Animals
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EnvironmentAustralian fires have imperiled up to 100 species
As massive wildfires consume huge swaths of Australia’s bush, untold species — many of them found nowhere else — are now threatened with extinction.
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LifeWhy some whales become giants and others are only big
Being big helps whales access more food. But just how big a whale can get is influenced by whether it hunts or filter-feeds.
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AnimalsWhales echolocate with big clicks and tiny amounts of air
Toothed whales may echolocate using bits of air that they recycle inside their heads to conserve both air and energy.
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TechDrones help scientists weigh whales at sea
Drone imagery lets scientists estimate a whale’s weight. And that may help monitor the health of these big mammals for conservation purposes.
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AnimalsScientists Say: Papillae
These small nubs stick out from a body part. They include things such as tongue bumps with taste buds and the structures under the skin that help grow hair.
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AnimalsWhy are bird eggs in cold climates darker colored?
A global survey of bird egg color has revealed a simple trend: the colder the climate, the darker the egg.
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AnimalsPiranhas and plant-eating kin replace half their teeth at once
Piranhas and pacus shed and replace half of their teeth at a time. New teeth lock together as they push up from the jaw.
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AnimalsBlood vessels in their heads kept big dinos from overheating
Giant dinosaurs evolved several ways to cool their blood and avoid heatstroke.
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FossilsFossils show mammals’ rise to dominance after the dino-killing asteroid
What happened to mammals after an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs? Newfound fossils show how they grew in size, eventually dominating much of life on Earth.
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TechWeird little fish inspires the development of super-grippers
Suction-cup designers were inspired by the rock-grabbing tricks of the aptly named clingfish.
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AnimalsHumpback whales catch fish using bubbles and flippers
Scientist for the first time have captured details of humpback whales’ hunting tactics on camera.