Life
- Animals
Some cannibal pirate spiders trick their cousins into ‘walking the plank’
A pirate spider in Costa Rica uses a never-before-seen hunting strategy that exploits the way other spiders build webs.
- Animals
A little snake’s big gulp may put all other snakes to shame
The humble Gans’ egg-eater can wrap its mouth around bigger prey than any other snake of its size.
- Animals
Wild male palm cockatoos rock out with custom drumsticks
Along with flashy dances and distinctive drumbeats, these birds craft their own signature drumsticks to win over mates.
- Animals
The world’s highest-dwelling mammal isn’t the only rodent at extreme elevation
After discovering a mouse living nearly 7,000 meters above sea level, scientists scoured other extreme environments to make sure the find wasn’t a fluke.
- Ecosystems
‘Crossings’ explores the science of road ecology
Ben Goldfarb talks about his new book, which looks at the science that’s helping to prevent animals from becoming roadkill.
- Health & Medicine
Scientists grow humanized kidneys in pig embryos
The work represents an important advance in the methods needed to grow humanized kidneys, hearts, and pancreases in animals.
- Earth
When discussing flora and fauna, don’t forget ‘funga’
Conservation efforts often overlook fungi. That can change by using “mycologically inclusive language,” researchers say.
- Paleontology
This newfound birdlike dinosaur had surprisingly long legs
Early birdlike dinosaurs are mostly short-limbed and thought to have lived in trees, but Fujianvenator prodigiosus may have run or waded in swamps.
- Animals
A new DNA leaf swab technique could revolutionize how we monitor biodiversity
Simple swabs of just 24 leaves in Uganda’s Kibale National Park provided a genetic snapshot of 52 animals in the tropical forest.
- Neuroscience
Bone marrow in the skull could be used to monitor Alzheimer’s, MS and more
New observations of skull cell signals and skull tunnels suggest bone marrow there could be used to monitor neurological diseases.
- Animals
Adult corals have been safely frozen and revived for the first time
Chunks of living corals could be frozen for safekeeping and revived later to restore reef ecosystems that are withering in warming seas.
- Health & Medicine
50 years ago, X-rays provided an unprecedented look inside the brain
CT scans can now image the whole body and are even used in other scientific fields such as archaeology, zoology and physics.
