes mathematically related by simple integers.
- Animals
Dog disease threatens Siberian tigers
Canine distemper virus poses a particular danger to small groups of the big cats.
- Life
Hummingbirds take stab at rivals with dagger-tipped bills
Sharp points on the bills of male long-billed hermit hummingbirds may have evolved as weaponry.
- Animals
Remote-controlled rover doesn’t spook penguins
Remote-controlled rovers get close to skittish penguins without bothering them; a chick disguise wins over the wariest birds.
- Climate
Melting ice forces walrus detour
Warming temperatures and shrinking summer ice cover have forced the animals to seek solid ground during feeding season.
- Paleontology
Some trilobites sported dual digestive tracts
CT scans reveal trilobites with two-lane digestive tracts.
- Life
Close look at new fungus reveals origins, spread of salamander killer
A second chytrid fungus described last year targets salamanders and may be spreading in the animal export trade.
- Animals
Ten real-life Halloween horrors in the natural world
Vampires and witches are nothing compared to mind-controlling parasites, nose ticks and antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
- Earth
Early animals couldn’t catch a breath
Low levels of oxygen may have hindered evolution of animal life hundreds of millions of years ago.
- Animals
Birds large and small hop over obstacles in similar ways
Bipedal birds, from tiny quail to huge ostriches, tackled a step in a similar way, minimizing energy cost and maximizing safety.
