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Animals

Colors in nature can be produced by both pigments that absorb some light and microscopic structures that change the wavelength of light.

How Do Scientists Know What Colors Prehistoric Animals Were?

Fossil expert Maria McNamara explains how paleontologists are starting to investigate the hues of the past

Trending Today

Thousands of Invasive Cane Toads Overtake Florida Community

A mild winter and rain has led to a spring explosion of the amphibians, which are clogging pool filters, lawns and driveways

One way of distinguishing these zebras from one another? Their stripes

The High-Tech, Humane Ways Biologists Can Identify Individual Animals

Humans have driver’s licenses and fingerprints, but cows have nose-prints and zebras have “StripeCodes”

Around 20 percent of the time, the bears returned a playmate’s expression within one second of seeing it

Sun Bears Mimic Each Other’s Facial Expressions to Communicate

Previously, precise facial mimicry has only been observed in humans and gorillas

Keepers suspect that the mother might already be pregnant with a second.

Is That Wallaby Sprouting a Second Head?

Last week, the first baby wallaby to be born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in three decades poked its head out of its mother’s pouch

New Research

Some People’s Brains Can Sense Earth’s Magnetic Field—but No, It Doesn’t Mean We Have Magnetoreception ‘Superpowers’

A new experiment reveals signs our brains may respond to changes in Earth’s magnetic field, but it’s unclear whether it impacts behavior

Ewe can't hurry love.

New Research

Healthy Baby Lambs Born Using World’s Oldest Sperm

Ram semen survived 50 years frozen in liquid nitrogen, matched insemination success rate of sperm frozen for just one year

Honey gathered from urban beehives offers a surprisingly accurate measure of surrounding communities’ air quality

How Urban Beehives Can Help Researchers Detect Air Pollution

Trace elements found in honey may be able to lead researchers straight to the source of environmental contamination

Hungry Otters Are Creating a Unique Archaeological Record

By bashing mussel shells onto stones, otters leave behind traces of their activity

New Research

The Carcasses That Mountain Lions Leave Behind Power Entire Insect Ecosystems

A new study shows 215 species of beetles rely on the big cats’ leftovers

Woman Attacked by Jaguar at Arizona Zoo Says She Was ‘In the Wrong’

She had been trying to get a photo of the animal, which reached through its cage and clamped down on her arm

New Research

Dog Walks Are Good Exercise for Seniors—But Be Careful, Fractures Are on the Rise

Injuries caused by walking a dog on a leash have doubled in the last 15 years for Americans aged 65 and over

Expansion packs featuring birds of every continent are currently in the works

This New Scientifically Accurate Board Game Is for the Birders

“Wingspan” features 170 unique species cards filled with real-world information, life-like illustrations

Previously, the only known member of the genus spotted on Sulawesi was T. fulvicornis, a species described in 1885.

Cool Finds

These 103 Beetle Species Have a Mix of Pop Culture-Inspired Names

Entomologists named the newly discovered species after Star Wars Jedi master Yoda, Greek goddess Artemis, French comic book character Asterix

Researchers crossed paths with a pod of Type D whales during a January expedition

A New Orca Species May Have Been Spotted Off the Coast of Chile

Until now, the so-called Type D killer whale has been the stuff of legends, eluding scientists while sneaking snacks off of fishermen’s lines

To find out what's going on outside, people love to search for it online.

Bird Migrations, Floral Blooms and Other Natural Phenomena Cause Seasonal Spikes in Wikipedia Searches

A new study has found that pageview trends for various plants and animal species correspond to real-world seasonal patterns

Kitten-sized Lil Bub has extra toes on each paw, no teeth and an undersized jaw that makes her tongue perpetually stick out

Genome Sequencing Offers Clues About Celebrity Cat Lil Bub’s Unusual Appearance

Researchers identified the mutations responsible for the tabby’s extra toes, tiny stature

The team's findings could have implications for the treatment of human communication disorders

Meet the Singing Mice of Central America

The vocal critters could help scientists better understand the mechanics of human conversation

Trending Today

Chubby Rat Stuck in Manhole Cover Rescued by Fearless Firefighters

It took eight volunteer firefighters to pop the overweight rodent out of a vent in the sewer cover

Due to their genetic and physiological similarities to humans, lab rodents have become the cornerstone of animal research.

The History of the Lab Rat Is Full of Scientific Triumphs and Ethical Quandaries

Lab rodents have been used in animal testing for more than 150 years, and the number of rodent-based studies continues to grow

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