91av - Life / /build/images/ns-logo-scaled.ed2dc11a.png daily 1 /article/mg26635480-100-the-surprising-silver-lining-to-the-recent-boom-in-invertebrate-pets/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 18 Jun 2025 19:00:00 +0100 From spiders to scorpions, some 1000 different invertebrate species are traded globally as pets. This is bad for biodiversity – but there is an upside, says Graham Lawton mg26635480-100-the-surprising-silver-lining-to-the-recent-boom-in-invertebrate-pets|2484224 /article/2484724-australian-moths-use-the-stars-as-a-compass-on-1000-km-migrations/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:00:00 +0100 Bogong moths are the first invertebrates known to navigate using the night sky during annual migrations to highland caves 2484724-australian-moths-use-the-stars-as-a-compass-on-1000-km-migrations|2484724 /article/2484652-ancient-monstersaur-had-goblin-like-teeth-and-sheddable-tail/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 18 Jun 2025 01:01:35 +0100 The discovery of a prehistoric tail-shedding reptile reveals more about large lizard life and lineage during the Late Cretaceous Epoch 2484652-ancient-monstersaur-had-goblin-like-teeth-and-sheddable-tail|2484652 /article/2483376-cryopreserved-sea-star-larvae-could-enable-vital-species-to-recover/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 17 Jun 2025 21:00:26 +0100 Sea star larvae have been stored at -200°C and thawed for the first time, a step towards restoring populations that have been ravaged by disease 2483376-cryopreserved-sea-star-larvae-could-enable-vital-species-to-recover|2483376 /article/2484323-biotech-firm-aims-to-create-chatgpt-of-biology-will-it-work/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 17 Jun 2025 21:13:20 +0100 A UK biotech firm spent years gathering genetic data that has uncovered 1 million previously unknown microbial species and billions of newly identified genes – but even this trove of data may not be enough to train an AI biologist 2484323-biotech-firm-aims-to-create-chatgpt-of-biology-will-it-work|2484323 /article/mg26635470-600-new-scientist-recommends-the-british-librarys-unearthed-exhibition/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:00:00 +0100 The books, TV, games and more that 91av staff have enjoyed this week mg26635470-600-new-scientist-recommends-the-british-librarys-unearthed-exhibition|2483478 /article/mg26635470-300-inside-europes-largest-jellyfish-farm/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Images from a jellyfish-breeding facility in Germany showcase the luminous invertebrates' environmental challenges and medical promise mg26635470-300-inside-europes-largest-jellyfish-farm|2483475 /article/2483275-sauropod-dinosaurs-last-meal-reveals-that-it-didnt-bother-to-chew/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:00:01 +0100 A sauropod dinosaur fossil has been found with preserved stomach contents for the first time, providing insights into what they ate and how 2483275-sauropod-dinosaurs-last-meal-reveals-that-it-didnt-bother-to-chew|2483275 /article/mg26635463-300-dazzling-oak-leaf-prints-merge-science-and-nature/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 04 Jun 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Artist Clare Hewitt uses fallen oak leaves and sunlight to create her works of art before returning the leaves to the forest mg26635463-300-dazzling-oak-leaf-prints-merge-science-and-nature|2482647 /article/2482950-worms-team-up-to-form-tentacles-when-they-want-to-go-places/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 05 Jun 2025 17:00:23 +0100 Thousands of tiny nematode worms can join up to form tentacle-like towers that can straddle large gaps or hitch rides on larger animals 2482950-worms-team-up-to-form-tentacles-when-they-want-to-go-places|2482950 /article/mg26635463-500-why-avoiding-a-sixth-mass-extinction-is-easier-than-it-sounds/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 04 Jun 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Putting an end to a mass extinction sounds like an impossible task, but some researchers argue that doing so would be setting our ambitions too low mg26635463-500-why-avoiding-a-sixth-mass-extinction-is-easier-than-it-sounds|2482766 /article/2481371-theres-growing-evidence-the-big-five-mass-extinctions-never-happened/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Mon, 02 Jun 2025 14:00:25 +0100 Surprising new fossil evidence undermines the idea that there was ever a mass extinction on land – and may force us to reframe the current biodiversity crisis 2481371-theres-growing-evidence-the-big-five-mass-extinctions-never-happened|2481371 /article/2482652-crafty-cockatoos-learn-to-use-public-drinking-fountains/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 04 Jun 2025 01:01:25 +0100 Sulphur-crested cockatoos are waiting in line at public drinking fountains in Sydney to have their daily drinks of water in the latest example of cultural evolution in urban birds 2482652-crafty-cockatoos-learn-to-use-public-drinking-fountains|2482652 /video/2482874-dinosaurs-water-loving-nature-brought-to-life-in-bbc-show/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 03 Jun 2025 18:40:23 +0100 Palaeontologists are finding more dinosaur remains than ever before, and with new technology they can now peer inside these creatures' brains, understand their sensory anatomy and reconstruct whole skeletons from fragmentary remains. Applying novel techniques to a single Spinosaurus skeleton discovered in Morocco, researchers have revealed that this dinosaur was perfectly adapted to an aquatic … 2482874-dinosaurs-water-loving-nature-brought-to-life-in-bbc-show|2482874 /article/2482851-super-invasive-termites-could-spread-from-florida-around-the-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 03 Jun 2025 18:32:04 +0100 Two of the most destructive invasive termite species are interbreeding in the US – they can survive a wider range of temperatures and could easily spread across the globe 2482851-super-invasive-termites-could-spread-from-florida-around-the-world|2482851 /article/mg26635450-900-does-the-old-concept-of-companion-planting-have-any-science-behind-it/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 28 May 2025 19:00:00 +0100 The belief that adding certain plants around crops will boost their growth is an old one, but will your tomatoes' yield and flavour really be improved by growing tasty herbs alongside them? James Wong investigates mg26635450-900-does-the-old-concept-of-companion-planting-have-any-science-behind-it|2481582 /article/mg26635450-300-italian-festival-of-the-snake-catchers-revealed-in-colourful-photos/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 28 May 2025 19:00:00 +0100 The village of Cocullo celebrates a festa dei serpari every May – and scientists are getting in on the action mg26635450-300-italian-festival-of-the-snake-catchers-revealed-in-colourful-photos|2481566 /article/2482217-first-evidence-of-ancient-birds-nesting-above-the-arctic-circle/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 29 May 2025 20:00:32 +0100 Tiny bone fragments from Alaska suggest birds started breeding and nesting in the Arctic 30 million years earlier than previously thought 2482217-first-evidence-of-ancient-birds-nesting-above-the-arctic-circle|2482217 /article/2481751-fossils-show-puzzling-lack-of-evolution-during-last-ice-age-peak/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 28 May 2025 15:00:12 +0100 Thousands of fossils from the La Brea tar pits in California show no signs of mammals and birds evolving in response to shifting temperatures over the past 50,000 years 2481751-fossils-show-puzzling-lack-of-evolution-during-last-ice-age-peak|2481751 /article/2482049-were-getting-close-to-recreating-the-first-step-in-evolution-of-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 28 May 2025 11:00:51 +0100 Life is thought to have begun when RNA began replicating itself, and researchers have got close to achieving this in the lab 2482049-were-getting-close-to-recreating-the-first-step-in-evolution-of-life|2482049 /article/2481300-why-birds-decorate-their-nests-with-weird-and-unnatural-objects/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 23 May 2025 14:00:04 +0100 Puzzlingly, many birds add human-made material to their nests with no obvious function – now there is evidence that these home improvements might ward off predators 2481300-why-birds-decorate-their-nests-with-weird-and-unnatural-objects|2481300 /article/2481536-flash-floods-sweep-through-vital-sanctuary-for-australian-animals/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 23 May 2025 11:46:07 +0100 Wildlife carers fostering some of Australia’s most precious animals have had to rescue them one by one from rising waters and are now racing to repair fencing that keeps feral predators away 2481536-flash-floods-sweep-through-vital-sanctuary-for-australian-animals|2481536 /article/2481349-giant-ground-sloths-evolved-three-different-times-for-the-same-reason/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 22 May 2025 20:00:48 +0100 An analysis of the sloth family tree suggests three different groups of the animals evolved to gigantic sizes in response to cold and dry conditions 2481349-giant-ground-sloths-evolved-three-different-times-for-the-same-reason|2481349 /article/2481436-penguin-poo-helps-keep-antarctica-cool/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 22 May 2025 17:00:28 +0100 Huge colonies of penguins in Antarctica fill the air with ammonia, which boosts particles in the atmosphere that allow climate-cooling clouds to form 2481436-penguin-poo-helps-keep-antarctica-cool|2481436 /article/2481409-colossal-scientist-now-admits-they-havent-really-made-dire-wolves/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 22 May 2025 15:33:55 +0100 Despite a huge media fanfare in which Colossal Biosciences claimed to have resurrected the extinct dire wolf, the company's chief scientist now concedes that the animals are merely modified grey wolves 2481409-colossal-scientist-now-admits-they-havent-really-made-dire-wolves|2481409 /article/2481186-the-first-teeth-were-sensory-organs-on-the-skin-of-ancient-fish/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 21 May 2025 17:00:37 +0100 Teeth are good for chewing and biting, but they are also sensitive – and that may have been their original function hundreds of millions of years ago 2481186-the-first-teeth-were-sensory-organs-on-the-skin-of-ancient-fish|2481186 /article/2480859-supergiant-crustaceans-could-live-across-half-the-deep-sea-floor/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 21 May 2025 01:01:05 +0100 The enigmatic crustacean Alicella gigantea is the world’s largest amphipod, but like all deep-sea creatures it hasn’t proved easy to find 2480859-supergiant-crustaceans-could-live-across-half-the-deep-sea-floor|2480859 /article/2480552-capuchin-monkeys-are-stealing-howler-monkey-babies-in-weird-fad/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Mon, 19 May 2025 17:00:33 +0100 A group of white-faced capuchins on a remote island have started stealing infants from another primate species, and researchers don’t know why 2480552-capuchin-monkeys-are-stealing-howler-monkey-babies-in-weird-fad|2480552 /article/2479524-remarkable-photos-highlight-the-haunting-resilience-of-nature/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 14 May 2025 19:00:26 +0100 Acclaimed photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier showcase a changing planet as part of the Photo London photography fair 2479524-remarkable-photos-highlight-the-haunting-resilience-of-nature|2479524 /article/mg26635430-400-grisly-new-book-reveals-what-zombie-insects-can-teach-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 14 May 2025 19:00:00 +0100 In Rise of the Zombie Bugs, Mindy Weisberger zooms in on how parasites hijack the brains of their tiny host animals mg26635430-400-grisly-new-book-reveals-what-zombie-insects-can-teach-us|2479641 /article/mg26635410-200-robert-macfarlane-is-wrong-to-cast-rivers-as-life-forms-in-new-book/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0100 We should protect Earth's rivers and forests with laws. But it is another matter to claim them as living beings, as Robert Macfarlane does in his new book Is a River Alive? mg26635410-200-robert-macfarlane-is-wrong-to-cast-rivers-as-life-forms-in-new-book|2478020 /article/2479613-exquisite-new-to-science-frog-species-has-golden-legs-and-odd-habits/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 14 May 2025 20:00:05 +0100 A newly described poison dart frog, which is about the size of a thumbnail, has been found in the forests of the Juruá river basin in Brazil 2479613-exquisite-new-to-science-frog-species-has-golden-legs-and-odd-habits|2479613 /article/2479817-fossil-tracks-rewrite-history-of-animals-leaving-water-to-live-on-land/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 14 May 2025 17:00:45 +0100 The footprints of a reptile-like creature appear to have been laid down around 356 million years ago, pushing back the earliest known instance of animals emerging from the water to live on land 2479817-fossil-tracks-rewrite-history-of-animals-leaving-water-to-live-on-land|2479817 /article/2479590-all-living-things-emit-an-eerie-glow-that-is-snuffed-out-upon-death/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 09 May 2025 15:52:44 +0100 Our bodies emit a stream of low-energy photons, and now experiments in mice have revealed that this ghostly glow is cut off when we die 2479590-all-living-things-emit-an-eerie-glow-that-is-snuffed-out-upon-death|2479590 /article/2479462-chimps-share-building-blocks-of-musical-rhythm-with-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 09 May 2025 17:00:56 +0100 Just like humans, chimps have rhythm when drumming, which suggests that the trait evolved in our common ancestor 2479462-chimps-share-building-blocks-of-musical-rhythm-with-humans|2479462 /article/2479490-is-the-fungal-science-in-the-last-of-us-going-off-the-rails/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 09 May 2025 13:00:01 +0100 With season 2 unfolding, the science of the fungal horror drama is becoming shakier. It is a pity that the creators haven’t thought about terrifying scenarios of real-life infection, says Corrado Nai 2479490-is-the-fungal-science-in-the-last-of-us-going-off-the-rails|2479490 /article/mg26635420-100-what-if-we-could-experience-life-as-another-species/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 07 May 2025 19:00:00 +0100 In this latest instalment of our speculative column Future Chronicles, an imagined history of future inventions, Rowan Hooper explores the pros (and cons) of networking our brains with those of other animals mg26635420-100-what-if-we-could-experience-life-as-another-species|2478907 /article/2479275-the-birds-upending-our-idea-of-shared-parenting/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 07 May 2025 17:00:44 +0100 Superb starlings appear to swap between parent and ‘nanny’ roles to help raise chicks over their lifetimes, even when they aren’t related to them 2479275-the-birds-upending-our-idea-of-shared-parenting|2479275 /article/2479335-strange-microbes-give-clues-to-the-ancestor-of-all-complex-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 07 May 2025 17:00:32 +0100 The origin of complex eukaryotic cells, of the type found in all plants and animals, is shrouded in mystery. Now, strange microbes from wetlands in China are helping us to understand when they first emerged, and what they were like 2479335-strange-microbes-give-clues-to-the-ancestor-of-all-complex-life|2479335 /article/2479154-england-has-just-given-the-thumbs-up-to-gene-edited-plants-hooray/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 07 May 2025 11:00:24 +0100 A UK parliamentary committee has greenlit gene-edited plants. This is great news, as it will boost food production and reduce waste, says Michael Le Page 2479154-england-has-just-given-the-thumbs-up-to-gene-edited-plants-hooray|2479154 /article/2478894-best-evidence-yet-that-dolphin-whistles-are-like-a-shared-language/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 02 May 2025 15:00:33 +0100 While dolphins are known to transmit information in their whistles, until now it hasn't been clear whether the marine mammals used the same sounds to indicate a shared understanding of a concept 2478894-best-evidence-yet-that-dolphin-whistles-are-like-a-shared-language|2478894 /article/mg26635410-400-new-scientist-recommends-ocean-with-david-attenborough/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0100 The books, TV, games and more that 91av staff have enjoyed this week mg26635410-400-new-scientist-recommends-ocean-with-david-attenborough|2478022 /article/mg26635410-300-welcome-to-a-great-straightforward-guide-to-the-tree-of-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Max Telford's new book, The Tree of Life, is a millennia-spanning exploration of the history – and future – of evolutionary relationships mg26635410-300-welcome-to-a-great-straightforward-guide-to-the-tree-of-life|2478021 /article/2478628-how-greenland-sharks-live-for-hundreds-of-years-without-going-blind/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 01 May 2025 16:00:33 +0100 Greenland sharks show no signs of retinal degeneration despite living for up to 400 years, and scientists have identified genetic adaptations that may explain how 2478628-how-greenland-sharks-live-for-hundreds-of-years-without-going-blind|2478628 /article/mg26635412-800-lets-remember-that-extraordinary-claims-need-extraordinary-evidence/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 30 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Several recent scientific findings, including signs of life on an exoplanet and 'de-extinction' of the dire wolf have caused a stir but when a claim seems too good to be true it probably is mg26635412-800-lets-remember-that-extraordinary-claims-need-extraordinary-evidence|2478263 /article/mg26635400-900-should-you-water-your-orchid-with-ice-cubes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0100 There's a fierce debate raging in the horticulture world over whether adding ice cubes to your orchid is beneficial or damaging for this tropical plant. James Wong investigates mg26635400-900-should-you-water-your-orchid-with-ice-cubes|2477146 /article/mg26635401-500-can-a-strange-state-of-matter-explain-what-life-is-and-how-it-began/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 22 Apr 2025 17:00:00 +0100 Laboratory experiments have coaxed simple molecules into states that naturally become more complex, hinting at the origins of evolution itself mg26635401-500-can-a-strange-state-of-matter-explain-what-life-is-and-how-it-began|2477153 /article/mg26635400-700-chronicling-nature-activism-in-a-coastal-corner-of-india/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Intertidal is Yuvan Aves's extraordinary, personal exploration of the rich wildlife offsetting the urbanity of Chennai, India. While its focus is a small strip of Indian coast, its issues are global mg26635400-700-chronicling-nature-activism-in-a-coastal-corner-of-india|2477134 /article/2477925-bone-collector-caterpillar-wears-dead-insect-body-parts-as-disguise/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 24 Apr 2025 20:00:52 +0100 A carnivorous caterpillar species camouflages itself with dead insects so it can live safely alongside spiders, stalking their webs and stealing their prey 2477925-bone-collector-caterpillar-wears-dead-insect-body-parts-as-disguise|2477925 /article/2477845-oldest-ant-fossil-ever-found-shows-how-ants-took-over-the-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 24 Apr 2025 17:00:28 +0100 A fossilised 113-million-year-old hell ant from Brazil adds to the evidence that the first ants evolved in the southern hemisphere before moving north – and beyond 2477845-oldest-ant-fossil-ever-found-shows-how-ants-took-over-the-world|2477845 /article/2477747-dire-wolf-de-extinction-criticised-by-conservation-group/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 23 Apr 2025 17:51:15 +0100 The attempted creation of dire wolves could undermine conservation efforts by making people think extinct species can be revived, says the International Union for Conservation of Nature 2477747-dire-wolf-de-extinction-criticised-by-conservation-group|2477747 /article/2477402-bats-that-walk-backwards-have-developed-unusual-navigation-strategy/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 23 Apr 2025 13:00:57 +0100 Greater mouse-tailed bats crawl backwards over cave walls, and it seems they use their long tails to help feel their way 2477402-bats-that-walk-backwards-have-developed-unusual-navigation-strategy|2477402 /article/2477277-giant-coral-colony-discovered-in-red-sea-tourism-hotspot/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:00:32 +0100 A huge colony of Pavona coral near the coast of Saudi Arabia is thought to be the largest living example found in the Red Sea 2477277-giant-coral-colony-discovered-in-red-sea-tourism-hotspot|2477277 /article/2477380-stone-age-dog-skeleton-hints-at-complex-early-relationship-with-pets/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Mon, 21 Apr 2025 11:00:40 +0100 A nearly complete skeleton found in a cave in France belonged to a group known as the Palaeolithic dogs and its skeleton suggests it had a confusing relationship with humans 2477380-stone-age-dog-skeleton-hints-at-complex-early-relationship-with-pets|2477380 /article/mg26635390-600-images-capture-the-timeless-beauty-of-americas-ancient-forests/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 16 Apr 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Photographer Mitch Epstein's years-long project highlights the majesty and vulnerability of old growth forests across the US mg26635390-600-images-capture-the-timeless-beauty-of-americas-ancient-forests|2476250 /article/2476888-living-material-made-from-fungus-could-make-buildings-more-sustainable/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 16 Apr 2025 17:00:48 +0100 Researchers have used a fungus and bacteria to create rigid, living structures similar to bone and coral, which could one day be used as a self-repairing building material 2476888-living-material-made-from-fungus-could-make-buildings-more-sustainable|2476888 /article/2476783-first-ever-confirmed-image-of-a-colossal-squid-in-the-deep-ocean/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 15 Apr 2025 22:00:39 +0100 The colossal squid is the largest invertebrate on the planet, but it is also surprisingly elusive. An image of a 30-centimetre-long juvenile is our first glimpse of the animal in its natural habitat 2476783-first-ever-confirmed-image-of-a-colossal-squid-in-the-deep-ocean|2476783 /article/2476398-puppy-intelligence-tests-can-predict-how-dogs-will-turn-out-as-adults/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Mon, 14 Apr 2025 18:00:49 +0100 Puppies’ performance in cognitive tests at 3 to 7 months old can give a strong indication of their personalities and trainability as adults 2476398-puppy-intelligence-tests-can-predict-how-dogs-will-turn-out-as-adults|2476398 /article/mg26635380-100-what-the-surprising-lives-of-solitary-animals-reveal-about-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 09 Apr 2025 17:30:00 +0100 A new understanding of why some animals evolved to be loners, and the benefits that brings, shows that a social lifestyle isn’t necessarily superior mg26635380-100-what-the-surprising-lives-of-solitary-animals-reveal-about-us|2474981 /article/2476080-dolphins-are-dying-from-toxic-chemicals-banned-since-the-1980s/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 11 Apr 2025 11:00:33 +0100 Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are commonly found in the bodies of short-beaked common dolphins that get stranded on UK beaches, and are linked to the animals’ risk of infectious diseases 2476080-dolphins-are-dying-from-toxic-chemicals-banned-since-the-1980s|2476080 /article/2475463-rethink-of-fossils-hints-dinosaurs-still-thrived-before-asteroid-hit/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 08 Apr 2025 17:00:20 +0100 The number of dinosaurs may have been stable before the asteroid impact, despite evidence that species were getting less diverse 2475463-rethink-of-fossils-hints-dinosaurs-still-thrived-before-asteroid-hit|2475463 /article/2475407-no-the-dire-wolf-has-not-been-brought-back-from-extinction/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Mon, 07 Apr 2025 20:45:32 +0100 Colossal Biosciences claims three pups born recently are dire wolves, but they are actually grey wolves with genetic edits intended to make them resemble the lost species 2475407-no-the-dire-wolf-has-not-been-brought-back-from-extinction|2475407 /article/mg26635374-000-the-animals-revealing-why-human-culture-isnt-as-special-as-we-thought/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:00:00 +0100 Even animals with very small brains turn out to have cultural traditions, which poses a puzzler for biologists wondering what makes human culture unique mg26635374-000-the-animals-revealing-why-human-culture-isnt-as-special-as-we-thought|2474490 /article/2475097-cannibal-spiders-have-strange-trick-to-stop-their-siblings-eating-them/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 04 Apr 2025 21:00:27 +0100 A spider species eat their siblings as soon as they die but tolerate each other when they are alive, suggesting a mysterious signal helps them to determine when to dine on a nest mate 2475097-cannibal-spiders-have-strange-trick-to-stop-their-siblings-eating-them|2475097 /article/2475203-largest-ever-us-honeybee-die-off-has-destroyed-1-6-million-colonies/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 04 Apr 2025 20:00:29 +0100 Beekeepers often experience some seasonal losses, but this past winter, more than half of all US honeybee colonies died off, potentially the largest loss in US history 2475203-largest-ever-us-honeybee-die-off-has-destroyed-1-6-million-colonies|2475203 /article/2474993-bonobos-use-a-kind-of-syntax-once-thought-to-be-unique-to-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 03 Apr 2025 20:00:06 +0100 The way bonobos combine vocal sounds to create new meanings suggests the evolutionary building blocks of human language are shared with our closest relatives 2474993-bonobos-use-a-kind-of-syntax-once-thought-to-be-unique-to-humans|2474993 /article/2474681-plant-skin-grafts-could-result-in-new-kinds-of-vegetables/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:00:26 +0100 A company in the Netherlands says it has perfected a way to create "graft chimeras" with the skin of one plant and the innards of another 2474681-plant-skin-grafts-could-result-in-new-kinds-of-vegetables|2474681 /article/2474184-monkeys-use-crafty-techniques-to-get-junk-food-from-tourists/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:02:32 +0100 At the Dakshineswar temple complex in India, Hanuman langurs beg for food by grabbing visitors’ legs or tugging on their clothes – and they don’t stop until they get their favourite snacks 2474184-monkeys-use-crafty-techniques-to-get-junk-food-from-tourists|2474184 /article/2474403-cave-spiders-use-their-webs-in-a-way-that-hasnt-been-seen-before/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Mon, 31 Mar 2025 18:00:13 +0100 Cave-dwelling orb spiders have adapted their webs so they act as tripwires for prey that crawl on the walls of the caves 2474403-cave-spiders-use-their-webs-in-a-way-that-hasnt-been-seen-before|2474403 /article/mg26535360-600-stunning-new-animated-series-tells-the-story-of-a-cure-all-mushroom/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 26 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000 A naturalist finds a hallucinogenic mushroom with the power to cure all ailments in the animated series Common Side Effects. Big Pharma is hot on his trail in this beautifully made show, says Bethan Ackerley mg26535360-600-stunning-new-animated-series-tells-the-story-of-a-cure-all-mushroom|2473209 /article/2473713-the-anus-may-have-evolved-from-a-hole-originally-used-to-release-sperm/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 28 Mar 2025 13:00:29 +0000 The long-standing question of how animals came to have an anus may have been solved by studies of which genes are active during development in various animals 2473713-the-anus-may-have-evolved-from-a-hole-originally-used-to-release-sperm|2473713 /article/mg26535360-200-camera-trap-spots-endangered-elephant-mother-and-calf-on-the-move/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 26 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000 A weatherproof box and motion-trigger camera help photographer Will Burrard-Lucas capture images of rarely seen African elephants mg26535360-200-camera-trap-spots-endangered-elephant-mother-and-calf-on-the-move|2473205 /article/2473810-ancient-wasp-may-have-used-its-rear-end-to-trap-flies/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 27 Mar 2025 01:00:48 +0000 Bizarre parasitic wasps preserved in amber about 99 million years ago had trap-like abdomens that they may have used to immobilise other insects 2473810-ancient-wasp-may-have-used-its-rear-end-to-trap-flies|2473810 /article/2473915-why-do-giraffes-have-spots-not-for-the-reason-you-might-think/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 26 Mar 2025 17:00:25 +0000 The size and shape of a giraffe’s spots seem to influence how well the animals survive when temperatures get hotter or colder than normal 2473915-why-do-giraffes-have-spots-not-for-the-reason-you-might-think|2473915 /article/2473690-sharks-arent-silent-after-all/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 25 Mar 2025 23:01:29 +0000 A species of houndshark called Mustelus lenticulatus makes sharp clicking noises when handled. Until now, sharks as a group were thought to be universally quiet 2473690-sharks-arent-silent-after-all|2473690 /article/2473272-bizarre-fossil-may-have-been-an-entirely-new-type-of-life/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:00:26 +0000 Chemical analysis suggests the 400-million-year-old fossil Prototaxites was neither plant, animal or fungus – hinting at a mysterious life form that went extinct long ago 2473272-bizarre-fossil-may-have-been-an-entirely-new-type-of-life|2473272 /article/mg26535350-800-why-you-dont-need-to-worry-about-over-potting-your-plants/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Traditional advice tells us to only move growing plants to a pot one size larger. The science shows that you don't need to bother with this slow transition, says James Wong mg26535350-800-why-you-dont-need-to-worry-about-over-potting-your-plants|2472359 /article/mg26535350-700-what-the-extraordinary-medical-know-how-of-wild-animals-can-teach-us/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Mon, 17 Mar 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Birds do it, chimps do it, even monarch butterflies do it – and by paying more attention to how animals self-medicate, we can find new treatments for ourselves mg26535350-700-what-the-extraordinary-medical-know-how-of-wild-animals-can-teach-us|2472358 /article/2473124-monkeys-choose-babysitters-based-on-who-has-more-parenting-experience/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 20 Mar 2025 17:00:54 +0000 Young female black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys often want to hold other females’ infants, but mothers are much more permissive of experienced caregivers 2473124-monkeys-choose-babysitters-based-on-who-has-more-parenting-experience|2473124 /article/2473027-two-fingered-dinosaur-used-its-enormous-claws-to-eat-leaves/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 20 Mar 2025 16:00:41 +0000 A dinosaur fossil discovered in Mongolia boasts the largest ever complete claw, but the herbivorous species only used it to grasp vegetation 2473027-two-fingered-dinosaur-used-its-enormous-claws-to-eat-leaves|2473027 /article/2472913-budgie-brains-have-a-map-of-vocal-sounds-just-like-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 19 Mar 2025 16:00:32 +0000 Recordings of brain activity in budgerigars reveal sets of brain cells that represent different sounds like keys on a keyboard – a structure never seen before in any bird brain 2472913-budgie-brains-have-a-map-of-vocal-sounds-just-like-humans|2472913 /article/2472382-the-surprising-new-idea-behind-what-sparked-life-on-earth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 14 Mar 2025 18:00:49 +0000 We may be starting to get a grasp on what kick-started life on Earth – and it could help us search for it on other planets 2472382-the-surprising-new-idea-behind-what-sparked-life-on-earth|2472382 /article/2472416-we-may-have-discovered-how-dark-oxygen-is-being-made-in-the-deep-sea/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 14 Mar 2025 17:00:02 +0000 A newly discovered mechanism could explain the shock finding last year that oxygen is produced by metallic nodules on the seafloor – and it might be happening on other planets, too 2472416-we-may-have-discovered-how-dark-oxygen-is-being-made-in-the-deep-sea|2472416 /article/2472027-fossils-reveal-what-the-fur-of-early-mammals-looked-like/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 13 Mar 2025 18:00:46 +0000 A study of the fossilised fur of six mammals from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods has found they were all greyish-brown in colour, which would have helped them hide from dinosaurs 2472027-fossils-reveal-what-the-fur-of-early-mammals-looked-like|2472027 /article/2471777-dozens-of-dinosaur-footprints-found-in-rock-at-australian-school/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:53:12 +0000 Palaeontologists have discovered 66 three-toed dinosaur footprints in a slab of rock that has been on display for 20 years at a school in Queensland 2471777-dozens-of-dinosaur-footprints-found-in-rock-at-australian-school|2471777 /article/2471611-h5n1-flu-is-now-killing-birds-on-the-continent-of-antarctica/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 11 Mar 2025 14:03:54 +0000 A highly pathogenic strain of bird flu is spreading south along the Antarctic Peninsula and could devastate populations of penguins and other seabirds 2471611-h5n1-flu-is-now-killing-birds-on-the-continent-of-antarctica|2471611 /article/2471120-male-octopus-injects-female-with-venom-during-sex-to-avoid-being-eaten/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Mon, 10 Mar 2025 15:00:42 +0000 Some male octopuses tend to get eaten by their sexual partners, but male blue-lined octopuses avoid this fate with help from one of nature’s most potent venoms 2471120-male-octopus-injects-female-with-venom-during-sex-to-avoid-being-eaten|2471120 /article/2470085-sex-may-have-evolved-as-a-way-to-pool-resources-during-tough-times/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 07 Mar 2025 12:00:21 +0000 How sexual reproduction came about has long been a mystery, but an evolutionary model suggests it could have started with cells fusing to increase their food reserves 2470085-sex-may-have-evolved-as-a-way-to-pool-resources-during-tough-times|2470085 /article/2470736-the-secret-of-how-greenland-sharks-can-live-cancer-free-for-400-years/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 04 Mar 2025 15:00:53 +0000 We are starting to understand how Greenland sharks can live for centuries without commonly developing tumours 2470736-the-secret-of-how-greenland-sharks-can-live-cancer-free-for-400-years|2470736 /article/2470646-birds-nests-in-amsterdam-are-made-up-of-plastic-from-30-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Thu, 06 Mar 2025 15:00:19 +0000 Coots' nests in Amsterdam are built using discarded plastic, providing a time capsule into the material's use over the past few decades 2470646-birds-nests-in-amsterdam-are-made-up-of-plastic-from-30-years-ago|2470646 /article/2470794-chimps-and-bonobos-relieve-social-tension-by-rubbing-their-genitals/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:01:12 +0000 When competition for food is high, both chimps and bonobos sometimes rub their genitals together to cope 2470794-chimps-and-bonobos-relieve-social-tension-by-rubbing-their-genitals|2470794 /article/2470694-can-genetically-engineered-woolly-mice-help-bring-back-the-mammoth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 04 Mar 2025 13:00:41 +0000 Colossal Biosciences has altered several genes in mice to make them look more mammoth-like, but the company is far from its goal of fully resurrecting woolly mammoths by 2028 2470694-can-genetically-engineered-woolly-mice-help-bring-back-the-mammoth|2470694 /article/mg26535320-900-permafrost-mummies-are-unlocking-the-secrets-of-prehistory/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 25 Feb 2025 16:00:00 +0000 The frozen remains of animals like mammoths, wolves and cave lions offer the most detailed picture yet of the last glacial period mg26535320-900-permafrost-mummies-are-unlocking-the-secrets-of-prehistory|2469497 /article/2470260-stone-tools-help-monkeys-thrive-in-hostile-habitats/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Fri, 28 Feb 2025 16:00:09 +0000 Golden-bellied capuchins are usually found in humid forests, but some populations appear to have adapted to life in drier habitats with the help of stone tools 2470260-stone-tools-help-monkeys-thrive-in-hostile-habitats|2470260 /article/mg26535320-300-incredible-close-up-images-of-insects-scoop-photo-contest-honours/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 26 Feb 2025 18:00:00 +0000 A “smiling” damselfly and shimmering beetle captivated judges in the Royal Entomological Society’s 2024 Photography Competition mg26535320-300-incredible-close-up-images-of-insects-scoop-photo-contest-honours|2469481 /article/mg26535320-400-gripping-account-of-how-plants-and-animals-shaped-each-other/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 26 Feb 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Palaeontologist Riley Black is back with a thrilling guide to how animals and plants co-evolved over millennia mg26535320-400-gripping-account-of-how-plants-and-animals-shaped-each-other|2469482 /article/mg26535322-200-how-to-think-about-the-most-contentious-ideas-in-science/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 26 Feb 2025 18:00:00 +0000 When faced with real-life controversy over the thorniest of research topics, we can seek guidance from fiction mg26535322-200-how-to-think-about-the-most-contentious-ideas-in-science|2469836 /video/2469779-palaeontologist-reviews-the-most-memorable-moments-in-dinosaur-movies/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Wed, 26 Feb 2025 14:00:13 +0000 Dinosaurs have been stars in Hollywood since the earliest days of cinema, captivating audiences throughout. But just how accurate are these portrayals, especially given what we now understand about dinosaur physiology and behaviour? Palaeontologist Dave Hone at Queen Mary University of London is a big fan of dinosaur films, particularly those created using stop-motion animation … 2469779-palaeontologist-reviews-the-most-memorable-moments-in-dinosaur-movies|2469779 /article/2469771-black-squirrels-may-be-evolving-due-to-roadkill-in-cities/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:00:25 +0000 Grey squirrels can actually come in black morphs, which are doing well in one US city because they're less likely to become roadkill 2469771-black-squirrels-may-be-evolving-due-to-roadkill-in-cities|2469771 /article/2469720-big-animals-have-higher-cancer-risk-but-also-evolved-better-defences/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=life Mon, 24 Feb 2025 20:00:41 +0000 A comparison of 263 species supports the idea that large animals have higher rates of cancer than smaller ones. But the increase is less than expected, suggesting they have evolved ways to lower their risk 2469720-big-animals-have-higher-cancer-risk-but-also-evolved-better-defences|2469720