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New Research

An artist's rendering of the new species Teleocrater rhadinus hunting a cynodont, a close relative of mammals.

New Research

Before There Were Dinosaurs, There Was This Weird Crocodile-Looking Thing

A new analysis of an ancient enigma offers clues as to how dino evolution unfolded

This snapshot shows Jupiter's swirling, banded atmosphere and signature vortices.

New Research

“Great Cold Spot” Discovered on Jupiter

The ancient storm was hiding in plain sight

Ingenious leafcutter ants have developed a successful symbiotic relationship with the fungi they farm. New genetic analysis helps pinpoint when, and why.

New Research

How Ants Became the World’s Best Fungus Farmers

Ancient climate change may have spurred a revolution in ant agriculture, Smithsonian researchers find

Are creatures like this at the bottom of animals' family tree?

New Research

Scientists Think Comb Jellies May Have Come Before All Other Animals

Sorry, sponges—there’s a new oldest ancestor in town

Computer-assisted reconstruction of the cavities

New Research

13,000-Year-Old Fillings Were “Drilled” With Stone and Packed With Tar

You can’t handle the tooth

Califorctenus cacachilensis

Cool Finds

Huge New Spider Species Discovered in Mexican Cave

Califorctenus cacachilensis is the width of a softball and represents a new genus of arachnids

New Research

New Survey Estimates Earth Has 60,065 Tree Species

Researchers from Botanic Gardens Conservation International compiled the list, finding that at least 10,000 tree species are at risk of extinction

Are orangutans aware that others have different minds than their own?

New Research

Monkeys May Recognize False Beliefs—Knocking Over Yet Another Pillar of Human Cognition

Apes may be aware of the minds of others—yet another remarkable finding about the cognitive abilities of non-human animals

Don't worry: It's beef.

New Research

New Study Fleshes Out the Nutritional Value of Human Meat

The caloric value of the human body is surprisingly low compared to other prehistoric food options

The view from GJ 1132b

New Research

Atmosphere Detected Around an Earth(ish)-Sized Planet

Just 39 light years away, GJ 1132b is 1.4 times the Earth’s radius and has an atmosphere that may be composed of steam or methane

Heritage scientist Cecilia Bembibre captures the smell of a 18th-century bible at Knole House.

New Research

The Quest to Better Describe the Scent of Old Books

Describing a unique smell just got easier thanks to a pair of olfactory detectives

New Research

Artifacts Found in Indonesian Cave Show Complexities of Ice Age Culture

Pendants and buttons as well as carvings suggest the inhabitants of Wallacea were as advanced as Europeans during the Ice Age

New Research

Why Do So Many Hollywood Villains Have Skin Conditions?

A new study cautions that the scars and warts that afflict many movie villains could contribute to social stigmas

Birth weights declined near the Paradise Fossil Plant in Kentucky during the 1980s.

New Research

Coal-Fueled Power Plants Linked to Lower Birth Weights in Tennessee Valley

When nuclear power plants pressed pause, coal stepped in—and birth weights began to decline

The seven species studied

New Research

Slo-Mo Footage Shows How Scorpions Strike

Using high speed cameras, researchers uncovered the defensive patterns used by scorpions, including the super-fast death stalker

This Asiatic cheetah, caught on camera in the Naybandan Wildlife Refuge in Iran, is likely one of just dozens in the region.

New Research

Poaching Isn’t the Cheetah’s Only Problem

Humans isolate the rare cats with roads and fences—which can be as devastating as hunting them outright

Former U.S. president Barack Obama goes book-shopping with his daughters in Washington, DC in 2015.

New Research

Liberals and Conservatives Read Totally Different Books About Science

The good news: Everyone likes dinosaurs

The tick discovered preserved in amber

New Research

30-Million-Year-Old Tick Full of Monkey Blood Found in Ancient Amber

Scientists think the tick was plucked from a primate before being dropped in a puddle of sticky tree resin

Your vending machine is judging you.

New Research

Brief Vending Machine Delay Helps People Make Better Snack Choices

When a vending machine withheld junky snacks for 25 seconds, people were slightly more likely to choose a healthier option

New Research

Proposed Test Heats Up the Debate on Solar Geoengineering

Harvard scientists are moving ahead with plans to investigate using particles to reflect some of the sun’s radiation

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