Biology

A guide to life, on Earth and beyond, including the top news about plants, animals, and physiology.

Latest in Biology

an iguana with blue and green scales

10 vulnerable wildlife species to watch in 2026

By Laura Baisas

three side by side images of a large jellyfish in a deep sea canyon

Giant phantom jellyfish spotted deep in Pacific

By Laura Baisas

Close up of Greenland shark with copepod attached to eye

Dissected Greenland shark eyeballs could help humans see forever

A fluffy beavers sits in front of a fallen tree branch with yellow leaves.

Idaho once dropped 76 beavers from airplanes—on purpose

By Jennifer Byrne

a cave painting of two warty pigs

Pigs have been island hopping for 50,000 years

By Laura Baisas

a couple holding hands as the sun sets over water

Why humans live and die for love

By Dr. Justin R. Garcia

A group of three African elephants walking through tall, dry yellow grass in a savanna. The central elephant is facing forward with its large ears fully fanned out, flanked by two others with visible tusks.

Why do elephants have such big ears? There’s not one answer.

By Sarah Philip

a block calendar with january 1 and the word "dry" on it

The health benefits of Dry January

a capybara between two evergreen trees

Donated Christmas trees get a second life at the zoo

By Laura Baisas

a small cat walking on leaves

Tiny wild cat spotted in Thailand for first time in 30 years

By Margherita Bassi

An overhead view shows a group of diverse hands, with varying skin tones, arranged in a circle against a plain white background. The palms are open and facing upward, with some hands overlapping, creating a sense of unity and community. Some individuals wear rings or a beaded bracelet, and the sleeves of various shirts—plaid, denim, and solid colors—are visible at the edges of the frame.

Why do we have five fingers and toes?

By Laura Kiniry

a butterfly with blue wings with black spots

9 new butterflies discovered in old museum archives

By Margherita Bassi

a close up of a turtle with its head in its shell

Butt breathing and 5 other ways animals stay warm in winter

By Laura Baisas

a large brown bear in italy

Bears in Italy inbreed more, but are less aggressive

By Margherita Bassi

A pink octopus squid floating upside down spotted by MBARI researchers

Dive into 2025’s most stunning deep-sea wildlife encounters

3D scan cross-section of an ant

Weak ants conquered Earth using sheer numbers

roman ruins in northern england

Diarrhea slowed down Roman soldiers

By Laura Baisas

a mother polar bear walking on ice with two cubs behind her

Rare polar bear adoption could save cub’s life

By Laura Baisas

‘Mr. Fezziwig's Ball,’ an 1843 illustration by John Leech for ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. This novella was the earliest and most popular of Dickens' Christmas stories. The kissing under mistletoe (left) and evergreen decoration hanging from the ceiling are vestiges of pre-Christian winter rites.

A history of mistletoe: The parasitic ‘dung on a twig’

A cross sectional image of an actively growing microbialite from South Africa.

‘Living rocks’ suck up a lot of carbon

By Laura Baisas