In the high altitudes of the Himalayas, many wolves have developed distinct traits from their gray wolf cousins.

Should the Himalayan Wolf Be Classified as a New Species?

Years of expeditions in the world’s tallest mountain range reveal that Himalayan wolves have developed genetic adaptations to living at high altitudes

With just two rows of teeth, Edestus slid its lower jaw to slice apart its prey.

Scientists Model How Prehistoric Shark Cut Through Prey With ‘Scissor Jaws’

The 330-million-year-old species Edestus had one of the most unique bites in natural history

Though the technological challenges for a future Mars mission are considerable, a proposal to "live off the land" using resources on the Red Planet might dramatically simplify exploration plans.

A Smithsonian Researcher Reflects on What It Will Take to Land Humans on Mars

In a new book on space exploration, Smithsonian curator emeritus Roger D. Launius predicts boots on the Red Planet ground by the 2030s

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Ingenious Minds

Studying the History of Life on Earth Keeps This Paleontologist Optimistic

Smithsonian scientist Nick Pyenson explains how taking an interest in natural history can help us understand our future

Chicago on a cold and windy day

What Is Wind Chill, and How Does It Affect the Human Body?

While wind will not change the ambient temperature of the air, it will change the temperature of your body

The axolotl genome is the largest set of genetic instructions that has ever been fully sequenced, more than ten times larger than a human genome.

Complete Axolotl Genome Could Reveal the Secret of Regenerating Tissues

The aquatic salamander’s genome is one of the most complex sets of genetic instructions in the world

No one knows exactly how many Emperor penguins are left in Antarctica.

The Complicated Calculus of Counting Emperor Penguins

Scientists journey to the icy bottom of the Earth to see if satellite imagery can determine how many Emperor penguins are left in the world

A chilly squirrel.

Do Animals Hate the Bitter Cold of Winter?

Animals can certainly feel the cold, and many species have developed unique ways of dealing with it

A picture taken on January 21, 2019 in Duisburg, Germany, shows a view of the Super Blood Moon above an industrial plant during a lunar eclipse.

Ten Stunning Photos of the Super Blood Wolf Moon Lunar Eclipse

A lunar eclipse was visible across much of the world last night, bathing the moon in a reddish glow

An illustration showing what Galagadon would have looked like in life, swimming along the river floor.

New Prehistoric Shark Species Discovered Alongside Sue the T. Rex

The teeth of Galagadon nordquistae were discovered in the rock that once surrounded the famous T. rex skeleton.

Astronomers believe that in the distant future, trillions of years from now, new and exotic types of stars will form across the universe.

Four Types of Stars That Will Not Exist for Billions or Even Trillions of Years

According to models of stellar evolution, certain types of stars need longer than the universe has existed to form

Enrico Fermi at the blackboard.

How Scientific Chance and a Little Luck Helped Usher in the Nuclear Age

Accidental experiments and chance encounters helped Enrico Fermi produce the first nuclear reactor

A rendering of the lobby of the Statue of Liberty Museum, featuring the statue's original torch

From Lady Liberty to Hollywood to the Middle East, These Are the Most Exciting Museums Opening in 2019

Visit new institutions devoted to mascots, spies, archaeological sites, American icons and much more this year

The species Orobates pabsti represents a group of animals that lived after the first animals to walk on land but before the evolution of modern lizards.

Scientists Used a Robot to Study How Prehistoric Lizards Walked

OroBOT, a robot version of an ancestor to the dinosaurs, is helping fill in some gaps in the evolution of walking

Fatu, born in 2000, is one of the world’s last two surviving northern white rhinos. In this 2013 photograph, she’s hanging out with southern white rhinos at Kenya’s Pejeta Nature Conservancy.

San Diego’s Frozen Zoo Offers Hope for Endangered Species Around the World

The largest animal cryobank in the world is a rich source of genetic knowledge that may one day be used to bring endangered species back from the brink

The artist's concept depicts a comet-like tail of a possible disintegrating super Mercury-size planet candidate as it transits its parent star named KIC 12557548. At an orbital distance of only twice the diameter of its star, the surface temperature of the potential planet is estimated to be a sweltering 3,300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Disintegrating Planets Could Be the Key to Discovering What Worlds Are Made Of

Exoplanets that have been ripped apart by their host stars could provide an opportunity to measure the minerals of the galaxy

Gutenberg Castle in Balzers, Liechtenstein.

Twelve Anniversaries and Events Worth Traveling For in 2019

2019 will mark Singapore’s bicentennial, the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death and a total solar eclipse in South America

Alice Lee, one of the first women to attend London University, challenged the predominant notion that men's brains were larger and therefore intellectually superior.

The Statistician Who Debunked Sexist Myths About Skull Size and Intelligence

Though she laid bare the false claim of women’s intellectual inferiority, Alice Lee failed to apply the same logic to race

Researchers often depend on fishing communities to learn what life is like for sharks out in the deep ocean.

To Study Rare Sharks, Scientists Are Heading to Fish Markets

Marine biologists are combing fish markets around the world to study what comes up in the nets, and sometimes the catch is full of surprises

Nine Innovators to Watch in 2019

These big thinkers are set to make news this year with exciting developments in transportation, energy, health, food science and more

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