Animals, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 31, 2010

Pudgy Birds May Migrate Faster

A little extra weight may be a good thing if you're a small migrating bird. Fatter birds of certain species migrate faster than thinner ones, because the chubby birds need less time to stop and replenish their fat reserves, a new study suggests. The study looked at the garden warbler,...

Jan 31, 2010

Ancient Human Ancestors Faced Fearsome Horned Crocodile

A newfound horned crocodile may have been the largest predator encountered by our ancestors in Africa, researchers now suggest. Scientists have even found bones from members of the human lineage bearing tooth marks from this reptile, whose scientific name, Crocodylus anthropophagus, means man-eating crocodile. This predator, which lived some 1.84...

Dec 31, 2009

Image Gallery: Small Sea Monsters

Glyceridae (Image credit: NOAA - Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary)Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, about 17 miles off Sapelo Island, Georgia, is home to a variety of strange creatures. The Glyceridae, or bloodworms, are ferocious epi- and infaunal polychaetes that prey upon small invertebrates. They are errant burrowers that build...

Dec 31, 2009

Spikes on Genitals Help Flies Hook Up

When fruit flies hook up, they really hook up. Scientists now find that spikes on the genitals of male fruit flies literally help them hold onto females. Using a laser, researchers zapped off tiny claw-like spines from the genitals of virgin male fruit flies (Drosophila bipectinata) from Cape Tribulation in...

Dec 31, 2009

Feathered Dinosaurs Leapt from Trees, Not the Ground

Whether birds first evolved flight as ground dwellers or took to the skies from trees has been a longstanding debate. A new study of an ancient four-legged creature called Microraptor gui, poised on the boundary between dinosaurs and birds, suggests that the arboreal, or tree-living, idea may be correct. Microraptor...

Dec 31, 2009

Altruistic Chimpanzees Adopt Orphans

Chimpanzees can be altruistic just like humans, according to a new study that found 18 cases of orphaned chimps being adopted in the wild. The kind-hearted chimp parents were discovered in the Taï forest in the West African country Ivory Coast. The adoptive caregivers, both male and female, devoted large...

Dec 31, 2009

New Tyrannosaur Species Discovered

T. rex's family tree just got one member larger. Scientists unearthed bones from a new dinosaur species, including an adult specimen and bones from a teenager that lived some 75 million years ago. Called Bistahieversor sealeyi, the dinosaur lived about 10 million years before Tyrannosaurus rex appeared on the scene....

Dec 31, 2009

Termite Battles May Explain Evolution of Social Insects

This Behind the Scenes article was provided to LiveScience in partnership with the National Science Foundation. Natural selection argues for small biological changes that yield greater chances of survival and successful reproduction. Yet, that process does not square well with the evolution of social insects, particularly when their colonies can...

Nov 30, 2011

After Century's Absence, Seabirds' Return Surprises Scientists

Earlier this year, government scientists discovered a welcome bundle of joy: a nest of seabird chicks on the Channel Islands off California's coast. This is the first time baby birds of this species have been seen here since 1912. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park...

Nov 30, 2011

Bouncing Zoo Babies of 2011

Beautiful Bouncing Babies (Image credit: Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo)The birth of a baby is always a happy occasion, and particularly so for the myriad animal species found in the world's zoos, many of which are endangered in the wild and count on zoo breeding programs to keep their populations...

Oct 31, 2011

Happy Birthday to Po! Celebrated Panda Turns 1

ATLANTA — Zoo Atlanta's celebrated new panda, Po, turned 1 year old today (Nov. 3). To celebrate the milestone, his caretakers gave him a fruit-filled ice cake, shaped like a 1, and a few other gifts — though Po's mom spoiled the fun by unwrapping them first. The exhibit's viewing...

Sep 30, 2011

Like Humans, Abused Baby Birds Grow Into Bullies

Much like humans, birds that are abused as tots are more likely to become abusers later on, a new study finds. Adult Nazca boobies, seabirds that live in colonies on the Galapagos Islands, often beat up on their neighbors' young. The new research finds these bullied nestlings turn into bullies...

Sep 30, 2011

Female Lemurs Benefit From Multiple Mates, Study Suggests

While it may not be as socially acceptable among humans, a female choosing to take multiple mates is a common phenomenon in the animal kingdom. But why the practice of polyandry (a female having more than one male mate at a time) is so prominent is still a mystery in...

Sep 30, 2011

10 species our population explosion will likely kill off

Intro Mekong giant catfish. On or around October 31, 2011, the human population will reach the 7 billion mark, according to projections by the United Nations Population Division. Over the years, as our numbers have increased, the populations of the Earth's other inhabitants has steadily decreased; many species have even...

Sep 30, 2011

Australia's 'Rogue' Man-Eating Sharks Actually Chasing Whales

After the attack on an American diver by a great white shark off the coast of Australia, the rumor mill is swilling with talk of a rogue man-eating shark that developed a taste for humans, killing three men over the last two months. The most recent attack happened on Saturday...