A recent study published in the Journal of Mammalogy, at Oxford University Press, highlights that over 1000 new species of mammals have been described globally during the last dozen years, a finding that contradicts the notion that our mammalian relatives...
An extraordinary new species of arachnid, resembling a spider with a tail, has been discovered in amber from Myanmar (formerly Burma), of mid-Cretaceous age, around 100 million years ago.
The finding is described in a paper appearing Monday in Nature Ecology...
Flowering plants likely originated between 149 and 256 million years ago according to new UCL-led research.
The study, published today in New Phytologist by researchers from the UK and China, shows that flowering plants are neither as old as suggested by previous...
With woodpeckers, the answer's in the question--true to their name, they peck wood. And when they do, they peck hard--with each peck, the bird undergoes a force of 1,200 to 1,400 g's. By comparison, a measly force of 60-100...
The world's fastest land animal, the cheetah, is a successful hunter not only because it is quick, but also because it can hold an incredibly still gaze while pursuing prey. For the first time, researchers have investigated the cheetah's...
A new study finds polar bears in the wild have higher metabolic rates than previously thought, and as climate change alters their environment a growing number of bears are unable to catch enough prey to meet their energy needs.
The...
A rare 200 million-year-old ichthyosaur specimen has been discovered in a private collection 22 years after it was originally found.
The fossil is only the second example of Wahlisaurus massarae, a new species of ichthyosaur discovered by The University of Manchester...
New research shows that geese cope with the harsh winter climate by reducing their heart rate and body temperature.
The study, led by Dr Claudia Wascher of Anglia Ruskin University and carried out at the University of Vienna's Konrad Lorenz...
It has often been claimed that humans learn language using brain components that are specifically dedicated to this purpose. Now, new evidence strongly suggests that language is in fact learned in brain systems that are also used for many...
New research that analyzed more than 270 million years of data on animals shows that mammals and birds - both warm-blooded animals - may have a better chance of evolving and adapting to the Earth's rapidly changing climate than...
Watch out! Snake!
The moment you hear this, you cannot help but imagine a slithering creature, as your body prepares for a possible attack. In human conversation, hearing a particular word (eg "snake") can cause a listener to retrieve a...
