Poop stains visible from space reveal hidden colonies of Antarctic penguins By Yasemin Saplakoglu There might be nearly 20% more emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica than previously thought.
Humpback whale charges swimmers in Australia, sends two to hospital By Brandon Specktor A humpback whale attacked two swimmers with its fins and sent them to the hospital
After being swallowed alive, water beetle stages 'backdoor' escape from frog's gut By Mindy Weisberger An aquatic beetle species takes unusual action to escape digestion after being swallowed by frogs.
Dogs may sense Earth's magnetic field and use it like a compass By Diane Lincoln Some hunting dogs may be able to sense Earth's magnetic field and use it as a compass, scientists are now reporting.
55 million-year-old owl with 'murder feet' unearthed By Mindy Weisberger An exceptionally rare owl fossil dating to 55 million years ago hints that the predatory bird killed with its powerful talons rather than its beak, as modern owls do.
Evolution turned this fish into a 'penis with a heart.' Here's how. By Brandon Specktor Anglerfish are literally missing part of their immune system, but this allows them to permanently fuse during sex, new research suggests
Mind-controlling fungus makes zombie cicadas lure other cicadas to a zombie fate By Mindy Weisberger Not only does the fungus Massospora infect cicadas, eat their bodies and turn them into mind-controlled zombies, it forces them to attract more cicada victims.
Ruthless Australian 'assassin flies' named for Thor, Deadpool — and Stan Lee By Brandon Specktor Biologists named 5 newly-described species of Australian "assassin flies" after Thor, Loki and other Marvel heroes.
Adorable, bug-size sunfish babies grow up to be giant 'swimming heads' By Mindy Weisberger Scientists have identified the larvae of one of the world's biggest fishes — the bump-head sunfish (Mola alexandrini) — and the youngster is ridiculously tiny.
Live Science podcast 'Life's Little Mysteries' 43: Mysterious Evolution By Live Science Staff Evolution has shaped all organisms on Earth — living and extinct — producing an astonishing diversity of life and defining relationships between species.
Albatrosses: Facts about the biggest flying birds By Rachel Kaufman Albatrosses are big, majestic birds found soaring above most of the world’s oceans.
Hummingbird-size dinosaur may actually be a lizard By Laura Geggel A teensy "dinosaur" head found in amber might actually belong to an ancient lizard.
Strange, spiral bee combs look like fantastical crystal palaces. Now we know why. By Brandon Specktor The stingless Tetragonula bees build nests in strange, spiral shapes. New research offers a reason why.
Scientists accidentally create 'impossible' hybrid fish By Stephanie Pappas Hungarian scientists accidentally created a hybrid of a Russian sturgeon and an American paddlefish, leading to a long-nosed "sturddlefish" baby.
Lizards with multiple tails are more common than anyone knew By Mindy Weisberger When some lizards lose a tail they grow back more than one, and multi-tailed lizards are more common than once thought.
RIP, smooth handfish. You were weird, and now you’re extinct. By Laura Geggel This extinct fish used its hand-like fins to "walk" on the ocean floor.
Gorgeous images of Australian 'rainbow' bees will blow your mind By Yasemin Saplakoglu One of the top plant pollinators in the country, these colorful bees likely originated in tropical regions of Australia.
'Tiny bug slayer' relative of dinosaurs and pterosaurs would have fit in the palm of your hand By Laura Geggel This tiny pipsqueak may explain why dinosaurs and pterosaurs sported feathers.
This parrot beat 21 Harvard students in a classic memory game By Brandon Specktor An African grey parrot beat 21 Harvard undergrads at a classic memory game, suggesting deep roots of animal intelligence.
Penguins shoot 'poop bombs' more than 4 feet, incredibly important study finds By Mindy Weisberger How much force must a penguin apply in order to blast a flying poop projectile, and how far can it travel? Fortunately for us all, scientists now have answers.
