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Biology

Though current variants don't appear to jump from deer to humans, monitoring how the virus spreads through deer populations could be critical for public health.

Discovery of Omicron in New York Deer Raises Concern Over Possible New Variants

White-tailed deer could become a reservoir for Covid-19, putting people and animals at risk

Rams know how to use their heads, but tigers are strategic attackers.

Who Would Win in a Real-World Battle: A Bengal Tiger or a Ram?

The big cats are stealthy predators, but the mountain-climbing ungulates are agile defenders

Gentoo penguins may become more numerous in parts of Antarctica that were once too icy for the temperate birds. 

New Antarctic Penguin Colonies Discovered Farther South Than Normal

As the climate warms, gentoo penguins are expanding to habitats that were previously too icy for them to raise chicks

Scientists identified an odor receptor that detects a synthetic musk used in fragrances, and another that detects underarm odor.

Humans’ Sense of Smell May Be Worse Than Our Primate Ancestors’

The recent study also identified two new scent receptors for musk and body odor

A pod of orcas surfaces in Alaska's Frederick Sound

Scientists Witness Orcas Kill Blue Whale for the First Time

A series of filmed attacks confirm that killer whales will attack the biggest animals on Earth

African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) were able to regrow a functional limb within 18 months of the novel treatment.

Frogs Can Regrow Lost Legs in the Lab. Now, Researchers Say Human Limb Regeneration Could Happen ‘in Our Lifetime’

A 24-hour treatment using a five-drug cocktail kickstarted a yearlong regrowth process in the amphibians

Hippos may appear inactive, but a recent study shows that they’re listening closely to their surroundings.

A Hippo’s Response to an Unknown Caller? A Blast of Poop and a Rowdy Holler

The lumbering animals respond calmly to their grunting and groaning friends, but a stranger’s voice often prompted a loud, filthy territorial response

Despite the species’ name, European green crabs’ color varies widely from dark brown to dark green with patches of yellow or orange.

Nearly 70,000 Invasive Green Crabs Were Captured in Washington State Last Fall

State government officials took emergency actions this month to eradicate the non-native species

Mammal and bird losses cut a plant’s ability to adapt to global climate change by 60 percent. Pictured: Cedar waxwing

With Fewer Animals to Move Their Seeds, Plants Are Stuck in Threatened Habitats

For many types of vegetation, the only way to migrate to a more favorable range is through the guts of mammals and birds

Baleen whales like humpbacks use hair-like bristles in their mouth to sieve prey from the water

Scientists Discover How Whales Eat Without Choking on Water

An ‘oral plug’ of muscle and fat could help keep water out of the whales’ lungs

A queen Oecophylla smaragdina ant

How Can Ant and Termite Queens Live So Long?

Scientists are working to understand the matriarchs, who can survive decades while investing huge amounts of energy into reproduction

The newly recognized species, Taksinus bambus, is the first known tarantula to nest exclusively inside bamboo stalks.

Good News

A Wildlife YouTuber Discovered This New Species of Tarantula in Thailand

The bamboo-dwelling spider is so distinct from others that it’s been declared a new genus and species

The elite used the highly-prized, donkey-like creatures for travel and warfare.

This Ancient Wild Ass Was the Earliest Known Animal Hybrid Bred by Humans

Called a kunga, the donkey-like creature may have been considered a status symbol about 4,500 years ago

Betty White poses with a parrot at the Los Angeles Zoo in 2014.

Good News

Animal Shelters See an Influx of Donations in Honor of Betty White

Fans donated thousands of dollars to local animal shelters on what would have been her 100th birthday

NASA astronaut Tim Kopra (left) performs blood draw on European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Tim Peake for the recent study.

Space Is Destroying Astronauts’ Red Blood Cells

The discovery could complicate long-term space travel, including future Mars missions

In the largest-ever study of horse bones to date, researchers examined equine remains from 171 unique archaeological sites including castles and medieval horse cemeteries.

The Horses of Medieval Times Weren’t Much Bigger Than Modern-Day Ponies

A study of the remains of 2,000 specimens reveals the steeds were around 4 feet 10 inches tall

Dogs may even be able to suss out which sounds are words and which are just nonsense.

Good News

Dogs Can Tell the Difference Between Human Languages

Canines in the study could differentiate between Spanish, Hungarian and nonsense words

(Top) Leila Strickland, Michelle Egger, Toby Kiers, Colin Averill, J. Richard Gott (Middle) Leslie Jones-Dove, Devshi Mehrotra, Prisha Shroff, Iké Udé (Bottom) Tim Farrelly, Omar Salem, David Deneher, Victor A. Lopez-Carmen, Doris Sung

Innovation for Good

Sixteen Innovators to Watch in 2022

These trailblazers are dreaming up a future with cell-cultured breastmilk, energy-saving windows and more

A bar proprietress drinks during her 101st birthday party at her tiny bar in Tokyo.

Old-Age Record Could Reach 130 by Century’s End

Analysis of supercentenarians suggests human lifespan may have no limit

A CT scan of the spiral intestine of a Pacific spiny dogfish shark (Squalus suckleyi). The organ begins on the left and ends on the right.

Innovation for Good

Ten Scientific Discoveries From 2021 That May Lead to New Inventions

From nanobots to cancer treatments, nature inspires a wide variety of innovations

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