Smithsonian Affiliations | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/smithsonian-affiliations/RSS feed for Smithsonian AffiliationsenTue, 26 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000The Mere Presence of Humans—Not Just Our Changes to the Land—Can Alter Wild Animals' Behaviors, a New Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-mere-presence-of-humans-not-just-our-changes-to-the-land-can-alter-wild-animals-behaviors-a-new-study-suggests-180988793/Researchers examined GPS tracking data from thousands of animals representing 37 species and anonymized cellphone location data from 2020, a year of Covid-19 lockdowns, and the previous yearTue, 26 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-mere-presence-of-humans-not-just-our-changes-to-the-land-can-alter-wild-animals-behaviors-a-new-study-suggests-180988793/These Tiny Ants Crawled All Over Larger Ants and Licked Them Clean. Scientists Aren't Sure How This Behavior Benefits Any of Themhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-tiny-ants-crawled-all-over-larger-ants-and-licked-them-clean-scientists-arent-sure-how-this-behavior-benefits-any-of-them-180988555/After witnessing the interactions in an Arizona desert, a Smithsonian researcher suggests that the little ants picked off tasty treats and that the big ants got thoroughly groomed in hard-to-reach placesThu, 16 Apr 2026 18:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-tiny-ants-crawled-all-over-larger-ants-and-licked-them-clean-scientists-arent-sure-how-this-behavior-benefits-any-of-them-180988555/