https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/mammals/RSS feed for MammalsenFri, 17 Jul 2026 13:36:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-16-splendid-aerial-views-capture-wildlife-from-above-revealing-the-beauty-and-mystery-of-nature-180989141/The second International Aerial Photographer of the Year contest selected its winners and 101 top images. Here’s a selection of the photos that spotlight animals from a new perspectiveFri, 17 Jul 2026 13:36:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-16-splendid-aerial-views-capture-wildlife-from-above-revealing-the-beauty-and-mystery-of-nature-180989141/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/giraffes-might-be-even-smarter-than-we-thought-some-can-solve-simple-math-problems-a-new-study-suggests-180989124/Two of four tested giraffes seemed to be able to mentally combine numbers to get one of their favorite treats: carrots. But all the animals failed at tasks involving subtraction or multiple calculationsThu, 16 Jul 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/giraffes-might-be-even-smarter-than-we-thought-some-can-solve-simple-math-problems-a-new-study-suggests-180989124/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-11-wildlife-images-from-the-ocean-conservancys-photography-contest-showcase-the-wonder-of-earths-waters-180989069/Seals, penguins and fish are featured in the nonprofit’s annual competition to inspire care for the world’s oceansMon, 06 Jul 2026 22:15:10 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-11-wildlife-images-from-the-ocean-conservancys-photography-contest-showcase-the-wonder-of-earths-waters-180989069/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-flowering-plants-may-have-relied-on-dinosaurs-to-eat-their-fleshy-fruits-and-spread-their-seeds-180989076/According to fossils preserved by volcanic ash, the plants, known as angiosperms, began producing relatively large, blueberry-size fruits millions of years earlier than previously thoughtMon, 06 Jul 2026 19:12:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/early-flowering-plants-may-have-relied-on-dinosaurs-to-eat-their-fleshy-fruits-and-spread-their-seeds-180989076/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/speed-limits-for-ships-protect-endangered-right-whales-from-vessel-strikes-could-the-animals-survive-without-them-180989013/Since 2008, rules requiring ships to slow down to avoid collisions with North Atlantic right whales have reduced fatalities of the critically endangered animals. Now, NOAA is calling the regulations into question, raising concerns for the mammals’ futureFri, 26 Jun 2026 18:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/speed-limits-for-ships-protect-endangered-right-whales-from-vessel-strikes-could-the-animals-survive-without-them-180989013/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-dolphins-seem-to-remember-which-males-were-aggressive-during-mating-season-and-may-try-to-avoid-them-180988994/When researchers played underwater recordings of pushy males, females that were capable of becoming pregnant swam away from the soundsTue, 23 Jun 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/female-dolphins-seem-to-remember-which-males-were-aggressive-during-mating-season-and-may-try-to-avoid-them-180988994/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-vietnam-veteran-collected-fossils-for-66-years-one-mislabeled-baby-lamprey-made-paleontologists-reconsider-how-vertebrates-moved-from-water-to-land-180988981/The fossil turned out to be a hatchling of a crocodile-like creature, and it suggests, according to a new study, that early animals did not use metamorphosis to evolve to dwell on landThu, 18 Jun 2026 18:15:32 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/a-vietnam-veteran-collected-fossils-for-66-years-one-mislabeled-baby-lamprey-made-paleontologists-reconsider-how-vertebrates-moved-from-water-to-land-180988981/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/trail-camera-photos-capture-rare-antelopes-in-a-kenya-forest-where-conservationists-once-feared-they-had-vanished-180988904/Fewer than 100 mountain bongos are thought to live in the wild, and the new discovery reveals a crucial habitat for the critically endangered creaturesMon, 08 Jun 2026 20:38:19 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/trail-camera-photos-capture-rare-antelopes-in-a-kenya-forest-where-conservationists-once-feared-they-had-vanished-180988904/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/stupid-hot-heat-waves-muddle-the-minds-of-animals-and-humans-as-confusion-and-aggression-seem-to-rise-with-the-temperature-180988902/Wide-ranging research suggests that as temperatures increase, some creatures pick fights while others struggle to learn. The findings hint at consequences that may ripple through ecosystemsFri, 05 Jun 2026 17:52:22 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/stupid-hot-heat-waves-muddle-the-minds-of-animals-and-humans-as-confusion-and-aggression-seem-to-rise-with-the-temperature-180988902/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/youre-guaranteed-to-spot-at-least-one-gorgeous-giraffe-in-each-of-these-15-stunningly-awe-inspiring-images-180988838/With their singular coats, naturally craning collars and elegant gait, these skyscraping mammals can’t help but attract sightseers to their neck of the woodsFri, 29 May 2026 11:59:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/youre-guaranteed-to-spot-at-least-one-gorgeous-giraffe-in-each-of-these-15-stunningly-awe-inspiring-images-180988838/