Animals
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AnimalsHow black soldier fly larvae can demolish a pizza so fast
When gorging together, fly larvae create a living fountain that whooshes slowpokes up and away.
By Susan Milius -
GeneticsDNA from extinct red wolves lives on in some mysterious Texas coyotes
Mystery canids on Texas’ Galveston Island carry red wolf DNA, thought to be extinct in the wild for 40 years.
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AnimalsGiant pandas may have only recently switched to eating mostly bamboo
Giant pandas may have switched to an exclusive bamboo diet some 5,000 years ago, not 2 million years ago as previously thought.
By Jeremy Rehm -
AnimalsScientists name 66 species as potential biodiversity threats to EU
North America’s fox squirrel, the venomous striped eel catfish and 64 other species are now considered invasive in the European Union.
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Health & MedicineReaders have questions about Parkinson’s disease, moth wings and more
Readers had questions about Parkinson’s disease, the new definition of a kilogram’s mass, Saturn’s moon Dione and more.
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AnthropologyDogs may have helped ancient Middle Easterners hunt small game
Jordanian finds point to pooch-aided hunting of small prey around 11,500 years ago, offering new clues into dog domestication in the Middle East.
By Bruce Bower -
AnimalsMale birds’ sexy songs may not advertise their brains after all
A biologist backs off an idea he studied for years that the mastery of birdsong is a sign of bird smarts.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsYoung emperor penguins brave icy, winter waters in their first year
Young emperor penguins learn survival skills on their own, including how to navigate Antarctica’s icy winter ocean.
By Jeremy Rehm -
GeneticsA CRISPR gene drive for mice is one step closer to reality
Researchers have made progress toward creating a gene drive for mice in the lab. Such genetic cut-and-paste machines have yet to be made for mammals.
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AnimalsCryptic remains of tiny animals have turned up in an Antarctic lake
Researchers were surprised to find vestiges of what appear to be tiny animals in mud from Antarctica’s ice-covered Lake Mercer.
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AnimalsThis honeybee parasite may be more of a fat stealer than a bloodsucker
Inventing decoy bee larvae prompts a back-to-basics rethink of a mite ominously named Varroa destructor.
By Susan Milius -
AnimalsThis rediscovered Bolivian frog species survived deadly chytrid fungus
Scientists recently rediscovered a frog species in Bolivia that hasn’t been seen in 10 years — and it could be used to better understand a frog-killing fungus.
By Jeremy Rehm