Biology(Page 13)

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

Latest in Biology

a collage of six plates of agar growing colorful bacteria that has been intentionally grown in artistic shapes. some of the plates include representations of jellyfish and neurons. there's also abstract art like two plates representing a connection between mother and child

These intricate ‘living’ paintings are teeming with microscopic organisms These intricate ‘living’ paintings are teeming with microscopic organisms

A Labrador and a terrier play with a rope toy.

How breeding dogs for certain traits may have altered their brains How breeding dogs for certain traits may have altered their brains

By Laura Baisas

Woolly mammoths in forests in Greenland after eDNA reconstruction. The scene is an illustration.

Oldest DNA ever sampled paints a lush portrait of a lost Arctic world Oldest DNA ever sampled paints a lush portrait of a lost Arctic world

The last Tasmanian tiger’s remains were finally found—in a cupboard

The last Tasmanian tiger’s remains were finally found—in a cupboard The last Tasmanian tiger’s remains were finally found—in a cupboard

By Laura Baisas

Brightly colored tropical fish in a coral reef

To save coral reefs, color the larvae To save coral reefs, color the larvae

By Laura Baisas

The tortoise, the myth, the legend: Jonathan turns 190

The tortoise, the myth, the legend: Jonathan turns 190 The tortoise, the myth, the legend: Jonathan turns 190

By Laura Baisas

This dinosaur dove like a duck

This dinosaur dove like a duck This dinosaur dove like a duck

By Laura Baisas

Plastic bottles and fishing nets and other trash on sea beach

Plastic microfibers in the Mediterranean Sea are keeping bacteria afloat Plastic microfibers in the Mediterranean Sea are keeping bacteria afloat

By Lauren J. Young

Artist’s impression of Cryptovaranoides when it was alive

A key to lizard evolution was buried in a museum cupboard for 70 years A key to lizard evolution was buried in a museum cupboard for 70 years

By Laura Baisas

The newest member of the T. rex family has piercing eyes

The newest member of the T. rex family has piercing eyes The newest member of the T. rex family has piercing eyes

By Laura Baisas

Steller's Sea Cow

Meet the extinct sea cow that cultivated Pacific kelp forests Meet the extinct sea cow that cultivated Pacific kelp forests

By Laura Baisas

Ancient army ant

Eyeless army ants chomped their way through Europe millions of years ago Eyeless army ants chomped their way through Europe millions of years ago

By Laura Baisas

Kimberella fossil

Oldest evidence of digested plants in a roughly 575-million-year-old creature’s gut Oldest evidence of digested plants in a roughly 575-million-year-old creature’s gut

By Laura Baisas

A giant prehistoric salamander

These pleasantly plump salamanders dominated the Cretaceous period These pleasantly plump salamanders dominated the Cretaceous period

By Laura Baisas

Big ancient turtle

Gigantic fossils hint at super-sized 7,000-pound sea turtle Gigantic fossils hint at super-sized 7,000-pound sea turtle

By Laura Baisas

This 18-foot python’s last meal was a whole alligator

This 18-foot python’s last meal was a whole alligator This 18-foot python’s last meal was a whole alligator

By Dac Collins / Outdoor Life

Children raising their hands in a classroom.

Kids learn faster than adults. This neurotransmitter could explain why. Kids learn faster than adults. This neurotransmitter could explain why.

By Laura Baisas

Monkeys with close friends have friendlier gut bacteria

Monkeys with close friends have friendlier gut bacteria Monkeys with close friends have friendlier gut bacteria

By Laura Baisas

Nine patients with paralysis walking again with aides in various environments after electrode therapy. Black and white.

The slow, but promising progress of electrode therapy for paralysis The slow, but promising progress of electrode therapy for paralysis

a fuzzy bumblebee settles on a pink flower

Bees can sense a flower’s electric field—unless fertilizer messes with the buzz Bees can sense a flower’s electric field—unless fertilizer messes with the buzz

By Lauren J. Young

A woman in a long sleeve white shirt reaches from bed to turn off her alarm clock.

The science behind our circadian rhythms, and why time changes mess them up The science behind our circadian rhythms, and why time changes mess them up

By Helen Bradshaw

Sex, not violence, could’ve sealed the fate of the Neanderthals

Sex, not violence, could’ve sealed the fate of the Neanderthals Sex, not violence, could’ve sealed the fate of the Neanderthals

By Laura Baisas

protein structure 3D

Meta’s AI could shake up how we study protein structures Meta’s AI could shake up how we study protein structures

By Charlotte Hu

A jaybird snacks

Eurasian jays show masterful intelligence in human psychology test Eurasian jays show masterful intelligence in human psychology test

By Laura Baisas

A hellbender peers out with its blue eye from a rock

Hellbender salamanders may look scary, but the real fright is extinction Hellbender salamanders may look scary, but the real fright is extinction

By Helen Bradshaw

Bellairsia gracilis

A Scottish fossil is helping scientists fill the gaps in the lizard family tree A Scottish fossil is helping scientists fill the gaps in the lizard family tree

By Laura Baisas

varying sizes of argonaut egg cases are lined up

Argonaut octopuses are enigmatic—down to their self-made ‘shells’ Argonaut octopuses are enigmatic—down to their self-made ‘shells’

By Helen Bradshaw

a lioness with a mane

The rare case of a lioness with a mane The rare case of a lioness with a mane

By Lauren J. Young

Rhododendrons blooming.

Multiple species of Rhododendron thrive by taking turns to bloom Multiple species of Rhododendron thrive by taking turns to bloom

By Laura Baisas

a closeup of honeybees on honeycomb

The first honeybee vaccine could protect the entire hive, starting with the queen The first honeybee vaccine could protect the entire hive, starting with the queen

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

The hand of a day gecko, showing bones, tissues, and cells.

9 stunning pictures of the microscopic realm 9 stunning pictures of the microscopic realm

By Popular Science Team

A compound derived from the Cordyceps fungus may have antiviral or antitumor properties.

An insect-eating fungus could help us fight viruses—and now we know how to grow it An insect-eating fungus could help us fight viruses—and now we know how to grow it

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

brilliant-10-2022

The Brilliant 10: The top up-and-coming minds in science The Brilliant 10: The top up-and-coming minds in science

By Mara Grunbaum, Yasmin Tayag

Illustrations of entwined snakes with black substance

6 surprising ways animals are adapting to a human-dominated world 6 surprising ways animals are adapting to a human-dominated world

By Jason Bittel

Volcano belching lava and gas above ocean to represent Great Oxygenation Event

Geologists are searching for when the Earth took its first breath Geologists are searching for when the Earth took its first breath

A young woman measures a child's height.

You can’t control your height, but 12,000 genetic variants probably do You can’t control your height, but 12,000 genetic variants probably do

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

Our long childhoods could be linked to food-gathering skills

Our long childhoods could be linked to food-gathering skills Our long childhoods could be linked to food-gathering skills

By Laura Baisas

Billions of years ago, Mars may have been bustling with climate-changing microbes

Billions of years ago, Mars may have been bustling with climate-changing microbes Billions of years ago, Mars may have been bustling with climate-changing microbes

By Laura Baisas

a great white shark under water

Watch what can happen when killer whales tangle with great white sharks Watch what can happen when killer whales tangle with great white sharks

By Lauren J. Young

Silkworms like the one seen here spin cocoons of silk.

How researchers leveled up worm silk to be tougher than a spider’s How researchers leveled up worm silk to be tougher than a spider’s

One secret to excellent memory in old age? Giant neurons.

One secret to excellent memory in old age? Giant neurons. One secret to excellent memory in old age? Giant neurons.

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

The key to tastier beer might be mutant yeast—with notes of banana

The key to tastier beer might be mutant yeast—with notes of banana The key to tastier beer might be mutant yeast—with notes of banana

By Laura Baisas

a colorful illustration of two bipedal dinosaurs

This pterosaur ancestor was a tiny, flightless dog-like dinosaur This pterosaur ancestor was a tiny, flightless dog-like dinosaur

By Laura Baisas

Water droplets rising from Iceland's Skogafoss waterfall.

Here’s how life on Earth might have formed out of thin air and water Here’s how life on Earth might have formed out of thin air and water

By Laura Baisas

Diver holding animal skull

Below Madagascar, cave divers surface secrets of the past Below Madagascar, cave divers surface secrets of the past

Nobel Prize in medicine awarded to scientist who sequenced Neanderthal genome

Nobel Prize in medicine awarded to scientist who sequenced Neanderthal genome Nobel Prize in medicine awarded to scientist who sequenced Neanderthal genome

By Laura Baisas

a termite's head is seen poking out from a channel in wood

Termites work through wood faster when it’s hotter out Termites work through wood faster when it’s hotter out

By Lauren J. Young

2022 Ig Nobel Prize winners include ducks in a row, constipated scorpions, ice cream, and more

2022 Ig Nobel Prize winners include ducks in a row, constipated scorpions, ice cream, and more 2022 Ig Nobel Prize winners include ducks in a row, constipated scorpions, ice cream, and more

By Laura Baisas

three rows of agar plates of various orange hues that are covered in different types of mold or fungui

These fungi demand more pumpkin in their pumpkin spice lattes These fungi demand more pumpkin in their pumpkin spice lattes

By Lauren J. Young

Woman vomiting a pastel rainbow upwards on a pink background

Why you want to barf when you see something gross Why you want to barf when you see something gross

By Julia Craven

Queen Elizabeth II coffin being moved from hearse to military plane following death in Scotland

How do you preserve a famous person’s body? How do you preserve a famous person’s body?

By Dan Nosowitz

Mosquito close-up

Can a bold new plan to stop mosquitoes catch on? Can a bold new plan to stop mosquitoes catch on?

By Lauren J. Young

Husky dogs pulling a sled in a snowy landscape

How the logic of ‘winter selection’ shaped centuries of bad science How the logic of ‘winter selection’ shaped centuries of bad science

By Joseph L. Graves Jr.

First study of cancer-detecting blood test shows hopeful results

First study of cancer-detecting blood test shows hopeful results First study of cancer-detecting blood test shows hopeful results

By Laura Baisas

illustration of free-falling woman

Why do we love watching people defy death? Why do we love watching people defy death?

By Leigh Cowart

A child wears a mask and sanitizes hands to avoid getting sick.

The back-to-school guide for fighting common viruses The back-to-school guide for fighting common viruses

By Jeanette Beebe

Kid in lavender shirt stretching toy orange slime out with hands

The slimy history of human beings and mucus The slimy history of human beings and mucus

By Omer Gokcumen / The Conversation

Coast of Lake Superior

The untouched ‘wilderness’ of the Great Lakes is an illusion The untouched ‘wilderness’ of the Great Lakes is an illusion

By Dave Dempsey

European red fox crouched on concrete and looking directly into the camera

Can invasive species ever be ‘good’? Can invasive species ever be ‘good’?

You might have a doppelgänger who shares your DNA

You might have a doppelgänger who shares your DNA You might have a doppelgänger who shares your DNA

By Laura Baisas

Skull research sheds light on human-Neanderthal interbreeding

Skull research sheds light on human-Neanderthal interbreeding Skull research sheds light on human-Neanderthal interbreeding

By Laura Baisas

a semi-translucent fish with a tadpole-shaped body and small flecks of red and yellow

Biofluorescent snailfish brave Arctic waters with built-in antifreeze Biofluorescent snailfish brave Arctic waters with built-in antifreeze

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

a black and white ghostly image of a jumping spider hanging by a thin silk strand in a sleep-like state

Jumping spiders might be able to sleep—perchance to dream Jumping spiders might be able to sleep—perchance to dream

By Lauren J. Young

A sauropod like Galeamopus would have walked on soft pads.

Cushy feet supported sauropods’ gigantic bodies Cushy feet supported sauropods’ gigantic bodies

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira