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Unborn Turtles Actively Regulate Their Own Temperature
Before hatching, a baby turtle can deliberately move between warm and cool patches within its egg--a behavior that may help determine its gender
June 12, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet? (and Other Absurd Scientific Studies)
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Scientists figured the answers to this and other pressing questions once and for all
June 11, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Deer May Be Peeing Themselves Out of Their Favorite Winter Habitats
Special patches of trees shield deer from harsh winter weather, but deer urine stimulates growth of competitive plants in those havens
June 10, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Warming, Rising Acidity and Pollution: Top Threats to the Ocean
Since the last World Oceans Day, we've documented trash in the deep sea, sea snails with acid-weakened shells, high ocean temperatures and more
June 07, 2013 |
By Emily Frost
Gestures of Human and Ape Infants Are More Similar Than You Might Expect
Comparing the body language of baby chimps, bonobos and humans suggests that gesticulation came first in the evolution of speaking
June 06, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
Scientists Discover the Genetic Reason Why Birds Don’t Have Penises
Developing bird embryos do have penis precursors, it turns out, but a genetic signal causes the penis cells to die off during gestation
June 06, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Why Fire Makes Us Human
Cooking may be more than just a part of your daily routine, it may be what made your brain as powerful as it is
June 2013 |
By Jerry Adler
When Large Birds Disappear, Rainforests Suffer
A century after toucans and toucanets disappeared from patches of Brazilian jungle, trees have evolved to have smaller, weaker seeds
May 30, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
What Animal Sounds Look Like
Mark Fischer, a software developer in California, turns data from recordings of whales, dolphins and birds into psychedelic art
May 30, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Save the Amazon, Increase Malaria
People in Brazil living close to forests are 25 times more likely to catch malaria than those living near places where all the trees have been cut down, new research shows
May 23, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Once in a Blue Moon and Other Idioms That Don’t Make Scientific Sense
From "where there's smoke, there's fire" to "hard as nails," several sayings just don't pass scientific scrutiny
May 22, 2013 |
By Mohi Kumar
Princeton University Celebrates the Art of Science
In a new exhibition, the university showcases 43 images rooted in scientific research that force viewers to contemplate the definition of art
May 21, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Solving an Alligator Mystery May Help Humans Regrow Lost Teeth
A gator can replace all of its teeth up to 50 times--learning what triggers these new teeth to grow may someday keep us from needing dentures
May 13, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Baby Weddell Seals Have the Most Adult-Like Brains in the Animal Kingdom
The newborn seal pups possess the most well-developed brains compared to other mammals, but that advantage comes with a cost
May 09, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Baby Sand Tiger Sharks Devour Their Siblings While Still in the Womb
This seemingly horrific reproduction strategy may be a way for females to better control which males sire her offspring
April 30, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Saving the Cao Vit Gibbon, the Second Rarest Ape in the World
Setting aside additional protected areas and creating forest corridors could help this Asian primate bounce back from just 110 individuals
April 26, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
14 Fun Facts About Penguins
Which penguin swims the fastest? Do penguins have teeth? Why do penguins sneeze? How is penguin poop useful?
April 25, 2013 |
By Hannah Waters
For Some Species, You Really Are What You Eat
Flamingos, shrimp and many other animals use chemical compounds found in their diets to color their exteriors
April 24, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
Which Primate Is the Most Likely Source of the Next Pandemic?
To help anticipate the next outbreak of an emerging infectious disease, scientists scrutinize our closest relatives in the animal kingdom
April 22, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
