Animals, features and articles | Educational Science

Dec 31, 2003

Fish Eyes Adjust Shutter Speed to Track Prey

Although most fish are cold-blooded, swordfish, tuna, and some species of sharks are able to elevate the temperature in parts of their bodies. Swordfish in particular have been found to keep their eyes 18-27 degrees Fahrenheit (10-15 Celsius) above the surrounding water temperature. Recent research suggests that depending on how...

Dec 31, 2003

Unlikely Cousins: Whales and Hippos

If the idea of whales being mammals has always seemed a bit wild, then you'll probably be surprised to learn that the giant aquatic beasts are pretty closely related to the hippopotamus. Scientists have been wrangling over these relations for centuries. One theory had been that hippos were related to...

Nov 30, 2005

Secret Weapons

Diving Beetle (Image credit: From the book 'Secret Weapons.')This beetle is a predator that dives to hunt. It's a good swimmer and can even feed on small fish. No prey is safe, as Thermonectus marmoratus can also fly from one pond to another. If attacked, these beetles emit steroids that...

Nov 30, 2005

The Science of Sea Monsters

Sea monsters are in the news and on television like never before. NBC has a hit show on Monday nights with Surface, about a huge, terrifying aquatic creature, and sea monsters grace the cover of the December 2005 issue of National Geographic. Scientists working in Patagonia, South America, recently found...

Nov 30, 2005

Human Gene Changes Color of Fish

Scientists have changed mutated, golden-colored zebrafish to a standard dark-striped, yellowish-white variety by inserting the genetic information for normal pigmentation into young fish. In an interesting twist, they also found that inserting a similar human version of the pigment gene resulted in the same color change. As with humans, zebrafish...

Oct 31, 2005

Monkey Math Mirrors Our Own

If you show someone a mouse and a cat and ask which is smaller, they'll quickly reply, the mouse. Ask which is bigger, and it takes most people slightly longer to respond. Conversely, if the two animals are large, such as a cow and an elephant, the typical person will...

Oct 31, 2005

Newfound Ancient Beast Dubbed Godzilla

A newfound ancient sea creature looks to be part crocodile, part T. rex, and 100 percent terrifying. The 13-foot long beast, Dakosaurus andiniensis, had a massive 18-inch-long jaw with interlocking 4-inch teeth. It is a long-lost relative of the crocodile yet it had fins. A digital rendering of the creature...

Oct 31, 2005

A Heart Patient's Best Friend

Dogs are better at relaxing heart-failure patients than people, a new study found. Dogs are a great comfort, says study leader Kathie Cole of the UCLA Medical Center. They make people happier, calmer and feel more loved. That is huge when you are scared and not feeling well. Researchers studied...

Oct 31, 2005

Amateur's Find is Missing Link in Ancient Lizards

When amateur fossil hunter Van Turner discovered a small vertebra at a construction site near Dallas 16 years ago, he knew the creature was unlike anything in the fossil record. Scientists now know the significance of Turner's fossil as the origin of an extinct line of lizards with an evolutionary...

Sep 30, 2005

Navy Sued Over Sonar's Effects on Whales

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) _ Environmentalists sued the Navy on Wednesday, claiming that a widely used form of sonar for detecting enemy submarines disturbs and sometimes kills whales and dolphins. The sonar is capable of flooding thousands of square miles of ocean with dangerous levels of noise pollution,'' according to...

Aug 31, 2005

Gorillas Photographed Using Tools

Wild gorillas use tools every day, but scientists never had lasting proof until two tool-using apes were recently caught on film. While all other great apes – such as chimpanzees and orangutans – have been observed using tools in the wild, these photographs provide the first evidence of tool-savvy wild...

Jul 31, 2005

Giant Creatures Wiped Out by Hunters, Not Climate

Weapon-wielding humans, and not warming temperatures, killed off the sloth and other giant mammals that roamed North America during the last Ice Age, a new study suggests. The arrival of humans onto the American continent and the great thaw that occurred near the end of the last Ice Age both...

Jul 31, 2005

Gene Sequence for Super Spider Silk Discovered

Scientists have uncovered the genetic sequence for one of the strongest silks that spiders produce, a discovery that could one day be used to make super spider-silk products for humans. Not all spider silk are created equal. For example, spiders use dragline silk to create the scaffolding for their webs,...

Jul 31, 2005

Convergent Evolution in Poison Frogs

Scientists have discovered one of the most intricate examples of convergent evolution with the help of South American poison frogs and ants and their cousins in Madagascar. (And here's an odd fact for smokers: one Madagascan frog studied was found to have nicotine in its system!) Poison frogs can't make...

Jul 31, 2005

With Fresh Blood, Inbred Florida Panthers Rebound

A controversial breeding program has improved the genetic diversity of inbred Florida panthers and the endangered animals are on the rebound, scientists announced today. Yet while the hybrid cats are spreading their range, they're not out of the woods yet. As few as 30 wild panthers roamed the Florida Everglades...