Animals, features and articles | Educational Science

Jul 22, 2022

How do oysters make pearls?

While nearly all of the world's most treasured gemstones can be found buried underground, pearls hide in a far more unexpected setting: inside a shell. So how exactly did these iridescent jewels wind up in such an unlikely place? Despite what many people may think, pearls aren't the result of...

Oct 14, 2022

Shiny Giant Clams May Inspire New Solar Tech

Brilliant shades of blue and aqua coat the iridescent lips of giant clams, but these shiny cells aren't just for show, new research finds. The iridescent sheen directs beams of sunlight into the interior of the clam, providing light for algae housed inside. In a symbiotic return, the algae use...

Oct 7, 2023

Mangrove leaf slug: The solar-powered mollusk that gobbles up sunlight then goes months without eating

Name: Mangrove leaf slug (Elysia bangtawaensis) Where it lives: Shallow pools of water in the mangrove forests and swamps of southeast Asia and Australia What it eats: The content of tiny algal cells Why it's awesome: In addition to looking like a starry night sky, this fabulous slug belongs to...

Feb 18, 2022

Platypus facts

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is one of the most unusual creatures in the animal kingdom. The platypus has a paddle-shaped tail, like a beaver; a sleek, furry body, like an otter; and a flat bill and webbed feet, like a duck. In fact, the first time a stuffed platypus was...

Jul 17, 2023

Dolphins and orcas have passed the evolutionary point of no return to live on land again

The chances of aquatic mammals — like orcas, bottlenose dolphins and whales — ever evolving to live on land again are almost nonexistent, a new study has found. Researchers discovered that the adaptations that allowed these animals to live in water have passed an evolutionary threshold that marks the point...

Oct 19, 2023

Identity of mysterious 'mermaid globster' that washed up in Papua New Guinea 'is anyone's guess,' experts say

A ghostly white lump of rotten flesh in the shape of a mermaid recently washed ashore on an island in Papua New Guinea — and experts baffled. The strange sea creature was likely a marine mammal, but its exact origins are unclear, experts told Live Science. The mysterious mass was...

Feb 11, 2024

How do marine mammals sleep underwater?

If marine mammals want to sleep, they can't just close their eyes and drift away for the night, as they need to intermediately surface for air. Nor can they float at the water's surface and slumber, because that exposes them to predators and heat loss. So how do marine mammals...

Feb 27, 2024

Millions of mystery holes at the bottom of the North Sea are not what scientists thought they were

In the murky waters of the North Sea, shallow divots dot the seafloor. The pits are round or oval, and range in width from a few meters to more than 196 feet (60 meters), but are only 4.3 inches (11 centimeters) deep. Some pits appear to have merged, creating oblong...

Mar 6, 2024

'Should not really exist in these waters': Scientists spot gray whale, thought to be extinct in the Atlantic, off Massachusetts coast

Scientists experienced an incredibly rare event last week when they saw a gray whale cruising through New England's coastal waters. The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) was believed to be extinct in this part of the Atlantic Ocean; the species has not been spotted there in more than 200 years, according...

Mar 5, 2024

Prairie vole orgasms 'rewire' their brains for long-term love

Scientists have discovered that orgasms rewire the brains of fuzzy little rodents called prairie voles, helping them to bond and form long-term monogamous relationships. The research provides an insight into how sex, intimacy and the formation of enduring attachments can trigger a cascade of activity in parts of the brain...

Mar 9, 2024

Patagonian mara: The monogamous rodents that mate only a few times a year but pee on each other constantly

Name: Patagonian mara (Dolichotis patagonum) Where it lives: Arid grasslands and brush lands in central and southern Argentina What it eats: Grasses, cacti, seeds, fruits, flowers and its own dung Why it's awesome: Patagonian maras mate for life, and males are fiercely protective of their partners, following them wherever they...

May 16, 2023

Chlamydia is killing Australia's koalas, but ambitious new project could stop the spread

Conservationists in Australia have begun vaccinating wild koalas against a highly contagious and deadly form of chlamydia. In recent decades, the marsupials have been plagued with a destructive strain of chlamydia, which belongs to a closely related species of the sexually-transmitted disease in humans. In koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), chlamydia causes...

May 19, 2023

World's only known albino giant anteater appears to be thriving in the wild, photos show

Conservationists have released new photos of the only known living albino giant anteater on Earth, who is now believed to be at least 1 year old. Researchers from the Anteaters and Highways Project (AHP), a multi-year assessment of anteater-vehicle collisions set up by Brazil's Wild Animal Conservation Institute (ICAS), first...

May 19, 2023

Birth of wild red wolf pups brings hope to species on brink of extinction

An extremely rare litter of critically endangered red wolf pups has been born in the wild for the second time in five years. The wolf parents have also adopted a captive-bred pup into the new brood for the first time, further raising hopes that the species can be saved from...

May 22, 2023

Rarest of rare: 2 albino egg-laying mammals spotted in Australia

Residents of New South Wales, Australia, have spotted two extremely rare albino echidnas in the space of just two weeks. Geoff Hadley found one of the all-white, quill-covered creatures on a road in the Bathurst region, according to ABC News. He helped the echidna cross safely before reporting the sighting...