Fritillaria plants should be simple to spot. The usually bright green plants often stand alone amid the jumbled scree that tops the Himalayan and Hengduan mountains in southwestern China —…
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Farming on Mars will be a lot harder than ‘The Martian’ made it seem
In the film The Martian, astronaut Mark Watney (played by Matt Damon) survives being stranded on the Red Planet by farming potatoes in Martian dirt fertilized with feces. Future Mars…
How passion, luck and sweat saved some of North America’s rarest plants
No plant should have to end this way. North America’s various beach plums bear purple-blue, cherry-sized fruits that make for a beloved New England jelly. The small trees’ tolerance for…
Male elephant seals aim to get huge or die trying
If you’re a male northern elephant seal, your car-sized bulk is crucial to your genetic legacy, since only a fraction of the very largest males will have access to mates.…
Gory footage confirms orca pods can kill adult blue whales
Killer whales are skilled assassins, hunting everything from herring to great white sharks. Now, for the first time, scientists witnessed a pod of killer whales bring down the world’s largest…
Vinegar eels can synchronize swim
Trapped within a bead of water, thousands of tiny worms wiggle in hypnotic synchrony as they stream around the globule’s rim. And at the center of this undulating gyre some…
A new device helps frogs regrow working legs after an amputation
The cells of adult frogs seem to remember how to regrow lost legs, and a new chemical kick starter helps them hop to it. Scientists have been seeking ways to…
Gut microbes help some squirrels stay strong during hibernation
Gut microbes give some squirrels a helping hand to stay strong during hibernation. The microorganisms appear to help the squirrels recycle nutrients to keep the rodents’ muscles taut, researchers report…
Urban animals may get some dangerous gut microbes from humans
Animals moving into the big city could be getting more than they bargained for. Gut microorganisms from humans in cities may be spilling over into urban wildlife, potentially putting the…
An Arctic hare traveled at least 388 kilometers in a record-breaking journey
Arctic hares can go the distance. A member of Lepus arcticus in northern Canada has traveled farther than anyone knew possible. BBYY, as the adult female was known, made a…
