Paleontology
462-Million-Year-Old Fossil Trove Holds Miniature World of Marine Creatures
Paleontologists have uncovered a miniature world of sea creatures whose tiny guts, eyes and even brains remain visible 462 million years after they perished
Stories by Jack Tamisiea
Animals
50,000 Worms Tangled Up in a Ball Unravel in an Explosive Burst when a Predator Appears
California blackworms make a contribution to the math and physics of knot tying by demoing twisting motions that help them escape a tangled worm ball
Animals
Was the Tully Monster a Fish, a Worm, a Giant Slug with Fangs?
Researchers close in on a taxonomic home for one of paleontology’s weirdest wonders, the Tully Monster
Animals
How Bears Hibernate without Getting Blood Clots
Hibernating brown bears avoid the blood clots that can develop in even temporarily immobile people. Scientists now think they know how the animals do it
Animals
Tiny Spider Fells Prey Many Times Its Size
A spider that caught and devoured a much larger shrew for its meal adds to evidence that more spiders aren’t strangers to dining on vertebrates
Animals
Sharpshooter Insects Use ‘Superpropulsion’ to Catapult Their Pee
Sharpshooter insects use a physics phenomenon called superpropulsion to efficiently fling away droplets of pee at extremely high speeds
Animals
Mammals That Live Together Live Longer
Mammal species that live in groups seems to live longer than those that lead solitary lives
Plants
See the Largest Flower Ever Found Encased in Amber
A rare flower encased in amber is the largest one ever found and dates from around 40 million years ago
Materials Science
Mistletoe’s Ridiculously Clingy Seeds Could Make a Biological Glue
The festive parasite mistletoe’s sticky prowess explained
Animals
In a First, Tiny Crustaceans Are Found to ‘Pollinate’ Seaweed like Bees of the Sea
Small marine critters ferry around seaweed sex cells, the first recorded example of “pollination” in algae
Genetics
How Parachute Frogs Took to the Sky
Broad-webbed feet help them glide through rain-forest canopies
Animals
Dolphins Rub against Mucus-Oozing Corals to Soothe Skin
This “gorgoning” releases antibacterial compounds and other substances that dolphins could be using to self-medicate
Genetics
Dogs’ Personalities Aren’t Determined by Their Breed
A new genetic study shows generalizing breeds as affectionate or aggressive doesn’t hold up
Animals
These Spiders Spring Off Their Mates to Avoid Sexual Cannibalism
Energy stored in the front legs of gangly orb-weaving spiders helps them live to mate another day
Animals
Lost Genes Explain Vampire Bats’ Diet of Blood
To survive on nutrient-poor blood, less can sometimes be more
Behavior
Pamplona Bull Runs Reveal Dynamics of Crowds in Danger
Thousands running alongside bulls in Spain speed up as density increases
Animals
Tiny Flier ‘Swims’ through the Air at Superspeed
A speck-sized beetle overturns assumptions about flight mechanics
Climate Change
Lichens Could Need More Than a Million Years to Adapt to Climate Change
The composite organisms, formed from the symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae, are crucial members of myriad ecosystems
Animals
Surprise Fossil-Munching Sponges Found in Arctic Seafloor Wasteland
The colony thrives in a frigid ocean covered by ice year-round
Animals
Fish Do the Wave to Ward Off Predatory Birds
The synchronized dance of sulfur mollies is not only mesmerizing to watch but also confusing to predators
