Clownfish can count – but only to bully enemies away from anemones

It’s safe to say that this distinctive orange and and white creature is one of the most recognizable fish on the planet, due largely to the 2001 hit Finding Nemo. Now, scientists have discovered they also recognize each other, counting the white stripe… Continue reading Clownfish can count – but only to bully enemies away from anemones

In Aussie first, ‘Speckles’ the dolphin shows off extremely rare skin

Animal scientists have had a career-making moment, capturing on film a dolphin with such a rare skin condition that only five other recorded examples exist.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: University of the Sunshine Coast, Animal science… Continue reading In Aussie first, ‘Speckles’ the dolphin shows off extremely rare skin

Insects aren’t attracted to lights at all – they just get vertigo

It’s a question we’ve all wondered at some point in our lives: why do insects spend their evenings swarming around and bopping into artificial lights? Scientists have now come up with an answer using high-speed cameras and motion capture tech to map ou… Continue reading Insects aren’t attracted to lights at all – they just get vertigo

Camera captures the world as animals see it, with up to 99% accuracy

It’s easy to forget that most animals don’t see the world the way humans do. In fact, with infrared and ultraviolet sight, many animals experience a world that is completely invisible to us.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: University of … Continue reading Camera captures the world as animals see it, with up to 99% accuracy

Robot dinosaurs let loose to demonstrate hunting techniques

Scientists have long puzzled over why some dinosaurs had feathers and wings long before they evolved the ability of flight. Experiments with a robot dinosaur may now have revealed the answer – they used them for hunting.Continue ReadingCategory: Scienc… Continue reading Robot dinosaurs let loose to demonstrate hunting techniques

Tiny ‘false’ scorpion catches scorpion taxi to new neighborhood

Researchers have captured a pseudoscorpion hitching a ride on a true scorpion, and it’s the first time this interspecific rideshare has been observed anywhere in the world.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, … Continue reading Tiny ‘false’ scorpion catches scorpion taxi to new neighborhood

Scientists chronicle the life journey of one remarkable woolly mammoth

Genetic and isotopic analyses have pieced together a remarkable narrative of a 20-year-old female woolly mammoth, detailing her health, social status and travels – even though her story is more than 14,000 years old. It offers new insight into mammoth … Continue reading Scientists chronicle the life journey of one remarkable woolly mammoth

Cannibalism seen for first time after marsupials’ suicidal sex sessions

The sex life of a tiny Australian marsupial known as an antechinus is already pretty bizarre. But now its mating season has gotten even stranger – and darker – thanks to the introduction of cannibalism, as observed by field researchers.Continue Reading… Continue reading Cannibalism seen for first time after marsupials’ suicidal sex sessions

Tiny sea creature’s ‘snot palace’ inspires new water-pump tech

A house made of mucus may not sound like a desirable abode, yet researchers have found that the crafty animal creating such an unappealing structure may help engineers design cheaper and more efficient pumps for vital industrial applications like water… Continue reading Tiny sea creature’s ‘snot palace’ inspires new water-pump tech

T. rex teeth to headbutting dinosaurs: Fossil finds of 2023

With rapidly advancing techniques to assess fossil finds, we’ve never been in a better position to accurately piece together Earth’s early days. While there are still plenty of mysteries dating back millions of years, in 2023 we managed to solve a few,… Continue reading T. rex teeth to headbutting dinosaurs: Fossil finds of 2023