Animals
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AnimalsThis tiny, blue octopus is new to science
The deep-sea octopus is fully mature despite fitting in a palm, a trait researchers think may help it reproduce faster than larger relatives.
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AnimalsBumblebees can solve problems on their own
With no training, bumblebees can work out how to use a ball like a ladder to feed on sugar from an out-of-reach flower.
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AnimalsA secret to making a queen bee may lie in the wax around it
Queen-cell wax helps shape honeybee queen development, challenging the idea that royal jelly alone makes a queen, a new study suggests.
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AnimalsHoming pigeons may use a surprising navigation mechanism
How animals navigate by Earth's magnetic field is hotly debated. New research in pigeons points to iron-laden liver immune cells as the compass.
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AnimalsEven careful scuba divers can damage coral reefs
Hours of diving videos and hundreds of survey responses reveal the common diver mistakes that can cause irreversible reef damage.
By Jake Buehler -
AnimalsSeabirds weren’t fooled by a scarecrow-like buoy with rotating eyes
A tall buoy with a rotating pair of eyes was supposed to scare birds away from caught fish. Like scarecrows, it didn't work for long.
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AnimalsAI-powered whale-spotting tech may help save San Francisco Bay’s gray whales
An AI trained to use thermal images to detect whale body heat could help warn ships at risk of colliding with the marine mammals.
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AnimalsMeet ‘Snuffleupagus,’ a newfound fish sporting shaggy camouflage
Found near Australia, Solenostomus snuffleupagus is a shaggy swimmer that closely resembles Mr. Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street.
By Jake Buehler - Animals
Crabs’ sideways walk may have evolved just once
A study of 50 crab species in Japan traces the iconic sideways walk to a single ancestor, suggesting the trait drove the group's remarkable diversity.
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AnimalsFemale rats like a different kind of tickling than males
Female rats prefer gentler tickling, a finding that could reshape animal happiness research.
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Health & MedicineHantavirus questions grow in the wake of a cruise ship outbreak
Scientists still don’t know why Andes hantavirus is the only one shown to spread from person to person.
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AnimalsTerritorial conflict may explain male primates’ large size
Male primates may be larger than females partly because of pressure from rival groups, not just competition with males inside their own group.
By Jake Buehler