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Oldest Animals Ever Discovered
The sponge-like organisms date back to about 760 million years ago, extending the known time span of animals by 17 percent
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The Wandering Albatross and Global Warming
The giant oceanic birds are producing more and plumper chicks, at least for now
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What You See When You Turn a Fish Inside Out
Scientists use X-rays to classify different species, but when viewed outside the lab, the images provide stunning art
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What the Inuit Taught Scientists About Killer Whales
The native people knew what orcas ate, how they hunted prey, how the prey responded to the whales and when and where predation occurred
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Telomeres and Longevity in Zebra Finches
A study in birds confirms that protective caps on chromosomes predict a longer lifespan
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How Animals Prepare for an Alien Invasion
Why can some—but only some—bluetongue skinks eat a toad that is poisonous to eat or even lick?
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Wild Things: Yeti Crabs, Guppies and Ravens
Tree killers and the first beds ever round up this month in wildlife news
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Breeders from 19 countries put their creations to the test at the 20th World Orchid Conference in Singapore
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What Robot Fish Can Tell Us About Parallel Evolution
When housed in an aquarium with a swirling robotic school, what determines whether a fish will join the crowd?
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Boa Constrictors Get a Feel for Their Prey
What makes a snake stop squeezing? We do science to prove ourselves wrong, because the answer people predicted is not the correct answer
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In honor of the Year of the Dragon, we take a look at some potential inspirations for the dragon myth
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Nine Ways to Lure a Lover, Orchid-Style
Beauty, mystery and deceit—the Smithsonian’s collection of nearly 8,000 live orchids has it all
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Did Bigfoot Really Exist? How Gigantopithecus Became Extinct
Dental, dietary and environmental clues help explain why the world’s largest ape vanished
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Fish Mimics Fish-Mimicking Octopus
The black-marble jawfish takes advantage of its coloring to blend in with an octopus and stay safe from predators
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#5: Cartoons lie—elephants don’t like peanuts
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Wild Things: Killer Whales, Spiders and Woodpeckers
Yellow saddle goatfish, mastodon ribs and more in this month’s summary of wildlife news
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After all but disappearing, the mammals are again being sighted in Washington’s Cascade Range
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Ten Great Science Stories You Might Have Missed
From zebras in the Kalahari to satellites pointed at the Sun, the magazine has covered a host of interesting science topics this year
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Top Ten Science Blog Posts of 2011
Cats, zombies, earthquakes, chickens—our readers have an eclectic taste
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What In The World Is An Echidna?
This spiky monotreme can be found in Australia and New Guinea
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