Animals
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AnimalsFlightless birds face extinction
New Zealand’s flightless birds have limped through the last few decades, but conservation efforts have had some success.
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AnimalsSmoker’s breath saves caterpillars’ lives
Larvae of the tobacco hornworm caterpillar exhale nicotine, driving away predatory spiders.
By Susan Milius -
PlantsKleptoplast
A cellular part such as a light-harvesting chloroplast that an organism takes from algae it has eaten.
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AnimalsYear in Review: Odd cicada history emerges
Brood II returns better understood.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsYear in Review: Canine genealogy
Competing clues confuse the story of dog domestication.
By Meghan Rosen -
AnimalsA year of rediscovered species
Thousands of species go extinct each year, but at least a few are found after many years of being lost.
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AnimalsAfrican frog conceals itself with chemicals
Two small peptides keep the West African savanna frog from being stung by ants.
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AnimalsPenguin huddles move like traffic jams
When one emperor penguin takes a step, he sets off a wave of movement.
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AnimalsNew species of tapir found in the Amazon
A sixth species of the large, snouted mammal was hiding in plain sight, well known by indigenous people.
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AnimalsSnake and lizard ancestor may have birthed live young
Over millions of years, reptiles may have switched back and forth between laying eggs and giving birth to live babies.
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AnimalsChina trumps Near East for signs of most ancient farm cats
Earliest evidence found for grain as a force in feline domestication.
By Susan Milius