How the Flatfish Got Its Weird Body — and Why It Stumped Darwin's Critics
Flounders have both eyes on one side of their head and lie flat on the ocean floor. This bizarre design baffled scientists for centuries — but new fossil and DNA evidence is finally solving the mystery.
Scientists Crack the Code of the Narwhal's Twisted, One-of-a-Kind Tusk
A new study using massive X-ray machines reveals that narwhal tusks contain two opposing spirals, a structure so unique that nothing else like it has been found in nature.
Peru Makes History by Granting Legal Rights to Stingless Bees for the First Time
Peru has become the first country in the world to give legal rights to an insect — the native stingless bee. Here's why this tiny creature just made a very big impact on how we think about nature and the law.
How the Peregrine Falcon Dives Faster Than a Formula 1 Car
The peregrine falcon hits 320 km/h in a hunting dive, beating every car, cheetah, and flying creature on Earth. The science behind how it pulls this off is even more impressive than the speed itself.
Monarch Butterflies Are Vanishing — Here Is What Scientists Are Doing About It
A sweeping new study revealed that butterfly populations across North America dropped by 22 percent in just two decades. The western monarch is in the most danger, but researchers and volunteers are racing to understand why and how to help.
Italy's Wolves Are Quietly Disappearing Into Their DNA — Nearly Half Are Part Dog
A new genetic study found that roughly 47 percent of Italy's wild wolves are actually wolf-dog hybrids. Scientists are now asking whether the wolf, as a distinct species, can survive this invisible transformation.
Scientists Find an Amazon Spider That Disguises Itself as a Parasitic Fungus
A newly discovered spider in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest fools predators by mimicking the appearance and behavior of a fungus that grows on spiders — a trick never seen before in any spider species.
The Yellowstone Wolf Story Is Being Rewritten — Here Is What Scientists Actually Found
One of ecology's most famous stories claimed that wolves transformed Yellowstone National Park in a dramatic chain reaction. A new scientific analysis says the original study had serious flaws — and the real picture is far more complicated.
Scientists Finally Complete the Millipede Family Tree — and It Goes Back 460 Million Years
Long before dinosaurs, trees, or any backboned animal set foot on land, millipedes were already thriving. A new study has filled in the last missing pieces of their evolutionary history — and the discoveries are stranger and more impressive than anyone expected.
Parrots May Use Names to Identify Specific Individuals, Study Finds
New research on hundreds of pet parrots reveals that some birds use names to refer to particular people or animals — and a few even use their own name to grab attention.
Science Explains Why Cats Watch You Struggle While Dogs Actually Help
A new study compared cats, dogs, and toddlers to see who would help a person in need — and the results reveal a fascinating difference in how these species are wired.
Scientists Discover That Echidnas Evolved from a Water-Dwelling Ancestor
A 108-million-year-old arm bone is rewriting everything scientists thought they knew about how echidnas — spiny, egg-laying mammals — came to live on land.