Biology

Jan 20th, 2025 - When birds incorporate snake skins into their nests, it's not just for decoration – it's a calculated strategy to ward off predators.  A recent study led by researchers from Cornell University reveals that cavity-nesting birds are significantly more likely to use shed snake skins in their nests than birds that build open-cup nests.  This behavior, found exclusively among perching birds (passerines), seems to deter predators like small mammals, giving cavity nesters a better ... [Read More]

Jan 20th, 2025 - Even average use of nitrogen fertilisers cut flower numbers fivefold and halved pollinating insects Using high levels of common fertilisers on grassland halves pollinator numbers and drastically reduces the number of flowers, research from the world's longest-running ecological experiment has found. Increasing the amount of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus doused on agricultural grassland reduced flower numbers fivefold and halved the number of pollinating insects, according to the paper by ... [Read More]

Jan 20th, 2025 - The remote waters of Palau have always carried a sense of intrigue for explorers. Last year, scientists encountered a marine creature that turned heads and sparked excitement on a vessel known for investigating the mysteries of the ocean.  This strange cephalopod, rarely seen by anyone, appeared during an underwater operation near the German Channel in Palau. The crew spotted four individuals of Palau nautilus ( Nautilus belauensis ) cruising near the seafloor on November 27, 2024, an ... [Read More]

Jan 20th, 2025 - Some species of caterpillar come armed with powerful venoms. Harnessing them could help us design new drugs. When you think of venomous animals, caterpillars probably aren't the first thing that comes to mind. Snakes, of course. Scorpions and spiders, too. But caterpillars? Yes, indeed. The world turns out to be home to hundreds – perhaps thousands – of species of venomous caterpillars, and at least a few of them pack a punch toxic enough to kill or permanently injure a person. That ... [Read More]

Jan 19th, 2025 - Florida's wetlands are home to two striking and often confused waterbirds – the anhinga and the double-crested cormorant. Both are expert divers that rely on their feet to propel themselves underwater. They are commonly seen perched on branches or docks with their wings spread wide to dry. However, despite their similar appearances and behaviors, new research from the University of Miami reveals that these birds are quite different in their physiology, ... [Read More]

Jan 19th, 2025 - Jan 19, 2025 10 animals whose names begin with the letter V From lush jungles to deep blue oceans, animal names that start with the letter 'V' are found across the world. These are some special, as well as rare creatures of the animal kingdom that have different characteristics and styles of life. These nocturnal mammals feed on the blood of other animals. Using sharp teeth and anticoagulant saliva, they conduct a smooth, painless feeding process for their hosts who do not even suspect their ... [Read More]

Jan 19th, 2025 - The debate about when our ancestors started eating meat has taken an unexpected turn. While we've long associated early human evolution with meat consumption, a recent study reveals that some of our earliest ancestors stuck to a mostly plant-based diet. The research was led by Dr. Tina Lüdecke from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany in collaboration with researchers from South Africa. The findings challenge our previous assumptions about early hominin diets. Teeth hold clues ... [Read More]

Jan 18th, 2025 - , the Swahili, Buganda and so many other communities who bring these landscapes to life and it is they who must find ways to live alongside the wildlife. Their presence in this story is a sign of how much the East African safari has evolved, with fascinating conservation projects now very much a part of the experience. And therein lies the astonishing richness of going on safari: spending time among the people, the wildlife and the wild places that they share. East Africa carries many meanings ... [Read More]

Jan 18th, 2025 - A study of thousands of hours of flight calls suggests that songbirds may be forming social connections with other species as they migrate, possibly even exchanging information about the journey. It's time to rethink songbird migration through a social lens, says Benjamin Van Doren, assistant professor at the University of Illinois and lead author of the study published in Current Biology . "This study really calls into question the long-held idea that songbirds migrate alone, solely following ... [Read More]

Jan 17th, 2025 - The first pterosaurs took flight during the age of dinosaurs thanks to a sail-like tensioning system, a new study has found. Early pterosaurs — informally called " pterodactyls " — had long tails with thin, leaf-shaped flaps of tissue on the end called vanes. This vane would have compromised their flight if it were floppy and fluttered like a flag, so paleontologists knew it was stiff, but they didn't know how the vane maintained stiffness until now. Researchers used high-powered ... [Read More]

Jan 16th, 2025 - Scientists in China have uncovered a fossilized jaw fragment of a newly identified, extinct cat species that was so small it would have fit in the palm of your hand. The discovery was detailed in the journal Annales Zoologici Fennici in November and could represent the tiniest cat ever found. "This cat is clearly smaller than a domestic cat," lead author Qigao Jiangzuo , a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, tells Live ... [Read More]

Jan 16th, 2025 - The Rhamphorhynchus had a kite-shaped vane on its tail. Natalia Jagielska, CC BY-NC-SA Scientists have long puzzled over how pterosaurs became the first vertebrates to master flight. Some pterosaur species, such as the Quetzalcoatlus were the largest known animals to ever take to the skies, with wingspans of over ten meters (on par with military aircraft like the Spitfire). My team's new study may help solve the evolutionary mystery, revealing how a vane on the tip of their tails may have ... [Read More]

Jan 16th, 2025 - Old photos rewrite the story of an Egyptian dinosaur lost to World War II. In the summer of 1914, an Austrian fossil collector named Richard Markgraf uncovered the bones of a colossal dinosaur in Egypt's Bahariya Oasis. Shipped to Munich, the fossil was carefully studied by Ernst Stromer von Reichenbach, who identified it as Carcharodontosaurus , or "shark-toothed lizard" in 1931. At over 32 feet long, this predator rivaled the famed Tyrannosaurus rex in both size and ferocity. But fate had ... [Read More]

Jan 16th, 2025 - Spiders have always lived alongside humans, so it's surprising how much we still don't know about them. One long-standing mystery was related to how spiders detect smells. Now, our latest research has finally uncovered the secret. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , we demonstrated that male spiders use olfactory hairs called wall-pore sensilla on their legs as a "nose" to detect the sex pheromones released by female spiders. Our discovery puts an end to a ... [Read More]

Jan 16th, 2025 - Researchers have identified a giant new dinosaur species after uncovering lost photos of fossils destroyed in World War II. The newly named species, Tameryraptor markgrafi , or "thief from the beloved land," roamed Egypt 95 million years ago, and at 33 feet (10 meters) long, it is one of largest known land carnivores to ever roam the planet. German scientists first discovered the fossilized remains of this Cretaceous dinosaur in the Bahariya Oasis in Egypt's Western Desert in 1914. They were ... [Read More]

Jan 15th, 2025 - Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. . science and culture for people who love beautiful writing. I n their attempts to pin down the meaning of "life," scientists and philosophers have offered dozens of definitions. Lately, researchers more or less agree that, for something to be alive, it has to be able to reproduce and evolve by natural selection.  Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. While these attempts might be getting us incrementally closer to understanding what ... [Read More]