Animals

Animals

Cold War nuclear test residue offers a clue to whale sharks’ ages

One unexpected legacy of the Cold War: Chemical traces of atomic bomb tests are helping scientists figure out whale shark ages.

Animals

Seabirds may find food at sea by flying in a massive, kilometers-wide arc

Radar shows that seabird groups can fly together in giant “rake” formations. If they are cooperating to find food, it’s on a scale not yet seen in the birds.

Animals

Hitchhiking oxpeckers warn endangered rhinos when people are nearby

Red-billed oxpeckers do more than just eat parasites from rhinos’ backs. The birds can alert the hunted mammals to potential danger, a study finds.

Life

The Great Barrier Reef is suffering its most widespread bleaching ever recorded

Major bleaching events are recurring with increasing frequency on the Great Barrier Reef, hindering its recovery.

Animals

A cat appears to have caught the coronavirus, but it’s complicated

While a cat in Belgium seems to be the first feline infected with SARS-CoV-2, it’s still unclear how susceptible pets are to the disease.

Animals

Parasitic worm populations are skyrocketing in some fish species used in sushi

Fishes worldwide harbor 283 times the number of Anisakis worms as fishes in the 1970s. Whether that’s a sign of environmental decline or recovery is unclear.

Health & Medicine

There’s no evidence the coronavirus jumped from pangolins to people

Pangolins captured in anti-smuggling activities in southern China were found to harbor viruses related to the new coronavirus.

Genetics

Squid edit their genetic material in a uniquely weird place

Some squids’ seeming ability to edit RNA on the fly could help scientists develop a technique much like the DNA-editing tool CRISPR, but for RNA.

Life

This is the first deep-sea fish known to be a mouthbreeder

Scientists found over 500 eggs attached to the inside of a parazen fish’s mouth.

Animals

Sea turtles may confuse the smell of ocean plastic with food

Sea turtles respond to the smell of plastic that’s been in the ocean similarly to food, suggesting the reptiles may end up eating the harmful debris.

Animals

Bright yellow spots help some orb weaver spiders lure their next meal

Experiments with cardboard arachnids suggest that orb weaver spiders have evolved yellow colorations on their undersides to attract bees and moths.

Animals

Glowing frogs and salamanders may be surprisingly common

A widespread ability to glow in striking greens, yellows and oranges could make amphibians easier to track down in the wild.