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New Research

7,000-year-old dog feces from China's Anhui province

Artificial Intelligence Gives Researchers the Scoop on Ancient Poop

The computer program can identify canine versus human feces based on DNA sequences in samples

The unique scent of rain may actually be a chemical signal used by bacteria to attract this tiny arthropod, called a springtail.

New Research

How Rain Evolved Its Distinct Scent—and Why Animals and Humans Love It

New research reveals the ancient symbiotic relationship behind geosmin, the chemical compound responsible for the scent of fresh rain

Flamingos mingle in a small group at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge in England.

New Research

Flamingos in Captivity Pick Favorite Friends Among the Flock

These cliques wear pink every day of the week

Artist's conception of SN2016aps, a supernova that was brighter and released more energy than any other ever observed by astronomers.

New Research

Astronomers Spy Brightest Supernova Ever Seen

A star 100-times more massive than the sun exploded with 10-times more energy than a normal-sized supernova

Some dolphins are shy, too.

Wild Dolphins Seem to Have a Range of Personalities

From shy to bold with shades in between, dolphin personalities are surprisingly similar to ours

Researchers recently scanned some of the oldest dinosaur embryos in the world

Digital Reconstructions Reveal 200-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Embryo’s Unusual Teeth

New scans suggest unhatched dinosaurs reabsorbed a set of teeth during development

A team of researchers has discovered carefully buried Iron Age chicken and hare bones that show no signs of butchery.

New Research

Hares and Chickens Were Revered as Gods—Not Food—in Ancient Britain

New research indicates that Iron Age Britons venerated brown hares and chickens long before modern Easter celebrations

Some eastern monarch butterflies travel about 3,000 miles to reach their overwintering sites in Mexico.

New Research

Hand-Reared Monarch Butterflies Are Weaker Than Their Wild Cousins

In the wild, only about one in 20 caterpillars grows up to be a butterfly

This siphonophore may be the longest ever recorded.

Watch This Giant, Eerie, String-Like Sea Creature Hunt for Food in the Indian Ocean

Researchers shared a video of this massive siphonophore, one of the longest of its kind ever recorded

Decorated eggs from the Isis Tomb, Vulci, Italy, on display in the British Museum

Ornately Decorated Eggs Have Been Traded Worldwide for Thousands of Years

A new analysis of ancient ostrich eggs at the British Museum underscores the interconnectedness of the ancient world

Currently, the toilet can test for up to ten different biomarkers from analyses of stool and urine samples, according to a Stanford press release.

Why Scientists Created a ‘Smart Toilet’ That Recognizes Your Butt

The bidet-like suite of devices detects abnormalities in feces that could flag signs of certain cancers

A survey of 1,036 reefs in the Great Barrier Reef over the last two weeks of March revealed the most widespread bleaching event on record.

New Research

The Great Barrier Reef Is Now Facing Most Widespread Bleaching Event Yet

The severity of this year’s bleaching is second only to 2016, during which a third of the reef’s corals died

Sometimes, love lasts a lifetime—and then some.

Researchers Find Two Fornicating Flies Enshrined in 41-Million-Year-Old Amber

A treasure trove of new fossils unearthed in Australia reveals some raunchily-positioned bugs

This illustration is an artist's interpretation of what a toothed pterosaur may have looked like 100 million years ago.

Four New Species of Prehistoric Flying Reptiles Unearthed in Morocco

These flying reptiles patrolled the African skies some 100 million years ago

Olivia de Havilland's 1943 legal victory against Warner Bros. contributed to the downfall of the Hollywood studio system.

Hollywood’s ‘Golden Age’ Saw Massive Dip in Female Film Representation

A new study ties the ousting of women directors, actors, producers and screenwriters to the rise of entertainment studios

Dolphin Boy Bands Sing ‘Pop’ Songs in Sync—and the Ladies Want It That Way

Female dolphins, it seems, aren’t immune to the allure of a harmonizing boy band

Maratus azureus, a newly discovered species of peacock spider from Western Australia

See Seven New Dazzling, Dancing Peacock Spiders

Hailing from all over Australia, the spiders were identified by a scientist who used to fear them

Matilda McCrear died in 1940 at the age of 81 or 82.

Researcher Identifies the Last Known Survivor of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Matilda McCrear was just 2 when she was captured and brought to Alabama on the “Clotilda”

In total, the team’s analysis covered 134 populations and 101 species, including lions, orcas, reindeer, and squirrels.

Females Live Longer Than Males—Among Humans and Other Mammals, Too

A sweeping new study of 101 mammal species found that females live, on average, 18.6 percent longer than their male counterparts

An Asian trampsnail on a coffee leaf infected with coffee leaf rust.

New Research

Invasive Snails Might Save Coffee Crops From Fungus, but Experts Advise Caution

The snails are an invasive crop pest that are known to eat more than just coffee rust

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