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Stories from Sarah Kuta

Two brothers of different species, produced by the same mother: Messor ibericus (left) and Messor structor (right).

These Ant Queens Seem to Defy Biology: They Lay Eggs That Hatch Into Another Species

Iberian harvester ant queens produce offspring of their own species and of the builder harvester ant, seemingly by cloning males

Researchers studied genetic samples from 483 mammoths, including from their tusks, bones, skin and molars (shown here).

Scientists Investigate the Bacteria That Colonized Extinct Mammoths—and Uncover the Oldest Known Microbial DNA From a Host

Some of the microbes might have been benign or helpful, while others could have caused deadly diseases

Firefighters are still assessing the damage, but several structures were destroyed in Chinese Camp.

Wildfire Sweeps Through Historic California Gold Rush Town Settled by Chinese Miners

Caused by a massive lightning storm, the 6-5 Fire destroyed the post office and several other buildings in the small town of Chinese Camp

The 2025 map shows predictions for each week between September 1 and November 17.

See When Fabulous Fall Foliage Will Peak in Your State With This Interactive Map

Use the tool’s week-by-week, county-by-county predictions to plan your autumnal adventures—and make the most of the 2025 leaf-peeping season

An artist's interpretation of what early penguins in New Zealand might have looked like

Early Penguins Had Long, Dagger-Like Beaks for Skewering Fish, New Zealand Fossils Reveal

Paleontologists describe four new species of extinct ancestral penguins that help shed light on how the iconic birds evolved after dinosaurs went extinct

Yagi (left) and Quinn (right) are searching for evidence of critically endangered Sumatran rhinos in Indonesia's Way Kambas National Park.

Two Sniffer Dogs Might Have Just Found a Lost Population of Critically Endangered Rhinos

Yagi and Quinn identified scat that was likely left by a Sumatran rhinoceros in Indonesia’s Way Kambas National Park, where scientists thought the animals had disappeared

The New York Public Library has one of Thomas Jefferson's handwritten copies of the Declaration of Independence in its collection.

See Thomas Jefferson’s Handwritten Copy of the Declaration of Independence

The rare document will be on view for just three days at the New York Public Library next year in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary

The wide, basin-shaped pelvis of modern humans helps us walk upright on two legs and give birth safely to babies with large heads.

Scientists Discover Key Evolutionary Changes to the Pelvis That Helped Humans Walk Upright

A new study delves into the development of the ilium, the largest bone in the pelvis, and the genes that underpin its formation

The James Carruthers was one of a dozen ships that sank during the "White Hurricane" that swept across the Great Lakes in November 1913.

Shipwreck Hunter Finds Large Freighter That Sank in Lake Huron During the ‘White Hurricane’ 112 Years Ago

The 529-foot-long vessel is submerged 190 feet deep, resting upside down on the American side of the lake

The pads, also known as platters, of giant waterlillies can be up to ten feet in diameter.

How Much Can a Giant Waterlily Hold? See One Carry 183 Pounds Before Sinking, Winning a Social Media Contest

Now in its third year, the Waterlily Weigh-Off invites public gardens and zoos to show off the strength of their aquatic plants

The gun is now part of a permanent exhibition about TIll at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson.

The Gun Linked to Emmett Till’s Murder Is Now on Display at a Museum in Mississippi

The weapon is thought to have belonged to J.W. Milam, one of the two men who kidnapped, tortured and killed the Black teenager for whistling at a white woman in a grocery store in 1955

The sailback houndshark was first described as a new genus and species in 1973.

Elusive Sailback Houndshark Rediscovered in Papua New Guinea After 50 Years

The creatures are occasionally caught by local fishermen but hadn’t been scientifically recorded since the 1970s

The white diamond is about the size of a human canine tooth.

She Spent Three Weeks Digging for a Diamond for Her Engagement Ring—and Unearthed a 2.3-Carat Stunner

When Micherre Fox and her boyfriend decided to get married, she flew to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas to search for the diamond herself

Ahu Tongariki, home to 15 moai statues, is one of Easter Island’s most iconic cultural landmarks.

Seasonal Waves Could Reach Some of Easter Island’s Massive Moai Statues by 2080, New Study Suggests

Researchers warn that rising sea levels could cause flooding that will endanger the historically significant statues, which were created by the Rapa Nui people between roughly 1300 and 1600 C.E.

Aside from his bright blue shell, Neptune is an otherwise normal lobster.

See the Rare ‘Electric Blue’ Lobster Found Off the Coast of Massachusetts

Meet Neptune, an American lobster with a vibrantly colored shell that results from a genetic mutation affecting pigmentation

Maritime archaeologists confirmed the wreck was the long-lost Frank D. Barker.

A Man Noticed a Strange Shape on Satellite Images. It Turned Out to Be a 138-Year-Old Shipwreck in Lake Michigan

While sailing through a heavy blanket of fog, the “Frank D. Barker” went off course and ran into a limestone outcropping in October 1887

Greater flamingos are abundant in the Camargue, a coastal region in southern France.

Migratory Flamingos Age Differently From Resident Ones, Offering a New Clue About Getting Old

A new study of the pink birds in France finds that aging sets in later for flamingos that migrate, though they face higher mortality in early adulthood

Fewer Americans are reading for pleasure.

Reading for Pleasure Has Declined by a ‘Deeply Concerning’ 40 Percent Over the Past Two Decades

Between 2003 and 2023, the proportion of Americans who read for fun on a given day has been steadily falling, a new study suggests

Arborists scaled the tree to douse the final flames on August 21.

World’s Tallest Douglas Fir Tree Damaged in Mysterious, Multi-Day Blaze, but It’s Alive After Firefighters Extinguish Flames

The fire started burning on August 16 and only affected a single tree—the historic Doerner Fir in southern Oregon. Authorities are still investigating the cause

Scientists are eager to figure out why lead doesn't seem to affect brown anoles.

These Lizards Have So Much Lead in Their Blood, They Should Be Dead. Instead, They’re Thriving

Brown anoles around New Orleans have the highest blood concentrations of lead ever recorded in vertebrates—and scientists aren’t sure why they can survive it

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