WEIRD ANIMALS
Deicing salts keep winter roads passable but do a lot of harm in the process. Gregory Rec/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images – By Monika Bleszynski, Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor, University of Denver 2021 Jan 29 – Many people associate a …
Unique physiology allows the Australian marsupial to produce square-shaped feces that may aid communication. Scientists believe the cube shape of the wombat’s poo may aid in communication, as spherical feces are more likely to roll away. Photograph: mlharing/Getty Images/iStockphoto – By Natasha May …
Our canine companions aren’t the only animals that may be capable of magnetoreception. A terrier fitted with GPS remote tracking device and camera (Kateřina Benediktová / Czech University of Life Sciences) – By Courtney Sexton SmithsonianMag.Com 2020 Jul 27 – Last week, Cleo …
A coat of sand makes an effective armor. Eric LoPresti, CC BY-SA – Author: Eric LoPresti, Assistant Professor of Plant Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Oklahoma State University 2021 Jan 20 – Imagine the texture of a plant. Many may come to mind – …
Australia’s dingo fences, built to protect livestock from wild dogs, stretch for thousands of kilometers. Marian Deschain/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA – Authors: Alex McInturff, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California Santa Barbara Christine Wilkinson, Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, …
Multiple queens ensure colonies have a steady output of workers. Ryan Reihart, CC BY-SA – By Ryan Reihart, Teaching Assistant and Ph.D. Candidate of Ecology, University of Dayton 2021 Jan 21 – The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. …
– By Megan Marples, CNN Updated 2021 Jan 19 – Bioluminescent insects have long fascinated scientists, but little is known about how these animals got their light abilities. A 99-million-year-old beetle recently discovered by researchers, however, unlocks a piece of the evolutionary puzzle, …
Paleontologists discovered the fossilized remains of a 98 million-year-old titanosaur in Neuquén Province in Argentina’s northwest Patagonia. – By Amy Woodyatt, CNN 2021 Jan 19 – Experts have uncovered the remains of a gigantic dinosaur in Argentina, and believe it could be one …
Moose, a mixed-breed dog from the Nebraska Humane Society, trains in odor-detection work. Bill Cotton/CSU, CC BY-ND – By Glen J. Golden, Research Scientist/Scholar I, Colorado State University 2021 Jan 13 – Editor’s note: As COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide, scientists are …
Biologist Bruce Jayne holding a brown tree snake, which have now been discovered climbing in never-before-seen ways. Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative + Brand View 3 Images – By Michael Irving 2020 Jan 11 – Scientists have observed snakes using an entirely unknown way of …