Animals
Octopuses Used in Research Could Receive Same Protections as Monkeys
For the first time in the U.S., research with cephalopods might require approval by an ethics committee
Latest Biology Stories
Evolution
Possible New Human Species Found through 300,000-Year-Old Jawbone Fossil
A jawbone from eastern China that displays both modern and archaic features could represent a new branch of the human family tree
Reproduction
Artificial Womb Trials in Humans Could Start Soon
U.S. regulators will consider clinical trials of a system that mimics the womb, which could reduce deaths and disability for babies born extremely preterm
Animals
How the Woolly Bear Caterpillar Does Something Pretty Amazing to Survive the Winter
Caterpillars can’t regulate their body temperatures, so they have to come up with a totally different strategy to make it through the coldest months of the year.
Animals
Bees ‘Buzz’ in More Ways Than You Might Think
A honeybee swarm has as much electric charge as a thundercloud, and the insects’ mass movements in the atmosphere might even have some influence on the weather.
Dinosaurs
‘Weird’ Dinosaur Prompts Rethink of Bird Evolution
A newly described fossil is as old as the “first bird,” Archaeopteryx, and represents a birdlike dinosaur that might have specialized in running or wading instead of flying...
Animals
Why Do Cats Knead like They’re Making Biscuits?
Often nicknamed “making biscuits,” kneading is a good sign that your cat is happy, experts say
Anthropology
Human Ancestors Nearly Went Extinct 900,000 Years Ago
A new technique for analyzing modern genetic data suggests that prehumans survived in a group of only 1,280 individuals
Animals
This Lesbian Monkey Love Triangle Tells Us Something Really Interesting About Darwin’s ‘Paradox’
A “Darwinian paradox” is that homosexual activity occurs even though it does not lead to or aid in reproduction. But if you visit three capuchin monkeys in Los Angeles, they’ll show you how beneficial their liaisons are...
Paleontology
How Sauropod Dinosaurs Became the Biggest Land Animals Again and Again
New research hints at how sauropod dinosaurs got to be so gargantuan
