Mammals
Has the Term 'Keystone Species' Lost Its Meaning?
More than 50 years after Bob Paine’s experiment with starfish, hundreds of species have been pronounced “keystones” in their ecosystems
Scientists Discover a 'Phonetic Alphabet' Used by Sperm Whales, Moving One Step Closer to Decoding Their Chatter
Researchers used artificial intelligence to spot patterns in recordings of the marine mammals' vocalizations, uncovering the "building blocks of whale language"
How a Fantastical Labyrinth Became a Crucial Habitat for Europe’s Bats
After scientists documented the flying mammals in the Piusa Sand Caves, dug by miners a century ago, conservationists strove to protect the vital habitat
More Than 1,000 Sea Lions Gather at San Francisco's Pier 39, the Largest Group in 15 Years
The pinnipeds came to the area to feed on anchovies and herring as they prepare for breeding season
How Should Colorado Handle Its Booming Moose Population?
Roughly 3,000 animals now roam the state's mountain ranges
Rescuers Save 130 Beached Pilot Whales in Western Australia After Mass Stranding
An additional 29 whales died, officials reported last week, while the reason behind the stranding remains unknown
Move Over, Cicadas: These Living Things ‘Go Dark’ For a Long Time, Too
From frogs to orchids, many organisms go dormant or move underground for lengthy stints
Scientists Clone Two Black-Footed Ferrets From Frozen Tissues in Conservation Effort
The aim of cloning the animals is to increase the genetic diversity of the endangered species
Sea Otters Have Helped Bolster California’s Kelp Forest
A study that looks back more than 100 years shows that where the animals have thrived, underwater forests have, too
How David Attenborough Went From Delighting at the Natural World to Pleading for Its Future
The environmental icon’s latest series, “Mammals,” showcases the threats humanity has created for our relatives
First Human Case of Bird Flu in Texas Confirmed, Following Infections in Cattle—Here's What to Know
This marks only the second time in U.S. history that a human has contracted the H5N1 strain of avian influenza
Five Shocking Animal Hybrids That Truly Exist in Nature, From Narlugas to Grolar Bears to Coywolves
The now-famous “virgin” stingray Charlotte is not having hybrid babies, scientists say. But in nature, distinct species sometimes interbreed to produce surprising offspring
New Extinct Species of Giant Dolphin Discovered in Peru From a 16-Million-Year-Old Skull
Pebanista yacuruna is the largest freshwater dolphin ever found, but it is more closely related to today's river dolphins of South Asia than those in the Amazon
Why Did Seals and Sea Lions Never Commit to a Life Fully at Sea?
While whales moved from living on land to an existence immersed in water, pinnipeds embraced an amphibious lifestyle
Whales That Go Through Menopause Live Longer and May Help Care for Grandchildren
Alongside humans, five species of toothed whales are known to experience menopause. A new study suggests they evolved the trait to increase their lifespan
For Most Mammal Species, Males Actually Aren't Larger Than Females, Study Finds
New research upends a long-held theory that male mammals tend to be bigger than their female counterparts
Asian Elephants Bury Their Dead, New Research Suggests
In India, five dead calves were found buried on their backs in irrigation ditches, with evidence that multiple herd members had participated in the burials
Scientists Grow Elephant Stem Cells in Key Step Toward Woolly Mammoth 'De-Extinction'
The team's lofty goal of "resurrection" is still far from reality, but scientists say the advancement in understanding cells could help with elephant conservation
A Rare Gray Whale, Believed Extinct in the Atlantic for 200 Years, Has Been Spotted off New England
Scientists say a lack of Arctic sea ice due to climate change could have created a passageway for the mammal to travel from the Pacific Ocean
These Photos Are the First to Show Humpback Whales Mating—and Both Are Males
Photographers spotted the interaction in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Maui in 2022
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