Animals

  1. Earth

    Monster stingrays: Field notes from a global wrangler

    A megafish biologist shares what he's learning about a rare freshwater species.

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  2. Life

    Climate change shrinks sheep

    Milder winters help small, weak lambs survive but more competition for food slows growth.

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  3. Animals

    Bat face shapes sound

    An oversized appendage in Bourret’s horseshoe bats may aid in long-distance signals.

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  4. Life

    Beetle philandering doesn’t work out for the ladies

    A common idea about the benefits of multiple matings for females turns out to be wrong for seed beetles.

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  5. Life

    Mosquito fish count comrades to stay alive

    New experiments indicate that mosquito fish can count small numbers of companions swimming in different groups, an ability that apparently evolved to assist these fish in avoiding predators.

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  6. Ecosystems

    From sea to squid, thanks to slime

    Scientists have revealed new details about the genes — and the goo — that enable luminescent bacteria to colonize their symbiotic marine partner.

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  7. Life

    Tickling apes reveals laughter’s origins

    Roots of laughter go back at least 10 to 16 million years, study of romping apes suggests.

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  8. Life

    Phony fighters discovered among fig wasps

    A newly discovered species of fig wasp has a fraction of dishonest guys with big mouthparts.

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  9. Animals

    Extensive toolkits give chimps a taste of honey

    Chimps living in central Africa’s dense forests make and use complex sets of tools to gather honey from beehives, further narrowing the gap between the way humans and chimps use tools.

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  10. Animals

    For some birds, chancy climates mean better singers

    In the mockingbird family, the most accomplished musical species tend to live in treacherous climates.

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  11. Life

    Almost complete primate fossil described

    Ida provides details about life in the Eocene.

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  12. Animals

    Controversial polar bear rule stands

    Creature’s plight remains separate from decisions on greenhouse gas emissions.

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