Animals
- Life
A deadly fungus is infecting snake species seemingly at random
A fungal disease doesn’t appear to discriminate among snake species, suggesting many of the reptiles may be at risk.
- Animals
Specialized protein helps these ground squirrels resist the cold
A less active cold-sensing protein explains, in part, why some hibernating ground squirrels are more tolerant of chilly conditions than the animals’ nonhibernating kin.
- Animals
In marine mammals’ battle of the sexes, vaginal folds can make the difference
Patricia Brennan and colleagues found certain female ocean mammals have vaginal folds that give them an advantage in mating
- Neuroscience
In a tally of nerve cells in the outer wrinkles of the brain, a dog wins
Among some carnivores, golden retrievers rate at the top for numbers of nerve cells, study finds.
- Science & Society
These are the most-read Science News stories of 2017
From Cassini and eclipses to ladybugs and dolphins, Science News online readers had a wide variety of favorite stories on our website.
- Animals
Ticks had a taste for dinosaur blood
A tick found trapped in amber is evidence the bloodsuckers preyed on feathered dinosaurs, a new study says.
- Animals
Once settled, immigrants play important guard roles in mongoose packs
Dwarf mongoose packs ultimately benefit from taking in immigrants, but there’s an assimilation period.
- Animals
This ancient marsupial lion had an early version of ‘bolt-cutter’ teeth
Extinct dog-sized predator crunched with unusual slicers toward the back of its jaw.
- Animals
Narwhals react to certain dangers in a really strange way
After escaping a net, narwhals significantly lower their heart rate while diving quickly to get away from humans.
- Artificial Intelligence
AI eavesdrops on dolphins and discovers six unknown click types
An algorithm uncovered the new types of echolocation sounds among millions of underwater recordings from the Gulf of Mexico.
- Paleontology
This new dinosaur species was one odd duck
Weird dino swimmer had flipperlike limbs and a swanlike neck.
- Animals
Scallops’ amazing eyes use millions of tiny, square crystals to see
Each of a scallop’s many eyes contains an intricate mirror made from millions of crystals.
