CultureJanuary 14, 2021
The World’s Oldest Animal Paintings Are on This Cave Wall
Depictions of pigs found in Indonesia date back at least 45,500 years
Stories by Rachel Nuwer
Rachel Nuwer is a science journalist and author. Her latest book is I Feel Love: MDMA and the Quest for Connection in a Fractured World (Bloomsbury, 2023). Follow her on Bluesky @rachelnuwer.bsky.social
EvolutionJanuary 7, 2021
Dog Domestication May Have Begun because Paleo Humans Couldn’t Stomach the Original Paleo Diet
Unable to digest large amounts of protein, hunters likely left scraps that could have led to the taming of wolves
CognitionDecember 10, 2020
Young Ravens Rival Adult Chimps in a Big Test of General Intelligence
At just four months of age, the birds performed equally well as great apes on understanding numbers, following cues and many more tasks
EnvironmentDecember 1, 2020
Chernobyl ‘Exclusion Zone’ Radiation Doses Reanalyzed
Evidence builds that animals are scarcer in more heavily contaminated areas
ConservationNovember 2, 2020
Rain Forest Canopy Bridges Aid Slow Lorises, Gibbons and Other Threatened Species
The world’s most endangered primate is only the latest example of an arboreal animal benefiting from this simple yet effective conservation solution
BehaviorOctober 20, 2020
Presidential Debates Have Shockingly Little Effect on Election Outcomes
The upcoming debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump may be one of the least consequential in decades, experts say
BiologyOctober 1, 2020
Old Seaweed Reveals Secret of Monterey Sardine History
Decades-old specimens solve a long-standing mystery
ConservationSeptember 29, 2020
Online Reptile Trade Is a Free-for-All That Threatens Thousands of Species
More than one third of all reptile species, including highly endangered ones, are sold internationally, primarily as pets
BehaviorSeptember 11, 2020
Why Trump-Favoring Voters Ignored a Deadly Hurricane Warning
Rush Limbaugh and other conservative pundits’ “hurricane skepticism” in 2017 may have influenced individuals’ decision to pack up the car or shelter in place
BiologySeptember 1, 2020
Fish Eggs Survive Journey through a Duck
New research suggests one way fish might spread to distant waters
BiotechJuly 21, 2020
Experimental Blood Test Detects Cancer up to Four Years before Symptoms Appear
The assay looks for stomach, esophageal, colorectal, lung and liver malignancies
BehaviorJuly 10, 2020
Americans Increase LSD Use—and a Bleak Outlook for the World May Be to Blame
Millennials and older adults lead the surge while Gen Z stays on the sidelines
BiologyJune 23, 2020
A Gene May Help Discern Language Tone Differences: Is It Shí or Shì?
Subtle variations in our DNA may have led to the modulation of pitch to convey word meaning
EvolutionJune 1, 2020
Earliest ‘Chickens’ Were Actually Pheasants
A new analysis ruffles the story of poultry domestication
EvolutionApril 1, 2020
Livestock, Pets and People Will Dominate Future Fossils
The bones of humans and their domesticated animals will overwhelm biodiversity in the fossil record
ConservationMarch 5, 2020
The Camera Will See You Now: New Tech Takes Wildlife Vitals from Afar
Measuring zoo animals’ heart and breathing rates from a distance keeps them—and humans—safe
Public HealthFebruary 1, 2020
Scientists Solve a Deadly TB Mystery
Tools used to reconstruct the rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis could also be applied in real time to ward off would-be epidemics
ConservationJanuary 10, 2020
To Stop Wildlife Crime, Conservationists Ask Why People Poach
A novel study in Nepal shines light on why people commit wildlife crime and how others might be dissuaded from doing so in the future
ConservationJanuary 1, 2020
Study Reveals Loss of Laos’s Final Tigers
Even bountiful habitat will not save species if poaching cannot be stopped
EnvironmentDecember 19, 2019
Ocean Acidification Could Eat Away at Sharks’ Teeth and Scales
The fishes’ ability to swim and feed could be compromised
ConservationNovember 1, 2019
Conservation after Conflict in Colombia
Seeking a sustainable economy, the country wants to capitalize on its astonishing biodiversity
ConservationOctober 3, 2019
Wildlife Trade Entangles Nearly a Fifth of the Planet’s Vertebrate Animals
In the first global estimate of its kind, researchers tally an incredible 5,600 species harvested for commercial use—and predict which ones could be next
BiologySeptember 1, 2019
Frogs Make Their Homes in Elephant Footprints
The massive herbivores shape the environment for living creatures around them—including some of the smallest animals
ConservationAugust 20, 2019
A Once Common Gecko Is Vanishing from Parts of Asia
With millions of tokay geckos trapped each year for use in traditional Chinese medicine, conservationists are calling for international protections