Biology
Climate Change Is a Wake-Up Call for Hibernating Squirrels
As spring arrives sooner, female Arctic ground squirrels are emerging from their burrows earlier, according to a new study
Scientists Create 'Synthetic Embryos' From Monkey Cells
By studying lab-grown stem cells, scientists hope to shed light on miscarriages and birth defects
Octopuses May Have Vivid Nightmares, Video Suggests
Costello, a male Brazilian reef octopus, had "bizarre" defensive outbursts while sleeping in a lab
The Illuminating Science Behind Fireflies
A dedicated ornithologist with a passion for lightning bugs scours bogs and beaches to discover previously unknown species
Why Male California Sea Lions Are Getting Bigger
The “raccoons of the sea” have varied diets, allowing them to grow large to compete for mates
The World's Newest National Park Protects 550-Million-Year-Old Fossils
The 148,000-acre Nilpena Ediacara National Park in South Australia is helping scientists unravel the mysteries of life's evolution on Earth
How You Can See Tens of Thousands of Fireflies Flash in Unison
The lottery for viewing these bioluminescent bugs at Great Smoky Mountains National Park opens Friday
Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Other—and the Birds Loved It
Wild parrots tend to fly in flocks, but when kept as single pets, they may become lonely and bored
Carnivorous Plants May Lure Insects With Specially Tailored Scents
Pitcher plants appear to use different odor cocktails to attract bees, moths, ants and other bugs into their death traps
Why It’s Time for a Worldwide Lights-Out Program
A new Smithsonian exhibition delves into the issue of light pollution, with easy solutions offering an immediate change
Watch This Elephant Peel a Banana With Her Trunk
Pang Pha likely learned to de-skin the yellow fruits while observing her human caretaker in her youth
Extinct Tasmanian Tigers May Have Survived Longer Than Previously Thought
Though the last documented thylacine died in 1936, a new study based on alleged sightings suggests the species lived for decades more
Probiotics May Help Corals Fight a Dangerous Disease Off Florida’s Coast
The new treatment shows promise in lab experiments
Were Scientists Duped by a Plastic Shark Toy?
Researchers withdrew a report of a rare and elusive goblin shark spotted in Greece after their peers raised concerns about the alleged discovery
Fish May Sense Each Other's Fear
Zebrafish respond when their peers act afraid, an ability regulated by the same hormone that drives human empathy, a new study shows
Animal Personalities Can Trip Up Science
Individual behavior patterns may skew studies, but researchers have a solution to this problem
Is Saliva the Next Frontier in Cancer Detection?
Scientists are finding tumor signals in spit that could be key to developing diagnostic tests for various types of cancer
Scientists Are Trying to Figure Out How Animals Follow a Scent to Its Source
Uncovering the varied strategies that animals employ could help engineers develop robots that accomplish similar tasks
Bumblebees Learn to Open Puzzle Boxes From Each Other
New findings might suggest the insects have a capacity for culture, researchers say
Rare Jurassic-Era Insect Discovered at Arkansas Walmart
The species had not been recorded in eastern North America for more than 50 years—and never documented in the state
