biology

Seagulls in Namibia Are Attacking Baby Seals

Lots of beach-goers find seagulls annoying, but usually the only harm they do is snatching away poorly-guarded snacks. On one particular beach, though, scientists have found that some gulls have a much more aggressive and grisly way of getting their meals

Beetle Tricks Ants by Speaking their Language(s)

Watch Motor Neurons Light Up as a Mouse Walks

See what's happening in the spine during physical movement.

New Technique Captures Cell Life in Striking Detail

Scientists have developed a new way to see the secret lives of cells.

World's Oldest Flower Likely Lived Among the Dinosaurs

Earth's possible "first flower" doesn't have roots or petals, but it might be able to tell us a myriad of things about our own evolution and the future of pollination.

How Scientists Discovered the Song of the Humpback Whale

The truth about why humpbacks might be better songwriters than you.

Study Shows Some Worker Ants Don’t Work At All

A research team has taken the famously industrious ant down a peg, showing that many ants don’t do their fair share of work—or any work at all.

What is Chimerism?

Chimerism is sibling rivalry at its most primal.

These Weird Sea Creatures Puke Their Guts Up in Self-Defense

If you think it’s impressive when a dog rolls over and plays dead or a lizard regenerates its lost tail, the sea squirt Polycarpa mytiligera has a trick that will really blow your mind.

Alberto Salguero, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY SA 4.0

How a Lying Plant Steals from a Thieving Fly

The smearwort (Aristolochia rotunda) dupes fruit flies into entering its flowers and then traps them there, getting pollinated without offering any reward.