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The World’s Rarest Whale Species Spotted in New Zealand
A pair of spade-toothed whales washed ashore on a beach, the first time the complete body of a member of this species has ever been seen
November 05, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Did Lucy Walk Too Slow for Her Taller Group Mates?
Huge variability in Australopithecus afarensis height may have made it difficult for group members to walk together at the same speed
November 05, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Beetles Invasion: One Artist’s Take on the Insect
A swarm of giant beetles, lovingly sculpted by Washington D.C.-based artist Joan Danziger, descends on the American University Museum
November 02, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Video: This Elephant Learned to Speak Korean
Koshik, an Asian elephant at a South Korean zoo, learned to uncannily mimic five Korean words by stuffing his trunk in his mouth
November 01, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Rare and Intimate Photos of a Gorilla Family in the Wild
Two photographers ventured deep into the forests of central Africa to capture touching photos of a 33-year-old wild silverback and his clan
November 2012 |
By Abigail Tucker
Alan Dudley’s Wondrous Array of Animal Skulls
A new book delivers fascinating photographs of over 300 skulls from the British taxidermist's personal collection—the largest in the world
October 31, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Five Early Primates You Should Know
Scientists have identified dozens of early primates, based mainly on teeth, but still have a hard time assessing how these mammals relate to modern primates
October 31, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
The Scariest Monsters of the Deep Sea
We took the spook-tacular celebration to the depths of the ocean, where some of the craziest—and scariest—looking creatures lurk in the dark.
October 30, 2012 |
By Emily G. Frost and Hannah Waters
Nikon Announces the Winners of its “Small World” Competition
See a selection of beautiful images captured by scientists gazing through light microscopes
October 29, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Judging a Cat (Wrongly) by the Color of its Coat
Black cats aren't evil, and torties aren't always aloof. But people often think coat color and behavior are linked
October 29, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Why Are Humans Primates?
People may seem very different from lemurs, monkeys and apes, but all primates share a few key physical and behavioral characteristics
October 29, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Scientific Illustrations: Your Go-To Guides for Halloween Costumes
The details are what separate a good outfit from an amazing one. The images in the Biodiversity Heritage Library can help you make the leap
October 26, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Fossilized Shoulder Reveals Early Hominids Climbed Trees
The shoulder blades of a 3.3-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis child suggest the species spent at least some time in the treetops
October 25, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Feathery Ostrich Mimics Enfluffle the Dinosaur Family Tree
A trio of feathered dinosaurs tests a longstanding hypothesis and hint that there may be more feathered dinosaur fossils than anyone ever expected
October 25, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
The Mystery of Human Blood Types
The ABO blood group evolved at least 20 million years ago, but scientists still don't understand the purpose of blood types
October 22, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
14 Fun Facts About Hagfish
In honor of Hagfish Day, learn about the seemingly-disgusting creatures' gill-clogging slime and ability to digest dead carcasses through their skin
October 17, 2012 |
By Hannah Waters
Whatever Happened to Kenyanthropus platyops?
Scientists disagree over whether a 3.5-million-year-old skull is a flat-faced species of hominid or just a distorted example of Australopithecus afarensis
October 17, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Clues to Ape (and Human) Evolution Can Be Seen in Sinuses
Would sinus headaches be more bearable if humans had descended from Asian apes instead of African apes?
October 15, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
The Bat-Winged Dinosaur That Never Was
Just when naturalists began to suspect that birds might be dinosaurs, one researcher put forward a truly strange idea of what early bird ancestors would have looked like
October 11, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
The Top Ten Human Evolution Discoveries from Ethiopia
Home to Lucy, Ardi, the oldest stone tools, the first fossils of modern humans and many other discoveries, Ethiopia deserves the title of Cradle of Humankind
October 10, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
