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Could Porcupine Quills Help Us Design the Next Hypodermic Needle?
Microscopic barbs allow porcupine quills to slice into flesh easily and stay there stubbornly—qualities that could prove useful in medical applications
December 10, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Environmentalists Want To Keep Oil Platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Wait, What?
Oil companies want to pull their rigs from the Gulf, but environmentalists are saying "no"
December 10, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Google Gives Millions To Build Poacher-Hunting Drones
Google has joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Chinese basketball star Yao Ming and countless wildlife organizations in the battle against illegal wildlife trade
December 10, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Four Species of Homo You’ve Never Heard Of, Part II
The history of anthropology is littered with many now-defunct hominid species that no longer have a place in the human family tree
December 10, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Stylish But Illegal Monkey Caught at Ikea
A confused monkey wearing a shearling coat and diaper was found wandering around outside an Ikea store in Toronto
December 10, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Catfish Are Teaching Themselves to Catch Pigeons
In southwestern France, catfish are throwing themselves on the shore to catch pigeons
December 07, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Lions Are Disappearing From Africa
New research shows that lions are quickly disappearing across Africa's once-thriving savannahs due to human population growth and massive land use conversion
December 07, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Extroverted Gorillas Live Longer Than Shy Ones
For gorillas, it pays to have personality. Extroverted gorillas in captivity outlive their shy friends, according to a new study of the animals in North American zoos and sanctuaries, reports LiveScience. To arrive at this conclusion, researchers used methods adapted from studying human personality. They analyzed data from 298 gorillas over 18 years of the [...]
December 06, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Top 10 Animal Superpowers
So you think Spiderman’s and Catwoman’s special powers are impressive. They’re nothing compared to what these creatures can do
December 06, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Cavemen Were Much Better At Illustrating Animals Than Artists Today
A new study finds that prehistoric humans correctly depicted the gait of four-legged animals much more frequently than modern artists
December 05, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
How Death Played a Role in the Evolution of Human Height
A longer life expectancy might have allowed members of the genus Homo to grow taller than earlier australopithecines, researchers propose
December 05, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Birds Harness the Deadly Power of Nicotine to Kill Parasites
And city birds are stuffing their nests with cigarette butts to poison potential parasites
December 05, 2012 |
By Rose Eveleth
World’s Greatest Extinction May Have Actually Been Two Extinctions in One
The Permian-Triassic extinction nearly wiped out life on Earth
December 04, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Sometimes, Being the Best Dad You Can Be Gets You a Giant Metal Hook in the Face
Fishing selectively targets the best largemouth bass dads
December 04, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Hagfish Slime May Cover Models in Future Fashion Shows
The hagfish aims to make a slimy splash on the fashion runway with a tough, silk-like material harvested from its bountiful snot-like secretions
December 04, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
Urbanization Is Supersizing Spiders
City-dwelling spiders are bigger than their country-living brethren
December 03, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
A Holiday Gift Guide for the Whole Human Family
An offering of books, bumper stickers, artwork and other knickknacks for the hominid enthusiast on your gift list
December 03, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Lobsters Have Age-Revealing Rings, Just Like Trees
Scientists have figured out a way to determine the age of your lobster
November 30, 2012 |
By Colin Schultz
Drivers Keep Crashing Into Feral Pigs on the Fastest Highway in the Country
Colliding into a 400-pound feral pig at 85 miles an hour can do some damage
November 30, 2012 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The Insane Amount of Biodiversity in One Cubic Foot
David Liittschwager travels to the world's richest ecosystems, photographing all the critters that pass through his "biocube" in 24 hours
November 30, 2012 |
By Jeff Greenwald
