Biology

Mar 5th, 2026 - The chances of finding one mammal species thought to be lost was 'almost zero' and finding two is 'unprecedented', biologist Tim Flannery says R esearchers led by the Australian scientist Tim Flannery have made a once-in-a-lifetime discovery: that two charismatic marsupial species that had been thought extinct for 6,000 years are alive in rainforest in remote West Papua. The pair are rare examples of "Lazarus taxa" – species that disappeared from fossil records in the distant past that ... [Read More]

Mar 5th, 2026 - T-Rex walked on its tippy toes, but we're not sure how elegant it was. For decades, pop culture has painted Tyrannosaurus rex as a heavy-footed titan whose every step would make the ground tremble. But new evidence suggests this nine-ton predator was surprisingly dainty. Instead of stomping, T. rex likely struck the ground with the very tips of its toes first. A study published in Royal Society Open Science reveals that T. rex utilized a "distal-first" foot-strike. Essentially, its toes hit the ... [Read More]

Mar 5th, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google Some of the oldest living trees on Earth grow in the temperate rainforests of Chile's Coast Range. Towering alerce trees have stood for thousands of years, surviving storms, fires, and shifting climates. Now scientists have discovered that their importance goes far beyond what we see above ground. New research from the University of Melbourne shows that these ancient giants act as underground biodiversity hubs, supporting vast communities of fungi that help forests cycle ... [Read More]

Mar 5th, 2026 - Inside the unforgiving, violent rollers of the North Pacific waters, Resident killer whales and Bigg's killer whales are those two neighbors that prefer to avoid each other and keep a distance. While residents have strong family structures where individuals live in tight-knit groups, leaving only a few hours to mate before returning, Bigg's whales swim in loosely knit units. Let alone casual interaction, socialization, or interbreeding, the two groups would rather not confront each other. But ... [Read More]

Mar 5th, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google A new study suggests many insects, especially in the tropics, are already close to their heat limits. Even as the planet warms, a large share of species may not be able to "train" their bodies to cope with higher temperatures.  The concern is not just about insects disappearing. It is about what happens to ecosystems when pollination, decomposition, and natural pest control begin to fail. An international research team measured heat tolerance across more than 2,000 ... [Read More]

Mar 5th, 2026 - The arrival of loggerheads in New South Wales shows these 'sentinels of climate change' are being forced into unknown territory W hen Bulwal Bilima (BB for short) first arrived at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, she, or possibly he, was lethargic, badly constipated and dehydrated. Named "strong turtle" in the Aboriginal Dhurga language of the Yuin people on whose land it was found, the tiny 110g loggerhead hatchling, no bigger than a bar of soap, had a fight on its hands. The baby turtle was ... [Read More]

Mar 4th, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google Someone at Brazil's Butantan Institute was sorting through spiders in the collection when they spotted something that looked decorative. On a spider only a few millimeters long, there was a neat string of pale beads clinging to its body, like a miniature pearl necklace. Except it wasn't decoration. It was parasite larvae. They called in a mite expert from Butantan Institute , Ricardo Bassini-Silva, and he immediately knew what he was looking at: mite larvae latched onto ... [Read More]

Mar 4th, 2026 - A guided walk through North Yorkshire woodland throws up some thrilling surprises by honing in on sound over sight t the outset, Richard Baines says: "You don't need binoculars." This is not what I expect to hear on a walk where the main focus is birds. The sun has yet to rise, but we can see our way across muddy ground crunchy with ice. That is the next surprise in a day that will be full of them: we are still in February but Richard points out that ornithological spring is well under way. ... [Read More]

Mar 4th, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google The idea of life continuing on Earth without humans is difficult to fathom. Though our species has only been here for a relatively short period of time, we've altered the planet in countless ways, leaving our " human fingerprint " across every inch of land and sea. Still, Earth's history shows that no species lasts forever. It can be sobering to consider a future without us, but it also sparks plenty of curiosity about what might follow in our absence. Human beings have ... [Read More]

Mar 3rd, 2026 - It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news. Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Get the Live Science Newsletter Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and ... [Read More]

Mar 3rd, 2026 - Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. . Y ears ago, in a dry riverbed in Brazil, paleontologists discovered a strikingly odd fossilized jawbone. Unusually twisted, the jaw featured lower teeth protruding outward and smaller denticles lining the plate. Finding one misshapen jaw might have led them to assume it had been deformed, either by nature or time, but they found eight more. Now, they've solved the mystery of the curious jawbone and published their findings today in the Proceedings ... [Read More]

Mar 3rd, 2026 - Scientists just found evidence of a rare tiny marsupial hiding out in a completely unexpected place. New evidence of the world's smallest possum has emerged hundreds of kilometers from where it's known to occur in southern Australia — a finding that potentially extends the range of this locally threatened species. Pygmy possums are a group of tiny, mouse-sized marsupials that live in open woodlands, heathlands and scrub. They feed on nectar, pollen and insects, and play a crucial ... [Read More]

Mar 3rd, 2026 - It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news. Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Join the conversation Add us as a preferred source on Google Get the Live Science Newsletter Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and ... [Read More]

Mar 3rd, 2026 - By A creature whose relatives evolved roughly 500 million years ago — before dinosaurs, before trees — was sitting on the ocean floor off South Korea, misidentified as something it wasn't. Two biologists conducting routine genetic analysis stumbled onto its true identity almost by accident. The species is called , and it belongs to one of the oldest surviving groups of animals on Earth. is a chiton, a type of marine mollusk from the class . If you've walked along a rocky shoreline ... [Read More]

Mar 2nd, 2026 - Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. . A hefty rack of antlers is a status symbol we expect from a mature male deer or elk. Because rival males lock antlers in a shoving contest over mates, the bigger the better. But female deer typically lack antlers—at most developing short, unbranched nubs—except for caribou, in which females sport modest racks. A recent study published in Ecology and Evolution uncovered a surprising behavior that may clarify why female caribou have such ... [Read More]

Mar 2nd, 2026 - Insect taxonomist Art Borkent has described and named more than 300 species of midges but fears his field of science is dying out, despite millions of insects, fungi and other organisms waiting to be discovered O nce Art Borkent starts speaking about biting midges, he rarely pauses for breath. Holding up a picture of a gnat trapped in amber from the time of the dinosaurs, the 72-year-old taxonomist explains that there are more than 6,000 ceratopogonidae species known to science. He has ... [Read More]