Imagine a superhero whose power is releasing an odor so strong their enemies stop fighting. For naked mole-rats, such power lies with the queen. A potent compound allows naked mole-rat queens to control their colonies, researchers report…
Category: Animals
‘Cheating’ birds change their tune
To avoid ending up with a less committed mate, some female birds listen for red flags in their suitor’s song. Male pied flycatchers change their song after mating, and females…
A new monkey species has been found deep in Congo’s forests
High in the forested canopy of Democratic Republic of Congo, an all-black monkey turned its back to a photographer’s camera. The partial image taken in 2008 revealed little more than…
Elephants can relearn how to live wild after years in captivity
After decades in tourist camps and circuses, African elephants that were returned to the wild are behaving, in many respects, like elephants that were never captive. A new study offers…
‘Forever chemicals’ could be aging dolphins beyond their years
Exposure to trace metals and “forever chemicals” may be prematurely aging dolphins, raising concerns about both marine pollution and human health impacts. Metals such as zinc and copper can wind up in the…
Seals’ amphibious hearing developed a long, long time ago
Seals, sea lions and walruses — collectively known as pinnipeds — are the only mammals with excellent hearing both above and below the water. The evolution of this unique ability…
Spines of saber-toothed cats tell a tale of the doomed species
Clues to saber-toothed cats’ demise are emerging from fossils entombed in California’s sticky La Brea Tar Pits. Fossils of the extinct predators preserved in tar reveal a diversity of spinal…
Watch an orca ram into a sunfish so hard it explodes
Orcas have been known to slap around stingrays, punt seals into the air and otherwise play with their food. But killer whales don’t just toy with live prey. Some also…
A rare 3-D snake fossil is spilling secrets of its unusual lifestyle
Most snake fossils are two-dimensional. Sandwiched within rocks, the pressure of millions of years flattens them like a pancake. But in 2020, scientists uncovered a uniquely well-preserved snake fossil in…
This humpback whale hunting strategy has been out of sight — until now
Humpback whales are known for their ingenious hunting tactics. One of the most sophisticated strategies involves as many as 20 whales working together to create a “net” of bubbles underwater…
