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New Research

Scientists Now Know Where the Largest Ape to Ever Exist Sits in Primate Family Tree

Proteins from a 1.9 million-year-old molar show that the 10-foot-tall ‘Gigantopithecus’ is a distant relative to modern orangutans

The ibis-headed god Thoth

New Research

DNA Suggests Ancient Egypt’s Millions of Ibis Mummies Were Wild-Caught Birds

The animals’ genes don’t show the tell-tale signs of domestication, suggesting they were only held temporarily before being sacrificed

Greenland's oldest ice—once thought of as "the last ice area"—is melting twice as fast as the rest of the Arctic.

Greenland’s Oldest Ice Is Melting ‘Twice as Fast as the Rest of the Arctic’

The region was once thought of as the ‘last ice area’ because scientists thought it would outlive other ice

The Swiss government will delay making a final decision on the matter until January at the earliest.

Switzerland Will Reconsider Decision to Stop Stockpiling Coffee Following Public Outcry

The country’s government suggested coffee was not essential to survival. The public strongly disagreed

Dolphins corral sardines into a "bait ball."

Watch Dolphins Punt, Thrash and Trap Their Prey

Recent observations showcase dolphins’ diverse—and often violent—hunting techniques

Hoh Xil, on the Tibetan Plateau, sits in what will soon be Sanjiangyuan, China's first national park, according to Getty.

China Is Developing a New National Parks System, Inspired by Yellowstone and Yosemite

The first one to open will encompass a high-altitude, remote region of the Tibetan Plateau

Trending Today

NASA Names Most Distant Object Ever Explored ‘Arrokoth,’ the Powhatan Word for Sky

The space rock’s initial nickname, Ultima Thule, drew criticism for its ties to Nazi ideology

Ocean X recovered 900 bottles of alcohol from a 102-year-old shipwreck.

Cool Finds

Tsar Nicholas II’s Last Shipment of Booze Recovered From the Baltic Sea

Salvagers hope that some of the 900 bottles of cognac and Benedictine are still drinkable

A general view shows the flooded St. Mark's Square, the Doge's Palace (L), the Lion of St. Mark winged bronze statue and the Venetian lagoon after an exceptional overnight "Alta Acqua" high tide water level, on November 13, 2019 in Venice.

Venice Declares State of Emergency as City Battles Worst Floods in 50 Years

The Italian city’s high-water mark reached 74 inches on Tuesday

Illegally caught belugas in a pool in Srednyaya Bay near the city of Nakhodka in Russia's Far East.

Russia Frees Last Belugas From Notorious ‘Whale Jail’

Dozens of orcas and belugas had been kept in small sea pens, reportedly awaiting sale to China

A two-month-old filefish collected in the survey surrounded by plastic bits.

New Research

Newly Identified Fish Nurseries Are Choked With Plastic

Larval fish congregate in surface slicks, which contain plankton—and 126 times more plastic than surrounding waters

The submarine's plaque still bears its name.

Cool Finds

American Submarine Lost in WWII Located Off Okinawa

Explorers found the “Grayback,” which sank in 1944 with 80 U.S. sailors aboard, after correcting a single digit mistranslation

The silver-backed chevrotain hadn't been photographed or studied by scientists in 30 years.

Scientists Thought This Fanged, Cat-Sized Deer Was Gone for Good—Now It’s Been Found Again in Vietnam

The species was lost to science, but locals had seen silver-backed chevrotains among their more common deer relatives for years

British novelist Ian Fleming on the beach near Goldeneye, his Jamaica home, on February 23, 1964

For Sale: Trove of Tempestuous Letters Exchanged by Ian Fleming and His Wife, Ann

“In the present twilight, we are hurting each other to an extent that makes life hardly bearable,” wrote the James Bond author in one missive

Judith Leyster, The Concert, c. 1633

The Dutch Golden Age’s Female Painters Finally Receive a Show of Their Own

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts spotlights eight unheralded 17th- and 18th-century artists

More than 60 bushfires destroyed 200 homes in Australia.

Australia Is Battling ‘Catastrophic’ Bushfires

‘I’ve been in this industry for 40 years and I have not seen a scenario like this before,’ one fire official said

New Research

Birds Sniff Each Other’s Bacteria to Help Choose a Mate

A new study finds the microbiome in a bird’s preen oil determines its scent, which can impact its reproductive success

Google's Art Camera scanned dozens of works of art in high resolution.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Teams Up With Google to Digitize Puerto Rico’s Art

The devastation of Hurricane Maria highlighted the importance of preserving the island’s cultural treasures

One of the wrecks discovered off the coast of Vaxholm

Cool Finds

This Wreck May Be the Sister Ship of Sweden’s Ill-Fated ‘Vasa’ Warship

Divers discovered the wreckage of two 17th-century warships off the coast of an island near Stockholm

Some of the 824 bones uncovered at a site in Mexico

Two Traps Where Woolly Mammoths Were Driven to Their Deaths Found in Mexico

The discovery may offer rare evidence that humans were actively hunting the great creatures

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