Nature
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Plants flash a warning signal when under attack
Calcium channel signals are quick to respond.
When plants are under attack from a very hungry caterpillar, a warning signal flashes through the plant to the other ...
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History
Science history: The rise and rise of John Gould
Self-taught naturalist became an important ornithologist.
John Gould, renowned ornithologist and author, largely self-taught, was at the head of tremendous team of dedicated s...
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Wrasse recognise themselves
For the first time, researchers confirm self-awareness in a fish.
For the first time, researchers have established self-awareness in a species of fish. A team led by Masanori Kohda fr...
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Aussies urged to backyard birdwatch
Survey aims to chart wildlife in urban areas.
With spring around the corner in the Southern Hemisphere, Australian researchers are urging you to venture outside an...
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Spying on pretty flamingos
What do captive birds do when the zoo is closed?
What do zoo animals get up to when the gates are closed and the visitors and staff gone home? It’s an entrancing que...
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Starlings go tweet
Twitter could be useful in monitoring animal behaviour.
Forget Big Brother – it turns out Big Scientist is watching you, but it’s all in the name of ecological research. In...
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Conversation
Can ants predict rain?
Is there any evidence to support the idea?
It’s often said that ants can predict impending rain and respond by changing their behaviour. Some people say that i...
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Rat king
Groups of rats can become bound by tails.
A “rat king” is a group of rats whose tails are intertwined and stuck together. Sometimes the tail hairs are simply e...
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Elks on the horns of a dilemma
Timing is key in mating and surviving wolf attacks,
For male American elks, shedding their antlers each year is a process fraught with risk and opportunity – and achievi...
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The evolution of the mammal brain
A structure unique to placental brains evolved from a network found in marsupials and monotremes.
Ancient neural connections found in the brains of marsupials and monotremes provide clues to the evolution of the hum...
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Meet the hellbender
This giant aquatic salamander roams rivers in North America.
The hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) is the largest aquatic salamander in North America. An adult can grow u...
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Poppy genome reveals opiate evolution
The world’s illegal medicinal plant had a turbulent history.
A series of bizarre events and biological errors over evolutionary history were responsible for the intoxicating medi...