Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Ecosystems
Invasive species are a growing global threat
'The Aliens Among Us' describes how invasive species are colonizing — and disrupting — ecosystems worldwide.
- Animals
Here’s why some water striders have fans on their legs
A fan of tiny, elegant plumes on their legs helps certain water striders dash across flowing water without getting wet.
- Animals
Alligators eat sharks — and a whole lot more
Alligators aren’t just freshwater creatures. They swim to salty waters and back, munching on plenty of foods along the way.
- Animals
Leafhoppers use tiny light-absorbing balls to conceal their eggs
Leafhoppers produce microscopic balls that absorb light rather than reflect it and help camouflage the insects’ eggs.
- Paleontology
What male bias in the mammoth fossil record says about the animal’s social groups
Male woolly mammoths were more often caught in natural traps that preserved their remains, DNA evidence suggests.
- Animals
No more than 800 orangutans from this newly identified species remain
Endangered population of orangutans is the oldest surviving red ape lineage, a new study finds.
- Animals
Ants were among the world’s first farmers
50 years ago, researchers began unraveling the secrets to Attine ants’ green thumbs.
- Earth
Dino-dooming asteroid impact created a chilling sulfur cloud
The Chicxulub impact spewed more sulfur than previously believed.
- Animals
Great praise for categories, and seeing beyond them
Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill discusses classification and some of the challenges of putting species in categorical boxes.
- Health & Medicine
Readers intrigued by ancient animals’ bones
Readers had questions about gut bacteria, woolly rhino ribs and ancient horses hooves.
- Life
Defining ‘species’ is a fuzzy art
Here's why scientists still don't agree on what a species is.
- Animals
This sea slug makes its prey do half the food catching
Nudibranchs’ stolen meals blur classic predator-prey levels.
