Biology

Barred owls are bigger, faster to reproduce and less picky about food and habitat.

Can Killing One Species of Owl Help Save Another?

Biologists and conservationists are grappling with a controversial plan to kill 470,000 barred owls in the Pacific Northwest over the next 30 years

Paola Magni in 2022, taking a water sample from Italy’s Lake Bracciano—the site of the mysterious death of a local teenager, ten years before.

The Scientist Using Bugs to Help Solve Murders

At crime scenes around the world, the forensic entomologist Paola Magni is taking her field into uncharted waters

Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, on the surface of a lake. Bacteria were the first organisms to photosynthesize, creating the oxygen essential for the evolution of life on Earth.

Scientists Uncover the Earliest Fossil Evidence of Photosynthesis

Ancient cyanobacteria contained structures for producing oxygen around 1.75 billion years ago, according to a new study

Human tears may contain an odorless chemical substance that reduces aggression, a new study finds.

Sniffing Women's Tears May Reduce Aggression in Men, Study Finds

The findings, which may extend to all humans, suggest emotional tears might serve an evolutionary purpose

Monarch butterflies' signature white spots could help them fly—and inspire better drones.

Seven Scientific Discoveries From 2023 That Could Lead to New Inventions

Biologists learned lots about animals and plants this year, and their findings could inspire better robots, medicine and environmental technologies

Malus sieversii is a wild apple native to the mountains of southern Kazakhstan.

Saving the Apple's Ancient Ancestor in the Forests of Kazakhstan

Found in the Tian Shan mountains, <em>Malus sieversii</em> could hold the secret to making other species of the fruit more stress-resistant

Chimpanzees and bonobos may have the longest social memory of any non-human animal.

Chimpanzees and Bonobos May Remember Faces for More Than 20 Years

The great apes, which are humans' closest living relatives, appeared to recognize photos of their former acquaintances in a study, even decades later

Cats can fetch&mdash;but they prefer to be in control of the playtime.

Like Dogs, Some Cats Will Play Fetch—but Mostly on Their Own Terms

Many felines appear to pick up the playful behavior spontaneously, without any explicit training, a survey of cat owners finds

A colored image of an anthrobot. Hairlike structures called cilia enable the bots to move.

Tiny 'Robots' Made From Human Cells Show Wound-Healing Potential

The so-called "anthrobots" can self-assemble and move on their own, and they prompted damaged neurons to regenerate in a recent study

A bilaterally gynandromorphic green honeycreeper near Manizales, Colombia.&nbsp;

This 'Extremely Rare' Bird Is Half Female, Half Male

The green honeycreeper is only the second of its species ever observed with this condition—and the first recorded in more than 100 years

A cockatoo dunks its food before eating it. Scientists suggest this practice might improve the bread&#39;s texture.

Watch Cockatoos Dip Their Food in Water to Make It Soggy

A new study marks the first time that dunking behavior has been documented in parrots

Cats are not picky and will eat nearly anything they can catch.

Cats Prey on More Than 2,000 Different Species

A new study sheds light on just how many creatures domestic cats will eat—including hundreds that are threatened or endangered

Electric eels can discharge up to 860 volts of electricity.

Eels Can Genetically Modify Nearby Fish With Their Electrical Pulses

In laboratory experiments, gene transfer occurred in 5 percent of zebrafish larvae that were near eels when they discharged electricity

The leucistic baby gator is happy and healthy, veterinarians say.

Rare White Alligator Born at Florida Wildlife Park

The baby gator, which doesn't have a name yet, was born with leucism, a condition that affects pigmentation

Eczema affects almost 32 million people in the United States.

Here's What Can Cause Itchiness, According to New Research

Scientists discovered a connection between a bacteria linked to eczema and an itch-causing enzyme in a study of mice

After peanut butter failed to attract the giant rats, researchers turned to sesame oil.

See the First-Ever Photographs of a Rare Giant Rat That Lives Only on One Pacific Island

The elusive and critically endangered Vangunu giant rats are at least twice the size of common rats

Researchers studied African penguins in the colony at Zoomarine Italia in Rome.

African Penguins Tell Each Other Apart by Their Polka Dot Patterns

New research suggests the birds may find their mates in crowded colonies by looking at their chest plumage

San Francisco-based startup Loyal is developing drugs that aim to extend dogs&#39; lifespans&mdash;and it could form a basis for longevity research in humans.

A New Drug That Could Extend Dogs' Lives Inches Closer to Approval

For the first time, the FDA has indicated a willingness to endorse a longevity drug

When erect, the penises of male serotine bats are seven times longer than female bats&#39; vaginas and seven times wider than the females&#39; vaginal openings.

This Bat Uses Its Extra Long Penis Like an Arm While Mating

Serotine bats are the first mammals known to mate without penetration, new research suggests

Green sea turtles are struggling because of climate change, habitat destruction, erosion and other threats.

Metal Pollution May Be Making More Green Sea Turtles Female

In addition to warming temperatures, new research finds contaminants might contribute to the endangered reptiles' skewed sex ratios

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