
The Beguiling History of Bees [Excerpt]
The first bees existed around 130 million years ago at a time when our own ancestors were small, ratlike creatures

The Beguiling History of Bees [Excerpt]
The first bees existed around 130 million years ago at a time when our own ancestors were small, ratlike creatures

Can Whales and Dolphins Make Mental Maps?
The brains of cetaceans--dolphins and whales--differ from those of other mammals in a number of ways, but one of the most striking differences is the size of the hippocampus. As a general rule, the larger the size of a mammal’s brain, the smaller the fraction of it that the hippocampus occupies, so dolphins and whales [...]


Speedy Fish's Swordlike Bill Serves as Multifunctional Killing Tool
High-speed video now reveals the bill as a specialized weapon that can exert great power or nudge prey gently

Charles Darwin and the Early Search for Extraterrestrial Life
In August 1881 the journal “Science” published an article with a letter exchange by two amateur geologist – British Charles R.

Reprieve for Men: Y Chromosome Is Not Vanishing
Alarming shrinkage has stopped, researchers say, because the Y is a bastion of elite genes that play vital roles throughout the body

Preventing Food Allergies: to Avoid or Expose?
Nearly four out of every 100 children in the U.S. have a food allergy, according to CDC data from 2007. Avoiding common food allergens, such as peanuts, eggs, tree nuts and fish, for the first few years of life was the prescription for prevention for many years, but in 2008 the American Academy of Pediatrics [...]

Blue-Footed Boobies Have Stopped Breeding, But Why?
One of the most delightful bird species of the Galápagos has almost completely stopped breeding there. According to a new study published this week in the journal Avian Conservation and Ecology, blue-footed boobies (Sula nebouxii) have seen a population drop of more than 50 percent over the past two decades.

Does the Octopus Really “Fart” Ink? [Video]
It’s true that the octopus is super weird. These animals have blue blood and three hearts. And as online personality and humorist Ze Frank points out in his latest video creation, it seems that they can also “fart ink at a moment’s notice”--pointing to this as “evolution at its finest.” The video’s tongue-in-cheek tone might [...]

Giant Tusked Insect Saved from Extinction
The Mercury Islands tusked weta (Motuweta isolate) isn’t exactly a thing of beauty. These massive New Zealand insects can reach more than seven centimeters in length, including the impressive tusks in front of their jaws that they use to push their prey around.

The Splendid and Remarkable Anatomy of Hornbills
Hornbills are among the most charismatic, fascinating and awesome of birds, yet surprisingly little is known about them, dedicated studies are few, and they are incredibly elusive and hard to study.

Australia’s Easter Bunny: the Long-Eared Greater Bilby
Easter in Australia is pretty much the same as Easter elsewhere in the world. We do Easter egg hunts and put sad-looking yellow chickens with loose eyespots on display in straw nests and eat nothing but chocolate for three days straight.

Female Insect Uses Spiky Penis to Take Charge
A cave insect's marathon sex sessions extract nourishment along with sperm from a reluctant male