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New Research

Andromeda

New Research

The Andromeda Galaxy Ate The Milky Way’s Lost Sibling

New simulations show Andromeda absorbed the large galaxy M32p about 2 billion years ago

Would your pup come to your rescue?

Why the Most Helpful Dogs Keep Calm and Carry On

Dogs are willing to overcome obstacles to help people in distress—as long as they keep their cool

The darker the purple, the more Indigenous control.

Indigenous Peoples Manage One Quarter of the Globe, Which Is Good News for Conservation

Despite making up 5 percent of the world’s population, indigenous peoples maintain large swathes of land, two-thirds of which are still in a natural state

New Research

Study Suggests Neanderthals Sparked Their Own Fire

Hand-axe wear suggests our hominid cousins used flint and pyrite to unleash Prometheus’ gift

Noctilucent clouds.

New Research

Climate Change Is Responsible for These Rare High-Latitude Clouds

A study shows that methane emissions are responsible for the increase of noctilucent clouds, which glow eerily at night

Humans and other animals share large amounts of genetic material, making geneticists rethink the traditional notion of inheritance.

New Research

Genes That Jump Between Species Could Rewrite Our Understanding of Evolution

Horizontal movement of genetic material is widespread across animals, challenging traditional notions of inheritance

Two tacos, extra ghost pepper sauce, please!

New Research

Tree Shrews Love Hot Peppers Because They Don’t Feel the Burn

A genetic mutation prevents Chinese tree shrews from feeling the heat of capsaicin, making them the only other mammal besides humans that enjoys hot foods

Tsar Nicholas II and his family

DNA Analysis Confirms Authenticity of Romanovs’ Remains

Will Russia’s fallen royal family finally receive a full burial from the Orthodox Church?

Babies’ Cries May Predict What They Will Sound Like as Adults

A new study has found that vocal pitch arises very early in life

A fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) feeding off a banana.

How Fruit Flies Stay Young at Heart

Researchers link structural alterations to fruit fly hearts to longevity-promoting changes in metabolism

Researchers sampling the Iceman's stomach contents in 2010

Before He Died, Ötzi the Iceman Ate a Greasy, Fatty Meal

A detailed analysis of the mummy’s stomach contents suggests he knew precisely what to eat to survive in harsh Alpine conditions

An ice-loving Weddell seal, equipped with headgear and ready to assist oceanographers.

New Research

How Data-Gathering Seals Help Scientists Measure the Melting Antarctic

Stumped on how to take the temperature of the ocean floor, oceanographers turned to the cutest, most competent divers they knew

New Research

Oldest Stone Tools Outside Africa Unearthed in China

Six artifacts date to 2.1 million years ago, potentially rewriting what we know about which species led the migration out of Africa

New Research

Scientists Explain The Thrill of Detecting a Neutrino From a Far-Off Galaxy

For the first time, the IceCube observatory has triumphantly tracked a neutrino back to a massive blazar

A Roman fish processing factory in the city of Baelo Claudia

New Research

Romans May Have Hunted Whales to Extinction in Their Home Waters

New analysis suggests that right and gray whales were not only once present in the Mediterranean Sea but likely common in the region

An 8,000-year-old skull found in Gua Cha, Malaysia, provided DNA used in the study

New Research

Ancient DNA Offers Insight on Origins of Southeast Asia’s Present-Day Population

Researchers sequenced 26 genomes using DNA samples dating as far back as 8,000 years

Scientists with Smithsonian’s Global Health Program examine a wrinkle-lipped bat, which can harbor a never-before-seen virus.

New Research

A Never-Before-Seen Virus Has Been Detected in Myanmar’s Bats

The discovery of two new viruses related to those that cause SARS and MERS marks PREDICT’s first milestone in the region

Clay's team captured 15 female gnus for study. Following controlled exposure to male mating calls in an experimental setting, the quadrupeds (and their offspring) were released back into the wild.

How Noisy Males Control the Gnu’s Cycle

New research shows that ovulation in Serengeti wildebeests is accelerated and synchronized by the yammering of eager males

New Research

Researchers Find More Evidence for the Higgs Boson

Analysis of years of data from the Large Hadron Collider shows evidence the particle decays into bottom quarks

New Research

Pink Was the First Color of Life on Earth

Researchers have found bright pink pigments in 1.1 billion year old fossils of cyanobacteria drilled in West Africa

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