Animals

Animals

In a colony, king penguins act like a liquid

Is this a living liquid? King penguins move around within their colonies, clearing out some space, and then refilling it. That behavior resembles a liquid, scientists conclude.

Life

Fighting ‘like an animal’ may not be what you expect

Evolution has produced a broad range of conflict styles. And some of the best examples come from outside the world of the familiar.

Plants

Scientists Say: Invasive species

These are foreign species that are causing problems for native organisms and ecosystems.

Chemistry

Cool Jobs: Diving for new medicines

Scientists mix research with underwater adventure as they search the oceans for new chemicals to treat infections, cancer and more.

Animals

Nature shows how dragons might breathe fire

Fire-breathing dragons can’t live anywhere outside of a book or TV. But nature provides some guidance as to how they might get their flames. If they existed, anyway.

Animals

Can anything stop the big pig invasion?

Millions of wild pigs roam North America, causing billions of dollars in damage every year. Scientists are looking for new ways to stop the swine.

Environment

Light at night lengthens how long birds can spread West Nile virus

Light at night prolongs the time it takes these birds to knock out a West Nile infection. Mosquitoes that bite them during this time can pick up and spread their virus to others — even people.

Animals

The secrets of super-slurper bat tongues

Tiny hair-like structures greatly boost the ability of some bats to slurp up nectar from flowers.

Animals

Compared to other primates, humans get little sleep

Short bouts of a sleep, called REM, separate humans from other primates, scientists find. Sleeping on the ground may have a lot to do with it.

Animals

Living Mysteries: Meet Earth’s simplest animal

Trichoplax is the simplest animal on Earth. It has no mouth, stomach or brain. Yet it can teach how these and other organs evolved.

Animals

Killer whale blows a raspberry, says ‘hello’

Orcas can mimic a range of sounds, including human speech — sort of.

Animals

Tricky turns give prey a chance against lions and cheetahs

A bonanza of running data on wild predators shows that a successful hunt requires more than sprinting.