Animals
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Power games may make animals smarter
New theory adds missing piece to puzzle of brain evolution.
Animals display some awe-inspiring feats of intelligence, from making tools and counting to eavesdropping, making dec...
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Inside the brains of dogs
Study unravels what happens when they look at faces.
What are dogs thinking when they gaze into our eyes? No more than when they’re looking at the back of our heads, acco...
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Sea turtle eggs aren’t always what they seem
GPS-enabled decoys may help protect endangered species.
Fake sea turtle eggs can help track down illegal traders without doing any harm to the real thing, a rather clever st...
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Reptiles threatened by online trade
Scientists call for greater international regulation.
Nearly 4000 species of reptile – a third of those known – are being traded online with very little international regu...
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The rat pack gets the job done
They work well together, even when communication is limited.
Rats work well in teams, it seems. A new study suggests rodent groups outperform individuals in searching for a targe...
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Are playful dogs easier to train?
Research suggests working breeds could be the most fun.
Playfulness is serious business. Scientists have gone to great lengths to solve the mystery of why animals play, with...
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Why boys should be friends with girls
Baboon study suggests it increases chance of a long life.
Close friendships can increase the odds of living a long life – not just in humans but also in animals including hors...
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Funnel-webs don’t mean to hurt us
Impact of venom an ‘unfortunate evolutionary coincidence’.
Australia’s funnel-web spiders are deadly to humans – particularly the males from the species Atrax robustus that cal...
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Citizen Science
Finding the powerful owl
Australia’s largest owl is an accomplished hiding expert.
The powerful owl (Ninox strenua) is Australia’s largest owl. With big yellow eyes and an impressive wingspan of up to...
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NatureWatch: Tales of growth and survival
Big sharks, big eaters, big lizards and a new butterfly.
To get big, grow slow A decade-long study of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) has determined that the biggest fish i...
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Flight of the sniffer bees
Honeybee scent training could make pollination more effective.
Honeybees continue to cause quite a buzz with their smarts. Previous studies have found that not only can they unders...
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New clues to the origin of domestic horses
Ancient DNA suggests it didn’t happen in Anatolia.
Domestic horses likely did not originate in Anatolia as previously suspected, according to a new study of ancient rem...