1+ day, 7+ hour ago  (1082+ words) A newly identified branch of the marsupial family tree is adding a surprising twist to the history of Australia's most distinctive mammals. The finding suggests that their evolution was more complicated, and more mysterious, than scientists previously understood. Marsupials first…...

3+ day, 3+ hour ago  (1023+ words) A major genomic analysis is changing scientists' understanding of koala evolution. The research indicates that koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) underwent a severe population decline about 100,000 years ago, well before humans reached Australia. Every koala alive today appears to descend from a…...

4+ day, 8+ min ago  (105+ words) An ancient sea worm may hold the secret to a whole new category of natural materials. Its jaws combine proteins and metal ions in a way that gives them metal-like strength and unusual mechanical behavior, yet they still differ from…...

4+ day, 23+ hour ago  (573+ words) A colorful pet gecko that is unusually prone to developing cancer could become an important new tool for researchers studying how tumors form and spread. Scientists say the animal's naturally occurring cancers may offer valuable insights into why some species…...

5+ day, 2+ hour ago  (603+ words) Humans have earned a reputation as "super-predators" because they hunt, trap, and fish on a scale unmatched by other predators. These activities can reshape animal behavior across entire landscapes. However, new research led by the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian…...

5+ day, 9+ hour ago  (753+ words) Scientists have uncovered why some amphibian populations rebound after being devastated by a deadly fungal disease that has wiped out frogs and toads around the world. The research, led by University College London (UCL), ZSL, and Imperial College London, found…...

1+ week, 13+ hour ago  (615+ words) Citizen science reveals the evolution of parental care The analysis showed that parental guarding behavior has not followed a simple evolutionary path. Instead, it has emerged repeatedly, been lost in some lineages, and later reappeared. The researchers propose that when…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago  (367+ words) Scientists discovered that extreme deep-sea pressure squeezes valuable nutrients out of sinking organic particles, providing an unexpected food source for ocean microbes. The finding could rewrite our understanding of both deep-ocean ecosystems and how carbon is stored on Earth....

1+ week, 2+ day ago  (576+ words) Praying mantises have fascinated people for centuries. Across different cultures, they have been viewed as everything from mystical guides that help lost travelers find their way home to ominous creatures associated with bad luck. Beyond the legends, native mantises also…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago  (312+ words) Scientists have discovered a previously unknown fossil goose that challenges a decades-old theory about the evolution of New Zealand's birds. The find suggests the country's giant flightless geese evolved from much more recent arrivals, revealing a…...