Animals
Parrot Babies Babble Just Like Us
Parrot nestlings spend time stringing together jumbled mixtures of sound—a rehearsal for more adult conversations
Animals207 articles archived since 1845
Animals
These Sharks Hold Their ‘Breath’ to Stay Warm
Scalloped hammerhead sharks take dramatic dives to hunt for food in cold, deep waters—and new evidence suggests they hold their breath to keep warm while they do so
Oceans
Some Crabs Are Losing Their Sense of Smell as Oceans Acidify
Commercially valuable Dungeness crabs lose their sense of smell as the ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide and becomes more acidic
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
Animals
This Frog May Be the First Amphibian Known to Pollinate Flowers
A tiny, orange Brazilian tree frog may be the first known amphibian pollinator, further broadening our understanding of which animals perform this crucial biological function
Animals
This $600-Million Room Contains the World's Largest Collection of These Tiny Endangered Animals
Inside a vault at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles lies a microscopic population of immense value—the repository for vernal pool fairy shrimp.
Medicine
Allergic to Your Pet? This Immunotherapy May Help
Developing an allergy to your dog or cat can be a nightmare, but hyposensitization could offer permanent relief
Oceans
Bizarre Blue ‘Jellyfish’ Washing Up on California Beaches Are a Sign of Spring
’Tis the season for hordes of blue jellyfishlike creatures to wash up on California beaches
Climate Change
Many Bird Species Are Having Fewer Chicks as the World Warms
Many bird species are producing fewer offspring as global temperatures rise, and larger migratory species are particularly affected
Animals
Do We Need To Save the Whales Again?
A scientist who does whale necropsies — or in layman's terms, whale autopsies — tells us why so many dead whales are washing up on beaches.
Animals
The Lifesaving Sled Dog Balto Had Genes unlike Those of Dog Breeds Today
The genome of the 1920s Siberian husky Balto suggests that greater genetic diversity and less inbreeding contribute to better health
Animals
What Makes a Mammal? 423,000 Newly Identified DNA Regions Guide Our Genes
These elements, dubbed “UNICORNs,” sit close to genes that affect smell, sleep and ways that people and other mammals interact with their surroundings
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
How Do Birds Know When to Migrate?
Lengthening days set off a cascade of events in migratory birds that culminates in the birth of a clutch of chicks
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
Why Are Killer Whales Ripping Livers Out of Their Shark Prey?
Killer whales rip open the bellies of sharks to snag the liver. Other predators also have dietary preferences for organs, brains and additional rich body parts
Animals
Deepest Fish Discovered More Than 5 Miles below the Sea Surface
A small, bizarre-looking fish was found more than five miles beneath the sea and is considered the deepest fish ever recorded
Animals
Why Primates (Including Humans) Love to Spin Ourselves around until We All Fall Down
The menagerie that twirls and twirls includes gorillas, bonobos and, yes, us humans
Animals
The Strange Way a 12-Foot-Long Invasive Python Was Caught
In Key Largo, Fla., scientists are looking to protect endangered native rodents and slow the invasion of massive Burmese pythons
