An etching of carts laden with corpses in the Piazza San Babila, Milan during the plague of 1630.

The Next Pandemic

How Proteins Helped Scientists Read Between the Lines of a 1630 Plague Death Registry

New tech reveals bacterial contamination, what scribes were eating and how many rats were around

The Amazing Adaptation That Keeps Tamarin Numbers Up

Golden lion tamarins have evolved a clever way to keep their population size steady in the face of predation. They almost always give birth to twins.

Eriauchenius milajaneae is one of the 18 new species of pelican spiders from Madagascar described by the scientists. This species was named after Wood’s daughter, and is known only from one remote mountain in southeast Madagascar.

Madagascar’s Ancient ‘Pelican Spiders’ Are As Striking As They Are Strange

New research offers an in-depth look at the island’s fascinating spider scene

A de-horned rhino lies in the sand at Hoedspruit endangered species centre in South Africa. Rhinos are particularly vulnerable during wartime due to illegal trade of their horns for weapons.

New Research

The Animal Cost of War

Even low-level human conflict can drive dramatic wildlife declines

The Volcanoes That Still Threaten New Zealand’s Safety

Ever since the deadly eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886, New Zealand has invested heavily in a sophisticated warning system

At JPL's Mars Yard testing area, two spacecraft engineers Matt Robinson (left) and Wesley Kuykendall with test rovers Soujourner at center, test sibling to Spirit and Opportunity, left, and Curiosity, right.

Think Mountain Time’s Confusing? Try Living on Martian Time

Smithsonian’s latest podcast “AirSpace” digs into the zany work schedules of the men and women on NASA’s Mars rover projects

All Praise The Humble Dung Beetle

By recycling and removing feces, these unsung insects make the world go ‘round

An oyster-dominated anti-erosion structure in Texas

As Storms Get Bigger, Oyster Reefs Can Help Protect Shorelines

Municipalities and military bases are using the bivalve to defend against flooding and damage from climate change-driven storms

Nilgai antelope, like the cattle fever ticks they carry, are considered an invasive species in places like Texas.

Why We Should Rethink How We Talk About “Alien” Species

In a trend that echoes the U.S.-Mexico border debate, some say that calling non-native animals “foreigners” and “invaders” only worsens the problem

These Feisty Female Lemurs Fight With Babies on Their Back

In ring-tailed lemur society, it’s the females who call the shots. They live in groups of up to 30 and the alpha female will fight to protect territory

Whether or not fish feel pain has been debated for years. But the balance of evidence says yes. Now the question is, what do we do about it?

It’s Official: Fish Feel Pain

The verdict is in. But will our oceanic friends ever get the same legal protections as land animals?

Few realize that the lovable, cotton-candy-pink amphibian is on the edge of extinction.

Future of Conservation

How to Save the Paradoxical Axolotl

Despite being a common pet and beloved cultural icon, the grinning amphibian is nearly extinct in the wild

Evidence Suggests Stonehenge Was an Elite Cemetery

Scientists have little doubt that Stonehenge functioned as a Neolithic cemetery

Forensic Test Reveals a Mummy’s Travels Before Death

A ground-breaking scientific technique is tracing the life of one of the bog bodies of Northern Europe

Pavel will be on hand for viewing at the Great Cats habitat, rotating with the Zoo's Sumatran tiger and African lions.

Say Hello to Pavel, the National Zoo’s Latest Addition, an Amur Tiger

For the first time since 1948, a 10-year-old male Siberian big cat graces the D.C. menagerie

Low oxygen caused the death of these corals and others in Bocas del Toro, Panama. The dead crabs pictured also succumbed to the loss of dissolved oxygen.

Why Our Oceans Are Starting to Suffocate

A new paper links global warming to diminished oxygen concentrations at sea

A scientific illustration of the Upward Sun River camp in what is now Interior Alaska.

New Research

Genetics Rewrites the History of Early America—And, Maybe, the Field of Archaeology

The genome of an infant from Upward Sun River, Alaska offers tantalizing insight into the story of human migration

An African lion enjoying an afternoon snack in the falling snow of 2012 at the National Zoo.

How Zoo Animals Stay Safe and Warm in the Arctic Blast

From flamingo ‘hot tubs’ to heated termite mounds, zoos have plenty of tricks to keep creatures safe when the forecast freezes over

Gladiator Teeth Reveal Signs of Infant Malnourishment

By all accounts, Roman gladiators were the rock stars of their day, performing in a packed coliseum to a crowd of thousands

This cartoon from Harper's Weekly depicts how opiates were used in the 19th century to help babies cope with teething.

Inside the Story of America’s 19th-Century Opiate Addiction

Doctors then, as now, overprescribed the painkiller to patients in need, and then, as now, government policy had a distinct bias

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