Animal

Frozen tardigrade becomes first ‘quantum entangled’ animal in history, researchers claim

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Tardigrades — those microscopic, plump-bodied critters lovingly known as “moss piglets” — have been put through the ringer for science. The amazingly durable creatures have been shot out of guns, bathed in boiling-hot water, exposed to intense ultraviolet radiation and even (accidentally) crash-landed on the moon, all to test the limits of their impressive “tun” … Read more

The Largest Known Flying Animal Was Even Weirder Than We Thought

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The pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus northropi is the largest known flying animal to have ever existed, living on Earth more than 67 million years ago. Now new research on the creature and its newly discovered smaller relative, Quetzalcoatlus lawsoni, gives us a better idea of how Q. northropi flew and got airborne to begin with.   Our knowledge of Q. … Read more

Celebrating the animal astronauts who paved the way for human spaceflight

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NASA astronaut Cady Coleman shows the habitat that golden orb spiders Esmeralda and Gladys occupied on the International Space Station in 2011.  (Image credit: NASA) From insects to primates, from dogs and cats to cold-blooded reptiles, animals have played a significant role in space exploration since the first fruit flies launched to Earth’s upper atmosphere … Read more

The Famous Fossils Scientists Got Incredibly Wrong

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We sort of take for granted the depictions of prehistoric beasties illustrated in the books of our childhood. But piecing together Earth’s murky past is a lot harder than it sounds.   Scientists have to rely on fragmentary bones, weathered footprints, impressions in rock – these don’t always capture the fine details of the complex, … Read more

Cancer: Meat-eating mammals are more susceptible than herbivores

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Understanding why plant-eating mammals like antelopes and sheep are far less likely to die of cancer than carnivores may help protect us from cancer too Life 22 December 2021 By Alice Klein The kowari, a carnivorous marsupial, is particularly prone to cancer D. Parer & E. Parer-Cook/ Minden Pictures/Alamy Mammals that live on meat are … Read more

Animal intelligence: The scientists who do magic tricks on birds

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Performing magic tricks with Eurasian jays helps scientists to understand the animals’ powers of perception, but also their ability to read minds, remember the past and anticipate the future. Mind 22 December 2021 By Sam Wong Psychologists have long studied how magic deceives us. Illusionists exploit shortcomings in our attention and perception to prevent us … Read more

Potty Training Cows and Other Messy Stories from the Animal Kingdom

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Urinating is easy. Holding it in, however, is tough. While some animals, such as wolves, control their bladders to selectively mark their territories, cattle roam blithely around pastures peeing with abandon. “You get the impression that these animals have no control over their urination,” says Jan Langbein, an animal psychologist at the Research Institute for … Read more

Animal research: Tips from pet rat owners could improve lab rat welfare

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Owners’ insights on the behaviour of their pet rats could help researchers improve the welfare of rats in the laboratory Life 20 December 2021 By Christa Lesté-Lasserre A rat in a research laboratory fotografixx/Getty Images Laboratory rats might live better lives if they had cages that let them stand up, climb and romp about, according … Read more

Australian wildlife: Newly discovered millipede has a record-breaking 1306 legs

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A millipede with 1306 legs has smashed the world record after being discovered 60 metres underground in Australia   Life 16 December 2021 By Alice Klein A 10-centimetre-long female Eumillipes persephone millipede with 1306 legs Paul Marek, Virginia Tech A millipede with over 1300 legs has smashed the world record for the most limbs, … Read more