Life
Mega El Niños kicked off the world’s worst mass extinction
Long-lasting, widespread heat and weather extremes may have caused the Great Dying extinction event 252 million years ago.
Animals
More Stories in Animals
- Animals
Here’s how an arthropod pulls off the world’s fastest backflip
While airborne, globular springtails can reach a spin rate of 368 rotations per second, high-speed camera footage shows.
- Animals
In a first, these bats were found to have toes that glow
Hairs on the toes of Mexican free-tailed bats fluoresce under UV light, a new study reports. The function of the toe glow is unknown.
- Life
Remote seamounts in the southeast Pacific may be home to 20 new species
A recent expedition to the intersection of two undersea mountain chains has revealed a new seamount and a rich world of deep-sea biodiversity.
- Oceans
National Geographic’s ‘OceanXplorers’ dives into the ocean’s mysteries
National Geographic’s documentary series ‘OceanXplorers,’ produced by James Cameron, invites you aboard one of the most advanced research vessels in the world.
- Animals
This spider makes its home in the burrows of extinct giant ground sloths
Caves made by extinct giant ground sloths make the perfect home for a newly discovered type of long-spinneret ground spider from Brazil.
- Animals
This spider uses trapped fireflies to lure in more prey
Male fireflies trapped in the spider’s web flash femalelike lights, possibly luring in other flying males and allowing the arachnid to stock up on food.
- Paleontology
This spiky fossil shows what early mollusks looked like
The fossil, plus 17 others from more than 500 million years ago, reveal that early mollusks were slug-like creatures with prickly armor.
- Space
Scientists want to send endangered species’ cells to the moon
Climate change is threatening Earth’s biodiversity banks. It might be time to build a backup on the moon.
- Animals
Nasty-tasting cane toads teach crocodiles a lifesaving lesson
After tasting nausea-inducing toad butts, crocodiles in Australia learned to avoid the poisonous live version. Crocodile deaths dropped by 95 percent.
