Biology(Page 18)

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

Latest in Biology

a lone wolf walking around the forest

Wolves use ambush tactics to hunt unsuspecting beavers Wolves use ambush tactics to hunt unsuspecting beavers

By Kate Baggaley

The Jezero Crater as captured from orbit.

Your ancestors might have been Martians Your ancestors might have been Martians

By Charlie Wood

An overhead view of Mars featuring peculiar dark streaks.

Mars’s mascara-like streaks may be caused by slush and landslides Mars’s mascara-like streaks may be caused by slush and landslides

By Charlie Wood

This ancient fish-crocodile mashup snared its prey using a key adaptation This ancient fish-crocodile mashup snared its prey using a key adaptation

By Kate Baggaley

Masha Krasnova-Shavaeva illustration

How humans have adapted to the harshest environments How humans have adapted to the harshest environments

By Marion Renault

A shooting star in a night scene over the Arabian Desert

It’s a cosmic miracle that life on Earth’s lasted this long It’s a cosmic miracle that life on Earth’s lasted this long

By ToTyrrell/The Conversation

older woman facing a happy lamp

Can a happy lamp help cure your winter blues? Can a happy lamp help cure your winter blues?

By Erin Fennessy

two people looking bored

There’s a right and wrong way to be bored There’s a right and wrong way to be bored

By Sara Chodosh

Dire wolves attacking prey and fighting off gray wolves.

Dire wolves are actually ice age mega-foxes Dire wolves are actually ice age mega-foxes

By Sara Kiley Watson

corpse flower from above

Corpse flowers across the country are swapping pollen to stay stinky Corpse flowers across the country are swapping pollen to stay stinky

By Doug Johnson/Undark

Tim Enthoven illustration

The world’s most diverse group of bacteria lives inside your mouth The world’s most diverse group of bacteria lives inside your mouth

By Claire Maldarelli

Fossilized lizard

How fossil preservation and public health are intertwined How fossil preservation and public health are intertwined

By Colella & McLean/The Conversation

Red crab on water.

Why everything eventually becomes a crab Why everything eventually becomes a crab

By Sara Kiley Watson

Tim Enthoven illustration

Why do cats purr? Why do cats purr?

By Marion Renault

Expedition 46 Flight Engineer Tim Kopra on a Dec. 21, 2015 spacewalk.

Spaceflight affects the human body in two major, peculiar ways Spaceflight affects the human body in two major, peculiar ways

By Paola Rosa-Aquino

infected human cell

How the COVID-19 pandemic might end How the COVID-19 pandemic might end

By Wendy Orent/Undark

Jezero Crater, the destination of the Perseverance rover, is one of many sites on Mars where ancient water flowed, suggesting that the planet once had a thicker atmosphere.

Mars died billions of years ago, and its guts are still spilling into space Mars died billions of years ago, and its guts are still spilling into space

By Charlie Wood

This image of the Moon was created with images taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

The moon is (slightly) wet, NASA confirms. Now what? The moon is (slightly) wet, NASA confirms. Now what?

By Charlie Wood

A reconstruction of Ambopteryx in a glide.

Dinosaurs may have evolved into birds, but early flights didn’t go so well Dinosaurs may have evolved into birds, but early flights didn’t go so well

By Kate Baggaley

A yellow fever mosquito discretely sinks its labrum into its prey

Evolution made mosquitos into stealthy, sensitive vampires Evolution made mosquitos into stealthy, sensitive vampires

By Erica McAlister

Artist's conception of NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collecting a sample from the asteroid Bennu.

Local asteroid Bennu used to be filled with tiny rivers Local asteroid Bennu used to be filled with tiny rivers

By Charlie Wood

A green frog from Madascagar sits on a leaf.

What hundreds of pickled frog carcasses can tell us about their enormous eyes What hundreds of pickled frog carcasses can tell us about their enormous eyes

By María Paula Rubiano A.

Myobatrachus gouldii live, in situ, Kalbarri National Park, WA.

These buff frogs never skip arm day These buff frogs never skip arm day

By Sara Kiley Watson

Highland wild dog.

New Guinea singing dogs still roam the wilderness New Guinea singing dogs still roam the wilderness

By Sara Kiley Watson

Watch Elon Musk unveil the next version of his AI-powered brain implant, Neuralink Watch Elon Musk unveil the next version of his AI-powered brain implant, Neuralink

By Stan Horaczek

The bacterial exposure experiment took place from 2015 to 2018 using the Exposed Facility located on the exterior of Kibo, the Japanese Experimental Module of the International Space Station.

Clumps of bacteria could spread life between planets Clumps of bacteria could spread life between planets

By Paola Rosa-Aquino

south island new zealand

Mummified leaves offer a glimpse of Earth’s ancient climate—and our future Mummified leaves offer a glimpse of Earth’s ancient climate—and our future

By Kate Baggaley

pappy lane shipwreck

This WWII shipwreck hosts an underwater kingdom of bacteria This WWII shipwreck hosts an underwater kingdom of bacteria

By Kate Baggaley

Devon Island in the Canadian arctic Archipelago.

Ancient valleys may hold clues to past life on Mars Ancient valleys may hold clues to past life on Mars

By Kate Baggaley

Humans owe our evolutionary success to friendship Humans owe our evolutionary success to friendship

By Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods

Sled pulled by dogs.

Humans have partnered with sled dogs for 9,500 years Humans have partnered with sled dogs for 9,500 years

By Sara Kiley Watson

Medical physicist Joanna Harper

The science behind sex, gender, and athletic competition is still pretty shaky The science behind sex, gender, and athletic competition is still pretty shaky

By Britni de la Cretaz

Big Q body parts

Why your body looks so weird Why your body looks so weird

By Ellen Airhart

Glacier mice have no feet, but they still move in herds Glacier mice have no feet, but they still move in herds

By Candice Wang

An inch-long bogong moth covers hundreds of miles of Australian terrain to return to its birthplace.

Animals have mysterious ways of finding their way back home Animals have mysterious ways of finding their way back home

By Purbita Saha

Renaud Vigourt illustration

No one knows what a perfect night’s sleep actually looks like No one knows what a perfect night’s sleep actually looks like

By Claire Maldarelli

overhead view of a coral reef

Lab-grown algae might help save corals from climate change Lab-grown algae might help save corals from climate change

Adalatherium hui

This ‘crazy beast’ is unlike any mammal we’ve ever seen This ‘crazy beast’ is unlike any mammal we’ve ever seen

By Sara Kiley Watson

Why we evolved to feel empathy during pandemics and other disasters Why we evolved to feel empathy during pandemics and other disasters

By Peter Sterling/MIT Press Reader

This timeline shows just how insignificant humans are This timeline shows just how insignificant humans are

By Nicole Wetsman

bacteria on our tongues

This photo confirms that your tongue is basically a microbe party This photo confirms that your tongue is basically a microbe party

By Claire Maldarelli

Rhinos with oxpeckers on their back.

Rhinos pay a painful price for oxpecker protection Rhinos pay a painful price for oxpecker protection

By Sara Kiley Watson

Close-up of modern flax cordage showing twisted fibre construction

An ancient bit of yarn suggests Neanderthals were super crafty An ancient bit of yarn suggests Neanderthals were super crafty

By Sara Kiley Watson

A mandrill baboon in a zoo

Social distancing works—just ask lobsters, ants, and vampire bats Social distancing works—just ask lobsters, ants, and vampire bats

By Hawley & Buck/The Conversation

Anotheca spinosa skull

These spiky frog skulls look more like dinosaur fossils These spiky frog skulls look more like dinosaur fossils

By Sara Kiley Watson

Yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse.

Meet the highest mouse on Earth Meet the highest mouse on Earth

By Sara Kiley Watson

Pablo Escobar’s invasive hippos could actually be good for the environment Pablo Escobar’s invasive hippos could actually be good for the environment

By Sara Kiley Watson

Vampire bats know the true meaning of friendship—sharing slurps of blood Vampire bats know the true meaning of friendship—sharing slurps of blood

By Sara Kiley Watson

Blessing of narwhals

The narwhal’s giant unicorn horn might help them find mates The narwhal’s giant unicorn horn might help them find mates

By Sara Kiley Watson

A webby, pink-and-orange mock-up of what the universe might look like.

Lowly slime molds are helping us map out the cosmos Lowly slime molds are helping us map out the cosmos

A brown-eyed individual holding a mug

How do we get our eye color? How do we get our eye color?

A bioluminescent ponyfish with a light-generating organ in its esophagus.

Fish gave us legs—and four other finny facts Fish gave us legs—and four other finny facts

A tadpole of a gray tree frog sucks in a bubble full of oxygen.

Watch tiny tadpoles breathe by ‘bubble sucking’ Watch tiny tadpoles breathe by ‘bubble sucking’

By Purbita Saha

young women kissing

We might have started kissing to share chewed up food (and other delicious facts about smooching) We might have started kissing to share chewed up food (and other delicious facts about smooching)

By Erin Blakemore

two fish side by side with one poking a bone into the other, but in a sexy way

This ancient bony fish was a sexual pioneer This ancient bony fish was a sexual pioneer

By Rachel Feltman

Azawakh dog in the forest.

Meet the Azawakh, the latest breed to enter the Westminster Dog Show Meet the Azawakh, the latest breed to enter the Westminster Dog Show

By Sara Kiley Watson

White dog on blue background

Did humans truly domesticate dogs? Canine history is more of a mystery than you think. Did humans truly domesticate dogs? Canine history is more of a mystery than you think.

A graceful orange cat with a long tail walking on green grass

Most humans don’t have tails. So why do we have the bones for it? Most humans don’t have tails. So why do we have the bones for it?

a tiny organism with four nubbin legs

These tiny living robots could help science eavesdrop on cellular gossip These tiny living robots could help science eavesdrop on cellular gossip

African grey parrot.

For some African grey parrots, sharing is caring For some African grey parrots, sharing is caring

By Sara Kiley Watson

A Spanish-American family photographed in New Mexico in 1940.

DNA tests can’t tell you your race DNA tests can’t tell you your race

By Jack Herrera

Homo erectus skull

The ‘granddaddy’ of all early hominins walked on Earth a lot longer than we thought The ‘granddaddy’ of all early hominins walked on Earth a lot longer than we thought

By Sara Kiley Watson

Baboon making sounds

Monkey mouth sounds could push the evolution of speech back by 27 million years Monkey mouth sounds could push the evolution of speech back by 27 million years

By Thomas R. Sawallis & Louis-Jean Boë/The Conversation

a meteorite in space

Meteorite-eating microbes could help us look for alien life Meteorite-eating microbes could help us look for alien life

By Charlie Wood