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The (Natural) World, According to Our Photo Contest Finalists
From a caterpillar to the Milky Way, the ten finalists in the contest's Natural World category capture the peculiar, the remarkable and the sublime
March 07, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
Female Butterflies Can Sniff Out Inbred Males
Unlike in humans, butterfly females can actually distinguish between inbred and outbred males by their scent
March 07, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
A Plague of Locusts Descends Upon the Holy Land, Just in Time for Passover
Israel battles a swarm of millions of locusts that flew from Egypt that is giving rise to a host of ecological, political and agricultural issues
March 06, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
This 33,000-Year-Old Skull Belonged to One of the World’s First Dogs
A new DNA analysis confirms that an ancient skull found in a Siberian cave was an early ancestor of man's best friend
March 06, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Some Insect Wings Are Natural Antibiotics
Dotted with tiny spikes, this cicada's wings are naturally antibiotic
March 06, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
2000-Pound Camels Used to Live in the Arctic
Living in the forest alongside bears and beavers, the ancient Canadian Arctic camel
March 06, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
How Emperor Penguins Survive Antarctica’s Subzero Cold
The birds' plumage is even colder than the surrounding air, paradoxically insulating them from heat loss
March 05, 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
That’s Some Pig!
An Iowa farmer's quest to breed the perfect pig
March 05, 2013 |
By Angela Serratore
The U.S. And Russia Agree on One Thing: They Want to Save Polar Bears
In a rare moment of partnership, the U.S. and Russia are trying to join together to save the polar bear
March 05, 2013 |
By Rose Eveleth
Miniature African Forest Elephants Could Be Extinct in 10 Years
Ivory poachers slashed the population of the small elephants by 62 percent in the past decade--future losses at those rates will doom the species
March 04, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
The American Bumblebee Is Crashing, Too
Colony Collapse Disorder targets honey bees. But now American bumblebees are missing, too
March 04, 2013 |
By Colin Schultz
Why Did (or Didn’t) the Meerkat Cross the Road?
Dominant female meerkats hang back to let subordinates cross busy, dangerous roads first
March 01, 2013 |
By Rachel Nuwer
A Visit to the Natonal Zoo’s “Ark of Life”
Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough journeys to Front Royal, Virginia, to find out the latest in animal research
March 2013 |
By G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Bioluminescence: Light Is Much Better, Down Where It’s Wetter
From tracking a giant squid to decoding jellyfish alarms in the Gulf, a depth-defying scientist plunges under the sea
March 2013 |
By Abigail Tucker
The Meanest Girls at the Watering Hole
A scientist studying female elephants—usually portrayed as cooperative—makes a surprising observation about their behavior
March 2013 |
By Caitlin O’Connell-Rodwell
How Two Women Ended the Deadly Feather Trade
100 years ago, birds like the snowy egret were on the brink of extinction, all because of their sought-after plumage
March 2013 |
By William Souder
Brian Skerry Has the World’s Best Job: Ocean Photographer
The freelancer’s new exhibit at the Natural History Museum captures the beauty, and fragility, of sea life
March 2013 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Could Disappearing Wild Insects Trigger a Global Crop Crisis?
Three-quarters of the world’s crops—including fruits, grains and nuts—depend on pollination, and the insects responsible are disappearing
February 28, 2013 |
By Marina Koren
