Biology

Apr 23rd, 2026 - A series of stunning findings about great apes' mental capabilities in recent years has transformed how we see our closest relatives C lear plastic cups and pitchers adorned the wooden table in Des Moines, Iowa. Invisible juice was poured and presented to Kanzi, who enthusiastically chose the fake filled cup, playing along with the man who had come to visit. In many ways, it was the quintessential scene of a children's imaginary tea party. Only Kanzi, at 44 years old, was a bonobo. The ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2026 - By For nearly 25 years, a hand-sized fossil pulled from the rocks of Illinois held a remarkable title: the oldest known octopus on Earth. Guinness World Records listed it. Researchers cited it. It reshaped what scientists thought they knew about when eight-armed cephalopods first appeared in ancient seas. There was just one problem. It was never an octopus at all. University of Reading zoologist Thomas Clements , the lead researcher behind the new findings, finally cracked the code on the ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2026 - Meet the 19-metre octopus that prowled the ancient seas Giant octopuses may have ruled the ancient oceans 100 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed, according to new research. Some of the earliest octopuses are believed to have been powerful predators equipped with strong arms for grabbing prey and beak-like jaws for munching on the shells and bones of other animals. A new study of some remarkably well preserved jaws suggest they reached up to 19 metres, potentially making them the largest ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2026 - Study of fossilised beaks shows patterns of wear and suggests some ancient species were up to 19 metres long Giant "kraken-like" octopuses that used powerful beaks to crunch through bones of prey were among the most formidable predators of the Cretaceous oceans, according to research. Analysis of dozens of newly identified fossils reveals that some ancient octopus species reached up to 19 metres in length, meaning they would have rivalled – and possibly even preyed upon – apex ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 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 Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2026 - The Natural History Museum in London has discovered a previously unknown species of coelacanth from fossil remains that date back about 150 years (Macropoma gombessae). The new coelacanth is important because it helps to fill in a huge evolutionary gap of about 50 million years for coelacanths, one of the world's most recognised 'living fossils.' According to the study published by the University of Portsmouth, the fossil was reevaluated by Former University of Portsmouth palaeontology student ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2026 - NEW YORK (AP) — The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been the octopus . New analyses of fossilized jaws reveal that massive, kraken-like octopuses once hunted alongside other marine predators. They boasted eight arms and long bodies that extended more than 60 feet (18 meters), rivaling other carnivorous marine reptiles . "These krakens must have been a fearsome sight to behold," University of Alabama paleontologist Adiel ... [Read More]

Apr 23rd, 2026 - Mysterious golden orb discovered two miles below the ocean surface isn't an alien—it's an anemone In August 2023 scientists discovered something utterly bizarre in the deep ocean off the coast of Alaska: a golden orb. The thing looked like something out of a science-fiction movie, but now scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Smithsonian Institution can reveal that it is not, in fact, an alien. It's an anemone , or more specifically, the remnants of ... [Read More]

Apr 22nd, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google At a shrimp pond in Mai Po Nature Reserve in Hong Kong, researchers have found a new species of Tripedalia jellyfish. The animal is only about half an inch long, which makes it hard to spot in murky pond water. This discovery adds a fourth described member to the family Tripedaliidae , a small group of closely related box jellyfish . These strange creatures as a whole comprise a small group of cnidarians , with only 49 species known worldwide so far. Surprising jellyfish ... [Read More]

Apr 22nd, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google Most people picture dinosaurs as either fierce hunters or slow plant-eaters that grazed on anything in sight. But one Australian dinosaur, Muttaburrasaurus langdoni , didn't quite fit that simple idea. It seems this massive creature had a taste for select foods and knew exactly how to find them. About 96 million years ago, Muttaburrasaurus moved across what is now central Australia. For years, scientists assumed it behaved like many other plant-eating dinosaurs. New ... [Read More]

Apr 22nd, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google Colombia's famous "cocaine hippos" are no longer just a strange wildlife story – they've become a fast-growing environmental problem with real consequences. What started with just a handful of animals from Pablo Escobar's private zoo has turned into a population spreading across rivers and wetlands, reshaping ecosystems along the way. Now, with costs rising and options shrinking, the country faces a difficult question: act now, or risk losing control entirely. Costs ... [Read More]

Apr 22nd, 2026 - Follow Earth on Google Scientists have identified a 230 million-year-old reptile with a sharp, parrot-like beak that sliced and processed plants with unusual precision. That discovery adds a new kind of plant eater to a crowded prehistoric landscape just before dinosaurs began to dominate life on land. A skull changes count A fossil skull recovered from southern Brazil preserved the animal's jaws, revealing a cutting beak paired with tightly packed grinding teeth. By examining those features, ... [Read More]

Apr 21st, 2026 - Scientists once thought it would take a century or more for animals to return to deforested land in the tropics. Now, new research has found ecosystems can recover in mere decades. "It's been a huge surprise for all of us," said Timo Metz, a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA and first author of the study, published in the journal Nature. "None of us expected it to be so impressive and so quick." Rainforests have been disappearing at an alarming pace for at least a century, and millions of acres a ... [Read More]

Apr 21st, 2026 - While wildlife populations crash globally, research finds designated areas enable recovery of threatened species Wildlife and humans are thriving within sites recognised by Unesco, research has found, allowing for the recovery of threatened species and habitats around the world. While wildlife populations have crashed globally by nearly three-quarters since 1970, those within Unesco-protected areas have remained largely stable. "It's good news, it shows that these sites are extremely resilient ... [Read More]

Apr 20th, 2026 - A simple fin became the ocean's most sophisticated hunting tool. Anglerfishes look almost too cartoonishly gruesome to be true, especially the famous rod bait dangling in front of the grim mouth with oversized teeth. But a new study describes how this tool (and many others that anglerfish use) came to be. It turns out they developed them gradually, over the years, and sometimes multiple times. Diverse and Dinosaur-Aged Imagine you are a small, hungry fish swimming in the shallow, sun-drenched ... [Read More]

Apr 19th, 2026 - The new study highlights the importance of ongoing research on recovering whale populations. New research from the University of St Andrews shows that the role of age in male humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) reproduction has changed as populations recover from centuries of exploitation.   There has been little research on the evolutionary consequences of whaling. This is despite ... [Read More]