zoology

An aerial view of the Tetiaroa Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

Science Snapshot: Reversing an Invasion of Paradise

Lisa Winter | Aug 17, 2022 | 2 min read

After years of work, conservationists have successfully eliminated two invasive rat species from the Tetiaroa Atoll in French Polynesia.

Probable Chlorine Exposure Kills 21,000 Fish at UC Davis

Catherine Offord | Aug 16, 2022 | 2 min read

Threatened and endangered species were among the dead, likely poisoned overnight by a chlorination system used to decontaminate the animals’ tank water.

Newly hatched stinkbugs climbing over a pile of eggs.

Best Bugs: How E. coli Evolves into a Stinkbug Symbiont

Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Aug 15, 2022 | 3 min read

Experimental evolution study sheds new light on the origin of animal-microbe symbioses and what it takes for bacteria to support their insect hosts.

Cover of When Animals Dream: A colourful illustration of an octopus.<br><br>

Opinion: Animal Dreaming Should Give Us Ethical Pause

David M. Peña-Guzmán | Aug 15, 2022 | 4 min read

Research shows that humans aren’t the only animals whose imaginations run wild while they sleep.

Oysters’ shells were made into concrete and other materials used in construction during the Industrial Revolution.

Scientists Use Sound to Attract Baby Oysters Back to the Reef

Ian Rose | Aug 15, 2022 | 5 min read

Meet the team trying to restore mollusk populations with the help of underwater speakers.

Science Snapshot: The Need for Speed

Viviane Callier | Aug 4, 2022 | 1 min read

Understanding the biomechanics of the trap-jaw ant could help humans build better, faster robots.

Inside the Brains of Aging Dogs

Lesley Evans Ogden, Knowable Magazine | Aug 1, 2022 | 8 min read

In a citizen science project, thousands of pet dogs are helping scientists to understand what happens to memory and cognition in old age.

Male common fruit fly (Drosophila Melanogaster) - about 2 mm long - sitting on a blade of grass with green foliage background

The Sex Appeal of Symmetric Songs

Mary Bates | Aug 1, 2022 | 5 min read

Female fruit flies assess the physical symmetry of male suitors through the songs they sing, a study claims.

A dolphin comes out of the water to catch a red ball.<br><br>

Dolphins May Remember Personal Experiences

Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Jul 29, 2022 | 4 min read

Bottlenose dolphins can recall trivial details of a prior event to later solve a novel task, a study finds, suggesting these mammals are capable of episodic memory.

A small brown crustacean with white spots on it moving on a red branch.

Seaweed Has Its Own Matchmakers: Small Crustaceans

Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Jul 28, 2022 | 3 min read

A species that transports the spermatia of red algae is the first known instance of an animal facilitating fertilization in this ancient photosynthetic lineage.

Close-up of baby olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Moving Sea Turtle Eggs May Affect Hatchling Development

Margaret Osborne | Jul 28, 2022 | 5 min read

Hatchlings from eggs incubated in a natural nest were larger, exhibited faster neuronal development, and performed better on a motor activity test than those from eggs that were incubated in a hatchery, a study finds.

Shark at the surface of the water next to a boat

Science Snapshot: An Arctic Shark’s Tropical Vacation

Lisa Winter | Jul 26, 2022 | 1 min read

Though Greenland sharks generally live in icy waters, one was recently caught in the Caribbean.

A whale's upper body landing on a fishing boat

Why Did This Whale Smack Into a Boat?

Amanda Heidt | Jul 26, 2022 | 3 min read

Collisions with small craft are rare, but there are conditions that can make these encounters more likely.

A desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) on sand

Genome Spotlight: Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria)

Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 21, 2022 | 4 min read

A chromosome-scale genome sequence for this infamous agricultural pest could help mitigate its plagues.

Artist’s rendering of an early mammal called a mammaliamorph

Warm-Bloodedness in Mammals May Have Arisen in Late Triassic

Andy Carstens | Jul 21, 2022 | 2 min read

Researchers mapped ear canal shape to body temperature to predict when ancestors of mammals first became endothermic.

It’s a Bear-Eat-Bear World: Understanding Cannibalism in the Largest Land Carnivores

Raegan Scharfetter | Jul 20, 2022 | 3 min read

A new review seeks to understand why the animals sometimes devour members of their own species.

Penguins Are Among the World’s Slowest-Evolving Birds: Study

Catherine Offord | Jul 19, 2022 | 2 min read

The findings mean that penguins may struggle to adapt under rapid climate change, researchers say.

Dinosaur Fossil (Tyrannosaurus Rex) Found by Archaeologists

Are We in the Midst of a Sixth Mass Extinction?

Katarina Zimmer | Jul 18, 2022 | 10+ min read

Today’s extinction rates are sky-high. But scientists debate if that’s sufficient evidence to conclude that Earth is undergoing a mass extinction event—or whether that’s even a helpful designation.

Illustration of creatures from today’s crisis

Infographic: A Look at the Big Five Mass Extinctions

Katarina Zimmer | Jul 18, 2022 | 4 min read

Extinction is a natural part of life on Earth. But occasionally, extinction rates have surged far beyond usual levels, driving mass extinction events that have reshaped the trajectory of life.

southeaster pocket gopher's head emerging from tunnel

Are Pocket Gophers Underground Farmers?

Andy Carstens | Jul 11, 2022 | 4 min read

A study finds that roots grow deeper than typical into southeastern pocket gophers tunnel networks, raising the possibility that the rodents cultivate their food.