Slow-Mo Microbes Still Living off Dino-era "Lunch Box"

Thu, 17 May 2012 17:17:35 -0400

Buried for 86 million years, a bacterial community lives so sluggishly it's still surviving on a "lunch box" from dino days, a new study says.

Prehistoric "Panda" Found in Spain—Giant Panda Has European Roots?

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:26:57 -0400

A small fossil bear recently identified in Spain suggests China's giant panda has European roots, a new study says.

Runner's High Hardwired in People—And Dogs

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:27:54 -0400

The pleasurable sensation known as "runner's high" may have motivated human and canine ancestors to build endurance, a new study says.

Biggest Crocodile Found—Fossil Species Ate Humans Whole?

Tue, 08 May 2012 17:35:40 -0400

The 27-foot-long predator may have ambushed early humans in what's now Kenya, a new study says.

"Zombie Ant" Fungus Under Attack—By Another Fungus

Fri, 04 May 2012 21:57:54 -0400

Besieged by a fungus that takes over their brains then erupts from their heads, rain forest ants have an unlikely ally—another fungus.

Glowing Pygmy Shark Lights Up to Fade Away

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:05:30 -0400

In what may sound like soggy logic, the smalleye pygmy shark hides in the dark by lighting up, a new study says.

White Killer Whale Spotted—Only One in the World?

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:24:29 -0400

Iceberg the Orca may be the only known white adult killer whale, and his strange skin color remains a mystery.

New Species: Bumblebee Gecko Strikingly Striped

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:23:39 -0400

The latest buzz in reptiledom—a strikingly striped lizard—comes from a little-explored Pacific island.

Fish Glow Green After Genetic Engineering

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:01:45 -0400

A genetically engineered fish that glows green from the inside out is helping illuminate what pollutants do inside the body.

Emperor Penguins Counted From Space—A First

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:06:57 -0400

New satellite images show the population of emperor penguins in Antarctica has doubled since 1992, scientists report.

"Strawberry" Leopard Discovered—A First

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:21:08 -0400

The rare South Africa leopard probably has erythrism, a condition that causes a pinkish coat, experts say.

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Found in 4-Million-Year-Old Cave

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:49:06 -0400

Deep in a pristine New Mexico cave, scientists have discovered nearly a hundred types of bacteria that can fight modern antibiotics.

One-Ton Feathered Dinosaur Found: Fluffy and Fierce

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:03:54 -0400

As long as a bus but downy soft in chicklike plumage, Yutyrannus was by far the biggest feathered animal known, a new study says.

"Lost" Long-Fingered Frog Found in Africa

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:27:59 -0400

In a handy stroke of luck, scientists have rediscovered a "lost" African species: the Bururi long-fingered frog.

Bizarre "King of Wasps" Found in Indonesia

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:32:45 -0400

Males of the venomous wasps have large, spiked jaws— perhaps to protect their young, a new study says.

Whales Have Sonar "Beam" for Targeting Prey

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:10:53 -0400

Precision sound "beams" let whales focus on fast prey in the dark ocean, a new study says.

Viking Invaders Brought Armies of Mice

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:52:39 -0400

Vikings who conquered new lands unwittingly brought with them another sort of invader, a new DNA study says—mice.

"Hot Bee Balls" Cook Enemy Hornets—But How Do Bees Endure the Heat?

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:27:49 -0400

Japanese honeybees swarm to cook enemy hornets, but how do they survive the heat themselves? A new brain study may have the answer.

Giant Squid's Basketball-Size Eyes Have Sperm Whale Vision

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:46:40 -0400

Colossal and giant squid eyes—the world's biggest—seem to have a "superpower" Captain Ahab might have killed for: sperm whale vision.

Crocodiles Have Strongest Bite Ever Measured, Hands-on Tests Show

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:34:18 -0400

An "extraordinary" new study—based on treacherous hands-on measurements—suggests crocs are "force-generating machines" rivaling T. rex.

New Horned Dinosaurs Found—Among Littlest Known

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:53:19 -0400

The mini plant-eaters—including one with a neck frill and a hatchet-shaped jaw—roamed then balmy Alberta, Canada, a new study says.

"Cute" Tropical Camels: Prehistoric Species Found in Panama

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:50:08 -0400

Two new species of tiny, tropical camels with croc-like snouts have been found in Panama, a new study says.

Spiny, Venomous New Sea Snake Discovered—"Something Special"

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:38:41 -0400

Mysteriously covered in spiny scales, the snake was hauled from risky seas: "The only question is which animal would kill us."

T. Rex Bite Strongest Ever on Land—Ten Times Greater Than Gator's

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:58:12 -0400

The dinosaur chomped with ten times the force of an alligator, a new study says—but something in the sea was even stronger.

Giant Prehistoric Penguins Revealed: Big but Skinny

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:54:03 -0400

Scientists finally have the skinny on two extinct species of tall, "svelte" penguins that lived in New Zealand, a new study says.