Biology

Long thought to be a genetic mutation, albino redwoods may actually serve as a forest filter.

Stalking Down Answers: Why Are Some Redwoods White?

The mysterious pale trees many not just be odd genetic mutations, a new study finds

The lowly urban rat deserves our attention.

In Defense of Studying City Rats

By placing a taboo on researching these “disease sponges,” we leave ourselves at their mercy

The Mechelse Wyandotte, the latest iteration of Koen Vanmechelen's Cosmopolitan Chicken Project

Breeding a Better Chicken in the Name of Art (and Science)

For 20 years, Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen has been selectively breeding chickens for his Cosmopolitan Chicken Project

How badly do you want those fries?

What Does Science Say About the Five-Second Rule? It’s Complicated

The real world is a lot more nuanced than this simple rule reflects

What kept giraffes apart so long that they developed into separate species?

There Are Four Giraffe Species—Not Just One

The downside to this revelation: several of the new species are critically endangered

Unnerving Find: Cells That Control Goosebumps and Nipple Erections

A new study documents eight new types of nerve cells, including ones that control sweating and blood flow

Rare Great White Shark Nursery Discovered Off the Coast of New York

Researchers find North Atlantic great whites spend their first 20 years in the waters off Montauk, Long Island

These glow-in-the-dark roaches have the goods.

I Am Officially in Love With Cockroaches

And after you read this, you will be too

The Dog Aging Project Wants to Help Your Pet Live Longer

Biologists at the University of Washington are launching a long-term study that involves testing medications that could enhance dogs' life spans

Adonis, a Bosnian pine, is the new oldest tree in Europe

Celebrating at Least 1,075 Years, This Pine Could Be Europe's Oldest Tree

The Bosnian pine stands in a forest of ancient trees in the Pindus Mountains

Soon Everyone Will Be Able to Read NASA-Funded Research

Get ready for a lot more space science

Just a handful of key animals—mostly charismatic megafauna and a few economically important species—make up the bulk of conservation research efforts.

Scientists Know They Should Really Study Important Bugs but OMG a Baby Cheetah

In conservation science, the cutest animals still get all the attention

We're gonna need a bigger tank.

Ginormous Goldfish Are Invading Australian Rivers

Abandoned by their owners, the fish run rampant and impact the environment

Eerie Video Shows How Coral Bleaches

Time-lapse video captures the coral's convulsions while it expels the algae that give it color

A nesting male with a female in his nest.

Give it Up, Sneaky Males: These Lady Fish Have You Outwitted

Female ocellated wrasses have developed a surprising trick to control who fathers their offspring

Researcher release bumblebees in a greenhouse at the Cambridge University Botanic Gardens

This Deadly Plant Virus Attracts Bees

The cucumber mosaic virus alters the scent of tomato plants to attract more bees to their ailing hosts

Sharks are a broad and diverse group of species, but in the public imagination we tend to treat them all the same.

Humans Have Promoted the Reef Shark to Apex Predator

How these diverse predators ended up getting all the credit

EU Releases Its First Invasive Species Blacklist

Gray squirrels, raccoons and crayfish were among the prohibited species

An eastern wolf in Ontario's Algonquin Provincial Park.

Rare Wolf or Common Coyote? It Shouldn't Matter, But It Does

The concept of species is flawed, but it still has a huge bearing on conservation policy

A silverfish

Richer Homes Are Also Richer in Biodiversity

Scientists find that wealthier neighborhoods sport a greater diversity of bugs

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