WEIRD ANIMALS
Scientists identify our own “regenerative capacity.” By Sarah Sloat – The animal kingdom is full of creatures capable of an ability that humans associate more with X-Men’s Wolverine than our fellow man. Sea stars, salamanders, zebrafish, and more can regenerate their limbs, but …
By Michael Irving – A mold pig, trapped in amber. Oregon State University. – Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered a brand new creature preserved in 30-million-year-old amber. The tiny invertebrate, casually dubbed the “mold pig,” is not only a new species but …
Need we say more? By Holly Patrick – Bringing pet dogs into the workplace is becoming increasingly common. Large companies like Google, Ticketmaster, and challenger bank Monzo are just a few that have joined companies in the pet sector (like Pets at Home) …
“I have to care as much about cockroaches as I do elephants.” By Nina Pullano – If you’re one of the 1.4 million people who follow Joel Sartore on Instagram, you’ll notice the National Geographic photographer is a prolific poster of all kinds …
Coooool. By Justyna Anna Nalepa-Grajcar – What if I told you that there is a good chance you are carrying a parasite that is transmitted through cat poo? Two billion people around the world carry Toxoplasma gondii, so there may be more than …
Songbirds like sparrows and warblers saw the largest drop in population. By Nina Pullano – Whether or not you believe we’re in the middle of a sixth mass extinction, data shows that wildlife is suffering. Worldwide biodiversity loss threatens global ecosystems, and it …
By Ben Coxworth – The majority of the environmental DNA found in the study came from eels – although not necessarily giant ones. mikelane45/Depositphotos. – Last year, we heard about a scientist who was headed to Loch Ness to search for the monster’s DNA. …
By Michael Irving – The new whale species, Berardius minimus, in the wild. Tadasu K. Yamada et al., Scientific Reports. – New species turn up on Earth with surprising regularity, but most of the time they’re small, like ants and tarantulas. You’d be forgiven …
By Matt Kennedy – Research suggests that gull embryos can communicate important environmental information to each other before hatching. (Credit: vetal1983/Depositphotos). We know baby birds communicate, often loudly, and mostly about food, but a new study suggests they can also communicate with each …
Scientists uncover two explanations for its dramatic final act. By Emma Betuel – Zombification may be the stuff of science fiction for humans, but for insects, getting zombified is a very real threat. Scientists and Planet Earth afficionados may recall the cases …