Animals

  1. Animals

    Sponge Moms: Dolphins learn tool use from their mothers

    Dolphins that carry sponges on their beaks while looking for food may have learned the trick from their mothers instead of just inheriting a sponge-use gene.

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  2. Animals

    Comeback Bird

    Looking for a long-lost woodpecker had its special challenges, including anticipating what would happen if the hunt actually succeeded.

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  3. Animals

    Anemone Wars: Clone armies deploy scouts, attack tidally

    The first description of clashing armies of sea anemones has revealed unsuspected military tactics.

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  4. Animals

    New Mammals: Coincidence, shopping yield two species

    Researchers have identified a new species of monkey in Africa and a rodent in Asia that belongs to a new family among mammals.

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  5. Animals

    Built for Blurs: Jellyfish have great eyes that can’t focus

    Eight of a box jellyfish's eyes have superb lenses, but their structure prevents them from focusing sharply.

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  6. Animals

    Alive and Knocking: Glimpses of an ivory-billed legend

    New observations confirm that the famed ivory-billed woodpecker has not gone extinct after all.

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  7. Animals

    Funny Walks: Cranes bob, bob, bob along when hunting

    The jerky neck motions of a whooping crane may help it spot food by keeping its head motionless about half the time.

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  8. Animals

    Fish Din: Reef clamor attracts young fish settlers

    When looking for a home, young fish seem to prefer a reef that's alive with the sounds of shrimp and fish rather than a quieter environment.

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  9. Animals

    DNA tells pigs’ tale of diverse ancestry

    A genetic study indicates that pigs were domesticated in at least seven different parts of Asia and Europe, not in just two regions, as many researchers had assumed.

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  10. Animals

    Why a turkey helps a pal find a mate

    A new study shows how the classic idea of kin selection could explain why male turkeys cruise in pairs, even though only one of them will win a mate.

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  11. Animals

    Big Mimics: African elephants can learn to copy sounds

    Two captive African elephants—one rumbling like a truck and the other chirping like a different elephant species—show they may be the first land mammals other than primates to learn vocal imitations.

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  12. Animals

    Ant larvae sway to say, ‘Feed me!’

    The most detailed study yet of body language of ant larvae translates a swaying motion as begging for food and a chance at a better future.

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