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Michael Sanchez initially thought the bird was black, but he later realized how colorful it was when he got home and started processing the photos.

Extremely Rare Blue Rock Thrush Spotted in Oregon Might Be the First Ever in the United States

Amateur photographer Michael Sanchez captured photos of the blue-and-chestnut bird on a beach—but he didn’t realize just how special the “mind-bending” encounter was, until later

Researchers are recruiting some 1,100 people globally to participate in the trial's third phase.

Personalized Melanoma Vaccine Could Be a 'Game Changer' by Teaching the Body to Fight Cancer Cells

The mRNA therapy, designed to prevent treated skin cancer from returning, is entering its third phase of trials

Scientists are at odds about how intelligent T. rex was.

How Intelligent Was T. Rex? Scientists Suggest the Dinosaurs Were Like 'Smart, Giant Crocodiles'

A new paper refutes the idea that T. rex was as brainy as a baboon, furthering the debate on the extinct reptile's intellect

160 pilot whales, mainly adult females with several young calves, stranded themsleves in shallow waters on Thursday morning in Western Australia.

Rescuers Save 130 Beached Pilot Whales in Western Australia After Mass Stranding

An additional 29 whales died, officials reported last week, while the reason behind the stranding remains unknown

Experts say the pasteurization process likely kills the virus, and tests are likely just detecting remnants of the dead virus.

One in Five Milk Samples Has Bird Flu Virus Fragments, Suggesting Cow Infections Are More Widespread Than Thought

The research has not yet found evidence that milk contains infectious virus, and the FDA says the commercial milk supply is safe

Ocelots have been listed as federally endangered in the U.S. since 1972.

Endangered Ocelots May Be Expanding Their Range in Texas

DNA testing of an ocelot killed in 2021 raises the possibility that the creatures may be roaming outside their established South Texas territory, which is currently their only stronghold in the country

The tracks were found at site that was once a muddy river plain.

Paleontologists Discover Massive Dinosaur Tracks in China, Hinting at One of the Largest Known Raptors

The footprints, left behind by a 16-foot-long creature some 96 million years ago, represent the biggest raptor tracks ever found

Doctors perform a pig kidney transplant on April 12. So far, the patient is recovering well, but doctors will need to continue to monitor her in the hospital and make sure her immune system doesn't reject the transplanted organ.

Second Patient Receives Gene-Edited Pig Kidney Transplant in Breakthrough Surgery

The woman, 54-year-old Lisa Pisano, also received a mechanical heart pump implant days earlier, making her the first person to undergo both procedures

This illustration shows how the two-inch-long, curved teeth may have protruded from the extinct salmon's face.

These Massive, Extinct Salmon Had Spiky Teeth Like a Warthog's Tusks

For decades, scientists thought the teeth pointed downward, similar to those of a saber-toothed cat, but now they believe the fish's chompers jutted out sideways

A couple sits atop Tourkovounia Hill in Athens as clouds of Saharan dust cover the capital city.

Skies Over Athens Turn a Martian Orange Amid Saharan Dust Storm

Strong winds brought desert dust and heat across the Mediterranean this week, sparking health advisories and fires in Greece

A carved pendant plaque of a human head found at the Ucanal burial site.

Ancient Maya Royals' Remains Were Burned in a Public Ceremony to Mark a New Political Regime

Archaeologists discovered charred remains of former rulers tossed "haphazardly" into a tomb in present-day Guatemala, suggesting they had been removed from their original burial sites

Bird flu was first detected in U.S. dairy cows in March. So far, infections have been detected in 33 herds across eight states.

Bird Flu Virus Detected in Pasteurized Milk, as U.S. Moves to Test More Dairy Cows

The FDA maintains that the commercial milk supply is safe, and it plans to report results of further tests in the coming days and weeks

A rarely diagnosed medical condition causes gut microbes to produce alcohol inside the body.

This Rare Condition Makes Some People Get Drunk, Even When They Haven't Touched a Drop of Alcohol

A man in Belgium was acquitted of drunk driving charges this week, after doctors showed he has auto-brewery syndrome, which makes his body produce alcohol

This rendering shows what the wildlife crossing will look like when completed.

The 'World's Largest Wildlife Crossing' Will Help Animals Walk Safely Over Eight Lanes of California Traffic

The 210-foot-long bridge across a busy freeway in Los Angeles County is expected to be finished in 2025

An artist's illustration of two Ptychodus sharks eating sea turtles and ammonites in open water.

Paleontologists Unravel Secrets of 'Enigmatic' 33-Foot Prehistoric Shark After Fossil Discovery

Scientists didn't know much about Ptychodus, an ancient shark genus, because its remains were usually just fragments. Now, complete fossils reveal its body shape and hunting habits

An anonymous dentist recognized the jawbone, because it looked similar to the CT scans he reviews every day at work.

Dentist Discovers Human-Like Jawbone and Teeth in a Floor Tile at His Parents' Home

Scientists are planning to study the specimen, embedded in travertine from western Turkey, in hopes of dating and identifying it

Members of the Voyager 1 flight team celebrate after receiving health and status data from the spacecraft. Next, engineers need to enable the probe to start sending science data again.

Voyager 1 Sends Clear Data to NASA for the First Time in Five Months

The farthest spacecraft from Earth had been transmitting nonsense since November, but after an engineering tweak, it finally beamed back a report on its health and status

The world's oldest common loons, ABJ and Fe, in July 2020. The pair's 32nd and last hatched chick sits on Fe's back.

Follow the Soap Opera-Worthy Relationship Drama of the World's Oldest Common Loons

Called ABJ and Fe, the duo mated every spring for 25 years—but they split up in 2022. Now, they’re back at their Michigan breeding grounds, showing no signs of getting together

Antonia, one of the new black-footed ferret clones. The first black-footed ferret clone was born in 2020. The two new ferrets are the second and third successful clones.

Scientists Clone Two Black-Footed Ferrets From Frozen Tissues in Conservation Effort

The aim of cloning the animals is to increase the genetic diversity of the endangered species

Scientists brought to life the silent, sleeping songs of two great kiskadees.

Scientists Translate Sleeping Birds' Silent Songs Into Sound—and They May Have Recorded a Nightmare

Using surgically implanted electrodes and modeling, researchers brought to life the vocal muscle activity of sleeping great kiskadees

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