Monkeys in Indonesia use rocks as 'sex toys' By Patrick Pester published 19 August 22 Long-tailed macaques in Indonesia use stones to masturbate, according to a new study that furthers researchers' understanding of the monkey "sex toy" hypothesis.
Amazonian 'zombie' fungus bursts through fly's body in grisly, contest-winning photo By Brandon Specktor published 19 August 22 A grisly photo of a dead fly blooming with mind-controlling fungus has won top prize in the second annual BMC Ecology and Evolution Image Competition
Megalodon was fastest swimming shark ever and could devour an orca in 5 bites, 3D model reveals By Harry Baker published 18 August 22 Researchers have created a 3D computer model of a megalodon shark based on fossilized teeth and vertebrae, giving us our best look yet at the ancient behemoths.
Giant 'kraken' carcass with dinner plate-size eyes washes ashore in South Africa By Nicoletta Lanese published 18 August 22 A huge giant squid carcass cropped up in Cape Town.
Wrinkly 'sac' with no anus probably isn't humans' earliest ancestor. (Thank goodness!) By Patrick Pester published 18 August 22 A Saccorhytus species that's been described as an "angry Minion" and a "wrinkly ball sack" isn't a human ancestor, according to a new study.
Beneath Greenland iceberg, scientists find a glowing snailfish with antifreeze coursing through its veins By Jennifer Nalewicki published 16 August 22 A glowing snailfish riddled with antifreeze protein was discovered in Greenland. The protein helps protect it from the cold.
Small, prickly dinosaur discovered in South America reveals an unknown lineage By Stephanie Pappas published 12 August 22 An armored dinosaur that weighed as much as a housecat has been discovered in South America. Though it resembles a primitive relative of ankylosaurus, it came from late in dinosaur history.
Sweet dreams, spidey: Arachnids experience REM sleep, and may even dream By Jennifer Nalewicki published 12 August 22 Spiders likely sleep and dream like humans do.
Not just tiny arms: T. rex also had super small eyes to accommodate its big bite By Nicoletta Lanese published 11 August 22 T. rex may have evolved thin eye sockets to help handle its bite force.
Most of Florida's newly-hatched sea turtles are female. Why? By Patrick Pester published 10 August 22 Almost all sea turtle hatchlings are emerging from their eggs as females on some Florida beaches. What's going on?
Creepy deep-sea 'vanilla Vader' woodlouse is 25 times bigger than a land louse By Patrick Pester published 10 August 22 Scientists have identified a woodlouse relative — a 10-inch-long, creamy yellow critter called Bathynomus yucatanensis from deep in the Gulf of Mexico.
'Yoda' primates sing duets like opera stars By Jamie Carter published 8 August 22 Scientists recorded the intricate songs of the small, leaping primates on an Indonesian island.
Weird deep-sea worm looks like a luminous lump of spaghetti By Harry Baker published 5 August 22 A new video released by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) shows off 2012 footage of an unnamed species of spaghetti worm.
'Monkey gang' member executed in Japan as marauding macaques run amok By Isobel Whitcomb published 4 August 22 A team of "specially commissioned hunters" tracked down and killed one member of a "monkey gang" responsible for more than 50 attacks in the Japanese city of Yamaguchi.
Half-blind Greenland shark possibly spotted in the Caribbean, thousands of miles from its usual home By Patrick Pester published 3 August 22 A strange shark caught off Belize in the Caribbean was likely a Greenland shark or Greenland shark hybrid, according to a new study.
Thousands of jellyfish swarm near Israel, mesmerizing images reveal By Jamie Carter published 2 August 22 Cameras on drones recently captured aerial images of nomad jellyfish as they swarmed by the thousands in coastal waters near Israel.
'Gummy squirrel' found in deep-sea abyss looks like a stretchy half-peeled banana By Jennifer Nalewicki published 2 August 22 Scientists collected 55 creatures in a largely unexplored area of the Pacific Ocean, 39 could potentially be new species.
Mammal ancestor looked like a chubby lizard with a tiny head and had a hippo-like lifestyle By Jamie Carter published 1 August 22 Fossils found in France are from a previously unknown species of amphibian that belonged to a group of reptiles with mammal-like traits.
Europe’s last pandas were giant weaklings who couldn’t even eat bamboo By Harry Baker published 31 July 22 Analysis of fossilized teeth that were rediscovered in museum archives in Bulgaria has revealed a new species of ancient panda that was likely the last of its kind in Europe.
Copperhead snakes: Facts, bites & babies By Jessie Szalay, Ben Biggs published 31 July 22 Reference Copperhead snakes are common in North America, and have the distinction of biting more people in the United States than any other snake.
