WEIRD ANIMALS
Scientists in Germany have estimated how many ants there are on Earth. Depositphotos – By Michael Irving 2022 Sep 19 – The next time an inquisitive four-year-old asks how many ants there are on Earth, you can be ready to fire back a specific …
Phages can sense bacterial DNA damage, which triggers them to replicate and jump ship. Design Cells/iStock via Getty Images Plus – By Ivan Erill, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County – Published: 2022 Sep 15 – After more than …
Walking vertically – or even upside down – is a piece of cake for ants. pecchio/iStock via Getty Images Plus – By Deby Cassill, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida Published: 2022 Sep 12 – Curious Kids is a series …
Mosquitoes need to feed on blood in order to reproduce. But how do they choose whom to feed on? boonchai wedmakawand/Moment via GettyImages – By Jonathan Day, Emeritus Professor of Medical Entomology, University of Florida Published: 2022 Sep 09 – It’s rare to …
In 2020, scientists found sparkling Peinaleopolynoe on hydothermal vents in the eastern Pacific – and were irresistibly reminded of the king of rock’n’roll. A close-up of Peinaleopolynoe orphanae, one of the species of hungry scale-worms that scientists named in 2020. Photograph: Greg Rouse …
An artist’s impression of Brasilodon, a 225-million-year old animal that scientists claim is now the earliest known mammal. 2022 Anatomical Society/Wiley – By Michael Irving 2022 Sep 08 – Paleontologists have identified the earliest known mammal – a small shrew-like animal that lived about …
Joseph Henney’s main companion is not an ordinary alligator. ‘He tries to comfort people and is famous for his hugs’ Five years ago, Joseph Henney was depressed and lonely and in need of emotional support. Enter Wally, the pet alligator. Photograph: Facebook/Wallygator – …
Carpet shark species can walk for up to two hours, enabling them to survive increasingly hostile environments, researchers say. An epaulette shark, foreground, at Toledo Zoo’s & Aquarium, in Toledo, Ohio. Photograph: Andy Morrison/AP – Richard Luscombe in Miami @richlusc First published on …
Dogs are seen as more likely to leap without looking – possibly a trait shared with their owners. Artur Debat/Moment via Getty Images – By Lei Jia, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Kent State University Published: 2022 Aug 22 – The Research Brief is a …
Dogs use their tails to communicate. Eastimages/Moment via Getty Images – By Michael A. Little, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Binghamton University, State University of New York Published: 2022 Aug 15 – Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you …
