Animals

Blind Mole Rats’ Cells Self-Destruct Before They Can Turn Cancerous

Researchers tease out the secret behind blind mole rats' resistance to cancer

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The Hunt for Bigfoot Goes High Tech

If anyone can find Bigfoot, it's probably the drones

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Bee Hive Democracy Isn’t So Different From Human Democracy

Can we take a hint from the animal kingdom in order to smooth out our process of selecting a leader and reaching consensus?

Beetles Invasion: One Artist’s Take on the Insect

A swarm of giant beetles, lovingly sculpted by Washington D.C.-based artist Joan Danziger, descends on the American University Museum

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The Best Wildlife Photographs of the Year

Over 48,000 photos were entered in the Veolia Environnement contest; these 10 were among the most stunning

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Dolphins Go Hunting In Fishers’ Nets

Dolphins deliberately enter trawlers' nets to look for food--sometimes they get caught

Is Dancing Uniquely Human?

According to oral tradition, the Mayflower Pilgrims landed near Plymouth Rock in 1620—but first-person accounts of their arrival make no mention of it.

Did the Pilgrims Really Land on Plymouth Rock and More Questisons From our Readers

Where do hurricanes start, the Big Bang, sea gulls and other answers from the Smithsonian’s experts

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Monkeys Totally Not Into PDA

Monkeys engage in "sneaky sex" to escape the burning gaze of voyeuristic bystanders

Black-headed Spider Monkey (Ateles fusciceps)

Alan Dudley’s Wondrous Array of Animal Skulls

A new book delivers fascinating photographs of over 300 skulls from the British taxidermist's personal collection—the largest in the world

Invasive nutria in the Southern U.S.

Guilt-Free Meat-Eating Strategy: Hunt Invasive Species

A new book describes how invasive species may provide vegetarians a welcome meat-eating freebie

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How To Film a Cheetah Sprinting at 61 Miles Per Hour

National Geographic shows how a team filmed Sarah, the fastest cheetah in the world, sprinting at top speed

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Scientific Illustrations: Your Go-To Guides for Halloween Costumes

The details are what separate a good outfit from an amazing one. The images in the Biodiversity Heritage Library can help you make the leap

A beluga whale

Beluga Whale Learns to Speak Like a Human

Beluga whales can vocalize in a way remarkably close to human speech, according to new observations

The giant, newly discovered harvestman from Laos.

Giant, Foot-long Daddy Longlegs Discovered in Cave

A huge, 13-inch long harvestman - better known as a daddy longlegs - turned up in Laos

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Dolphins Sleep With Only Half Their Brain at a Time

Dolphins sleep with only half of their brains at a time, bestowing them with the uncanny ability to stay constantly alert for at least 15 days in a row

Scavenging crow

Brain-Eating Crows May Help Spread Prion Diseases

Prions - the infectious proteins that cause illnesses in humans and other animals such as mad cow disease - can pass through the digestive systems of crows

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This Feeder Doubles as a Photo Booth for Birds

A bird feeder with a built-in camera housing could economize wildlife photography

City Birds Are Evolving To Be More Flexible and Assertive Than Their Country Cousins

Animals are adapting to life in the big city

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100-Million-Year-Old Spider Caught in the Act of Pouncing on Its Prey

A rare fossil captured a 100-million-year-old moment in time, a spider attacking an insect trapped in its web

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