Animals & Plants

Why weren’t New World rabbits domesticated?

Domesticated rabbits come in all sizes and colors, including tiny Netherland Dwarfs, floppy-eared French lops, Flemish Giants, and fluffy Angoras. These breeds belong to Europe's...

This deadly spider may help treat heart attacks, study finds

In a new study from the University of Queensland, researchers found venom from a deadly native spider may actually save lives, by halting the...

“Get out of the water!” Monster shark movies massacre shark conservation

Undeniably the shark movie to end all shark movies, the 1975 blockbuster, Jaws, not only smashed box office expectations, but forever changed the way...

Scientists find new way to protect seeds from drought

MIT researchers have devised a way to protect seeds from the stress of water shortage during their crucial germination phase, and even provide the...

You can snuggle wolf pups all you want, they still won’t get you quite...

After 14,000 years of domestication, dogs have some of the same cognitive abilities as human babies. You know your dog gets your gist when you...

Seabird colony creates ‘halo’ of depleted fish stocks

A vast seabird colony on Ascension Island creates a "halo" in which fewer fish live, new research shows. Ascension, a UK Overseas Territory, is home...

Bull sharks in the upper Mississippi? It does happen!

For many people, the idea of sharks in the upper Mississippi River would seem laughable, yet they have been caught here at least twice--...

Drone footage reveals social secrets of killer whales

Killer whales have complex social structures including close "friendships", according to a new study that used drones to film the animals. The findings show that...

More than 70% of world’s sharks died 19 million years ago

Researchers have discovered a massive die-off of sharks roughly 19 million years ago. It came at a period in history when there were more than...

Plants get a faster start to their day than we think

To describe something as slow and boring we say it's "like watching grass grow", but scientists studying the early morning activity of plants have...