Giant extinct bird brains reveal “extreme evolutionary experiments”

Australian scientists have studied the biggest bird-brains in history for the first time. Paleontologists examined the brain cases of extinct flightless birds in the dromornithidae family – including some of the largest birds that ever existed – and fo… Continue reading Giant extinct bird brains reveal “extreme evolutionary experiments”

Flapping Wings And The Science Of How Bees Can Fly

Jerry Seinfeld launched his career with Bee Movie, an insect-themed animated feature that took the world by storm in 2007. It posed the quandary – that supposedly, according to all known laws of aviation, bees should not be able to …read more

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New dinosaur dazzled with ornaments never before seen in fossil record

Paleontologists have discovered a new species of dinosaur that’s a real show-off. Ubirajara jubatus is a small creature found with strange spikes sticking out of its shoulders, which scientists speculate were used as ornaments like a peacock’s tail.Con… Continue reading New dinosaur dazzled with ornaments never before seen in fossil record

How the silence of owls in flight could lead to low-noise aircraft

By getting up close and personal with the intricate mechanics of bird flight, scientists continue to unlock secrets that can aid in their pursuit of advanced aerodynamics, and that may include aircraft that generate a lot less noise. Scientists in Euro… Continue reading How the silence of owls in flight could lead to low-noise aircraft

Artificial tree hollows designed to house displaced wildlife

Of all the things that merit a high-tech makeover, you would think that the humble bird-nesting box didn’t need one. A new 3D-printed version, however, could go a long way towards restoring threatened species in the Australian wilderness.Continue Readi… Continue reading Artificial tree hollows designed to house displaced wildlife

Lessons from barn owl flight could help aircraft handle strong winds

Intrigued by the remarkable ability of birds to remain stable in the face of powerful winds, aerospace engineers in the UK have carried out a study to examine the phenomenon in great detail. By observing a barn owl in flight as it contended with bluste… Continue reading Lessons from barn owl flight could help aircraft handle strong winds

Did pterosaurs have feathers? Scientific debate takes flight in new study

Debate is raging about whether pterosaurs, flying reptiles that lived alongside the dinosaurs, had feathers or not. Two years ago a study claimed to have found fossil evidence of “protofeathers” on pterosaurs, but now another team claims the evidence d… Continue reading Did pterosaurs have feathers? Scientific debate takes flight in new study

Bacteria helps animals sense the Earth’s magnetic field, study speculates

One of the most persistent scientific mysteries over the past century has been exactly how some organisms seemingly have the ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic field. Despite several hypotheses, and a large volume of research, there is still no conc… Continue reading Bacteria helps animals sense the Earth’s magnetic field, study speculates

The top-flight winners of the 2020 Bird Photographer of the Year

Launched in 2014 the Bird Photographer of the Year has quickly grown to be one of the world’s strongest bird photography contests. This year’s magnificent selection of winning images offers a deeply diverse assortment of shots, from an evocatively impr… Continue reading The top-flight winners of the 2020 Bird Photographer of the Year

Bird-identifying AI could put an end to leg bands

If you saw a finch one time, chances are you’d have great difficulty picking it out from a large group of finches later on. A new artificial intelligence-based system can do just that, though, potentially making life much easier for both biologists and… Continue reading Bird-identifying AI could put an end to leg bands