Animals
-
A plan for a unified species classification
Scientists propose 10 principles to streamline taxonomy.
As the Earth faces a growing environmental crisis, scientists are calling for agreement on a single, streamlined list...
-
Some animals learn to make new sounds
It could have evolved from faking it.
If you happen to be walking through Australian bush, you might hear a loud, deep rumbling sound that conjures images ...
-
How bats know which echo to believe
Research suggests it’s all about the lower frequencies.
A bat’s ability to clearly distinguish one echo from another has long inspired those trying to develop radar and sona...
-
This is an amphibian with a difference
Researchers find evidence of snake-like venom glands.
Researchers have discovered snake-like venom glands in an amphibian for the first time – along the teeth of the littl...
-
How old do you think your dog is?
It seems you can’t just multiply by 7.
Accepted wisdom has it that to work out a dog’s age in human years you just multiply it by seven. Apparently, it’s...
-
Arctic battling climate change and beavers
It's easier to get around, so they are.
Beavers are running amok in the Arctic, taking advantage of climate change and likely exacerbating its impact. Stu...
-
More proof of animal smarts
Studies show they innovate and learn from others.
For behaviours once presumed to be mere instinct, it’s become increasingly clear that animals, from bears, whales and...
-
Sled dogs represent a distinct genetic lineage
Modern breeds had common ancestor, study shows.
Modern sled dogs share ancient Siberian roots and represent a distinct genetic lineage that likely emerged as the fin...
-
Focus
The ‘anthropause’ during COVID-19
Wildlife going wild. What can we learn?
Pumas leaping onto walls in Santiago, Chile; wild boar trotting along streets in Haifa, Israel; dolphins unusually fa...
-
Aerobic antelopes and synchronised fish
More insights into how things are wired.
These stories have nothing in common other than that they are fascinating examples of the way animals have evolved to...
-
Sea otters saved again
Ecosystem restoration offers lucrative financial gains.
The recovery of sea otter (Enyhdra lutris) populations near Canada’s Vancouver Island is a conservation success story...
-
How animals hibernate
Rodent studies reveal the neurons involved.
Two studies published in the journal Nature have independently zoned in on the brain circuitry that triggers a hibern...