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New Research

New Research

Meet Africa’s Newest Crocodile Species

The African slender-snouted crocodile has been split into two species and both of them are critically endangered

Lavender’s Lovely Smell Soothes Anxious Behavior in Mice

In mice, at least, lavender may also be as effective at combating anxiety as commonly-prescribed medications

Mars imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope during a close approach to Earth.

New Research

Salty Water Under the Surface of Mars Could Have Enough Oxygen for Life

New models suggest subsurface water could absorb enough oxygen to support microbial communities and even things like sponges

New Research

Europe’s First Dogs Disappeared After Neolithic Farmers Arrived With Their Own Pups

Genetic analysis shows ancient canines from the Near East slowly replaced indigenous dog populations of that period

New Research

This Little Fish Was Nomming on Flesh 150 Million Years Ago

The Jurassic-era species found in southern Germany had jaws and teeth like a piranha and likely nipped off the fins of other fish

Plastic on a beach in St. Helena.

New Research

Remote South Atlantic Islands Are Flooded With Plastic

In less than ten years, plastic pollution around St. Helena, East Falkland and Ascension Islands has increased tenfold, and 100 times in the last 30 years

New Research

A Case of Mistaken Sea Monster Identity

Re-analysis of Kansas fossils show they come from a newborn Tylosaurus, which were born without their tell-tale toothy snouts

New Research

Male Gorillas That Babysit End Up With Larger Brood of Their Own

Male gorillas that participated in child-rearing were also more successful breeders

Climate change is already a sobering topic. Drink up while you can.

Thanks to Climate Change, Beer Will Go the Way of Bees, Chocolate and Coffee

It’s not the most severe impact of rising temperatures, but the lack of a cold one on a hot day could “add insult to injury,” says a new study

New Research

This Humongous Fungus Is as Massive as Three Blue Whales

A new estimate suggests this mushroom is 2,500 Years Old and Weighs 440 tons

More than half of Americans of European descent could be matched to a third cousin or closer through anonymous DNA samples

You Could Be Identified Through a Genealogy Database—Even If Your DNA Hasn’t Been Tested

New study finds that approximately 60 percent of people of European-descent in the U.S. can be matched to a third cousin or closer

This girl is off to a good start

Growing Up Surrounded by Books Could Have Powerful, Lasting Effect on the Mind

A new study suggests that exposure to large home libraries may have a long-term impact on proficiency in three key areas

The Average Person Can Recognize 5,000 Faces

But some participants in a recent study were able to recall as many as 10,000 faces

Cool Finds

You Thought Modern Life Was Bad. This Neanderthal Child Was Eaten By a Giant Bird

It’s not known if the bird killed the child or scavenged its remains, but finger bones found in Poland show they went through a bird’s digestive tract

Well then what would we call a cow that jumps over a moonmoon?

New Research

If a Moon Has a Moon, Is Its Moon Called a Moonmoon?

A new study suggests it’s possible some moons could have moons and the internet wants to give them a name—but scientists have yet to actually find one

New Research

Mount Vesuvius Boiled Its Victims’ Blood and Caused Their Skulls to Explode

A new study of residue on skeletons from the 79 A.D. eruption indicates Herculaneum was hit with a 400 to 900 degree pyroclastic flow

How Siberian Huskies Get Their Piercing Blue Eyes

A new study suggests that the defining trait is linked to a unique genetic mutation

Stone tools discovered in Belize's Paynes Creek Salt Works

How Salty Fish Helped the Maya of Belize Bolster Their Economy

A new study suggests that workshops on the coast of Belize were not only producing salt, but also preserving animal meat

Agglutinated walls in Palaeopascichnus linearis from the khatyspyt formation

Oldest Known Macroscopic Skeletal Organism Was Masquerading as Fossilized Feces

Some researchers initially dismissed the remains of Palaeopascichnus lineari as teeny turds from a bygone era

Child's left-foot sock

1,700-Year-Old Sock Spins Yarn About Ancient Egyptian Fashion

This stripy toe sock appears to have warmed the foot of a tot in the late antiquity period

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