Biology

Nov 20th, 2025 - Scientists have observed mice helping each other when they encounter difficulties during birth, prompting a rethink of caregiving among rodents and other animals  Mice seem to assist pregnant females when they get into difficulty giving birth, with experienced mothers being the most helpful. This is thought to be the first official sighting of such assistance in non-primates, and so expands our knowledge of caregiving behaviours across the animal kingdom. Humans are the only animal known ... [Read More]

Nov 20th, 2025 - Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. . S ome 360 million years ago, a terrible and strange sea monster named the Dunkleosteus patrolled shallow seas around the world, terrorizing its neighbors with its formidable razor-like jaws. The early fish was covered in armor, stretched 14 feet from head to tail, and could chomp enormous chunks of meat from its prey. Now an international team of scientists has published a detailed study of the fearsome apex predator revealing that it also had a ... [Read More]

Nov 20th, 2025 - An ancient regurgitated meal preserved a new species of filter-feeding pterosaur. One hundred and ten million years ago, a predator in what is now northeastern Brazil bit off more than it could chew. It swallowed two flying reptiles and four fish — then threw them up. That retch became immortal. Entombed in rock, it fossilized into a regurgitalite: a mass of prehistoric vomit that, by sheer luck, preserved a species never before seen. Researchers have now identified the remains as ... [Read More]

Nov 20th, 2025 - Saving microbes may be the most important conservation effort ever. Microbiologists have launched the first coordinated plan to protect microbial biodiversity across the planet, calling attention to the "invisible 99% of life" that drives essential Earth systems . As with other lifeforms, microorganisms have been threatened by climate change. The International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) has formally recognised this effort through the creation of the Microbial Conservation ... [Read More]

Nov 20th, 2025 - Aerial drones are giving scientists a new view of life at sea. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing one of the largest marine oil spills ever. In the aftermath of the disaster, whale scientist Iain Kerr traveled to the area to study how the spill had affected sperm whales, aiming specialized darts at the animals to collect pencil eraser-sized tissue samples. It wasn't going well. Each time his boat approached a whale surfacing for air, the animal ... [Read More]

Nov 20th, 2025 - New research has found that even small amounts of plastic can be deadly to seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals. While previous research has established that plastic can lead to mortality in many species, this  new study  identifies the types and amounts of plastic that pose the greatest danger, and estimates how likely an animal is to die after ingesting it. The study authors found the lethal dose to be much smaller than expected. The team of international researchers, including ... [Read More]

Nov 19th, 2025 - Follow Earth on Google For the first time in more than 20 years, scientists have laid eyes on Moema claudiae , a tiny seasonal killifish from Bolivia that many feared had slipped into extinction. The killifish was found in a rain-filled pond tucked inside a sliver of forest surrounded by farms. It's a feel-good twist with a sobering edge: this species is hanging on, but just barely. Killifish found after decades Moema claudiae hadn't been seen at its original site for decades; that place is now ... [Read More]

Nov 19th, 2025 - It takes a lot of fuel to power a deep-diving whale. Short-finned pilot whales are the ghosts of the Hawaiian coast. They often appear briefly at the surface before diving out of sight, leaving us with little more than a ripple. For years, their lives below the surface remained a mystery. Now, a new study has followed them into the deep, recording their movements and feeding behavior for the first time. The results are stunning: these whales are eating machines, consuming hundreds of squid ... [Read More]

Nov 19th, 2025 - Follow Earth on Google A newly described carnivorous reptile from southern Brazil is the kind of animal most people would casually label a dinosaur – but it isn't. Tainrakuasuchus bellator belongs to Pseudosuchia, the ancient lineage that ultimately gave rise to today's crocodiles and alligators. The beast prowled the Triassic some 240 million years ago, just before dinosaurs rose to dominance. Covered with armored plates and built for quick strikes, it adds a fierce new character to a ... [Read More]

Nov 19th, 2025 - One expert says she is 'starting to visualise the point where all we have left of corals and reefs is memories' Almost two out of three corals across popular tourism spots at the world heritage-listed Ningaloo reef died after an unprecedented marine heatwave hit the Western Australia region, scientists have said. The areas in Ningaloo's northern lagoon had undergone a "profound ecological simplification" with coral species that were keystones to the habitat among those killed. The marine ... [Read More]

Nov 19th, 2025 - Follow Earth on Google Bumble bees move through crowded landscapes shaped by survival, conflict, and delicate rewards. Their foraging journeys sustain entire ecosystems, yet many hidden pressures weaken these essential pollinators. A recent study reveals how invasive ants alter bee behavior. The changes in behavior look small, but carry deep consequences for colonies and the environments they support. Ant rivalry shapes foraging Argentine ants gather in dense groups and display strong ... [Read More]

Nov 18th, 2025 - The native species is typically grey or brown and the pink hue is thought to be caused by a genetic mutation An "exceptionally rare" pink grasshopper has been spotted basking in the sun alongside a river in New Zealand's South Island. A group of department of conservation researchers were conducting their annual grasshopper survey near Lake Tekapo in the MacKenzie basin when they came across the dark pink female critter. The species – the robust grasshopper – is native to New ... [Read More]

Nov 18th, 2025 - Follow Earth on Google A small mountain lizard with a wheat colored tongue, named Diploderma bifluviale , has been identified in the upper Dadu River Valley of Sichuan, China. It measures about 2.5 to 2.9 inches from snout to vent, small enough to rest in a palm. The new species was confirmed through genetics and careful measurements after years of fieldwork in steep, sun baked gullies. The find puts a spotlight on a narrow slice of the Hengduan Mountains where new species still slip under the ... [Read More]

Nov 18th, 2025 - Swept twice daily by the world's highest tides, the Bay of Fundy offers a series of experiences found nowhere else, attracting travellers willing to explore a landscape transformed by the sea. One such place is Ministers Island, a tidal island at the southern tip of New Brunswick. A slender strip of seafloor connects it to the mainland, exposed only at low tide and passable for just a few hours each day. When the North Atlantic returns, often with surprising force, this temporary road ... [Read More]

Nov 18th, 2025 - Reintroducing the apex predator would control deer populations, maintaining healthy ecosystems and bolstering biodiversity, rewilding group says L ast summer, a wildlife photographer saw, or believed he saw, a mountain lion in South Burlington, Vermont . While it's possible, it is also remarkable: the apex predator was rendered extinct in northern New England in 1881 and the nearest confirmed breeding population is in North Dakota, 2,000 miles (3,200km) away. But there could be in years hence ... [Read More]

Nov 17th, 2025 - We thought such equipment would be completely innocuous. Much of what we know about animals in remote parts of the ocean comes from eavesdropping on them; quite literally. Underwater passive acoustic recording is vital for researchers to monitor and study marine animals. But a new, profoundly unsettling, study reveals that this tool isn't as "passive" and "non-intrusive" as we thought. Narwhals, one of the shyest and most sensitive whale species on Earth, keep slamming into it. At one site, ... [Read More]