Life
All Stories
DNA analysis reveals when and where horses entered America from Europe
Horses pranced around the western hemisphere until they went extinct in the late Holocene. They were reintroduced by European colonists — though where, when, and how has remained unclear.
Cannibal squid change color to “speak” in a way that resembles human language
Let's hope that squid don't evolve lungs and legs, or humanity might be in real trouble.
Why California has wild zebras
The zebras were originally part of a newspaper tycoon's private zoo. Now they roam the San Simeon grasslands, growing in numbers.
Blocking a single gene awakens same-sex behavior in male fruit flies
Turning off a gene called “Myc” has a surprising effect in male fruit flies: They start courting other males.
Humans make up just 0.01% of Earth’s life – what’s the rest?
Livestock now outweighs wild mammals and birds ten-fold.
To know the history of mammals is to know ourselves
Mammals have a history stretching back 325 million years. To study that ancient history is to know our own origins.
You’re not fast enough to swat a fly. Here’s why.
Flies are in no way smart, but they experience time in an almost Matrix-like fashion.
The ocean is not a quiet place
Scuba divers often appear to be swimming through a calm and muffled universe. This couldn't be farther from the truth.
What is chronic wasting disease? A scientist explains the so called “zombie deer”
There's a fatal prion infection killing deer and elk across North America.
The Metamorphosis in real life: Mites that live on our faces might be merging with us
More than 90% of human faces are home to mites that live in our skin pores. These friendly guests might be merging with us.
Great white sharks occasionally hunt in pairs
Research sheds light on social behavior of these mysterious predators.
What is a heat dome? An atmospheric scientist explains
Here's what the weather phenomenon baking large parts of the country actually means.
Yorkicystis, the 500 million-year-old relative of starfish that lost its skeleton
Yorkicystis lived during the “Cambrian explosion,” 539 million to 485 million years ago – hundreds of million years before the dinosaurs.
The marbled crayfish has been cloning itself for 30 years. Can it teach us about cancer?
All marbled crayfish descended from a single clone discovered in Heidelberg, Germany in 1995.
Yes, size does matter: Solving the mystery of giraffe neck evolution
It's not about leaves in tall trees.
Gene editing gone wrong: Scientists accidentally create angry hamsters
For 40 years, scientists thought a specific gene was linked to aggression in hamsters. Removing it, however, had violent consequences.
Why haven’t plastic-eating bacteria fixed the ocean plastic pollution problem?
Scientists have discovered enzymes from several plastic-eating bacteria. So, why are our oceans still full of plastic pollution?
Does your dog know when your cat is angry?
We already know animals feel emotions, and that they can understand humans' emotions. But can they understand each other's emotions?
How common is life in the Universe? And how can we find out?
Some astrobiologists believe life is rare, while others believe it is common in the Universe. How can we find out which view is correct?
The spider that looks like bird poo – and other tricks animals deploy to survive
Disgusting behavior is often crucial to survival.
Koko the Impostor: Ape sign language was a bunch of babbling nonsense
The apes taught sign language didn't understand what they were doing. They were merely "aping" their caretakers.
Simple is beautiful: Why evolution repeatedly selects symmetrical structures
Symmetrical objects are less complex than non-symmetrical ones. Perhaps evolution acts as an algorithm with a bias toward simplicity.
Fish aren’t as stupid as we thought — they can count (sort of)
Fish are surprisingly good in numbers tests — a skill that sometimes makes the difference between life and death.
Redwood trees have two different kinds of leaves, scientists discover
Two types of leaves for two different drastic weather conditions.
You can’t judge a dog by its breed
A dog's breed isn't as predictive of behavior as many think it is. Environment and upbringing play a much larger role.
The hidden world of octopus cities and culture
Research shows that octopuses are sentient, emotional creatures.
The inner life of a lobster: Do invertebrates have emotions?
There is strong evidence that invertebrates are sentient beings.