Hungry baby sea stars eat each other in unexpected case of underwater cannibalism By Yasemin Saplakoglu Baby sea stars may look innocent and adorable, but they're teensy little cannibals and eat their own siblings for their own survival.
Researchers can now collect and sequence DNA from the air By Ashley P. Taylor For the first time, researchers have collected animal DNA from mere air samples.
Mysterious 'blobs' near Norway are full of squid mucus and embryos, study finds By Brandon Specktor At least 90 mysterious blobs of underwater jelly have been sighted near Norway and the Mediterranean Sea, and researchers finally know what they are.
Coyotes: Facts about the wily members of the Canidae family By Alina Bradford, Patrick Pester The coyote is a clever animal that has adapted well to growing human populations and habitat loss.
Mysterious brain infection makes bears act 'like friendly dogs' By Harry Baker A mysterious disease affecting young Californian black bears is causing them to become fearless when interacting with humans and is preventing them from developing properly.
Rarest great ape on Earth could soon go extinct By Nicoletta Lanese Tapanuli orangutans now occupy less than 3% of their historic habitat.
Endearing orange-faced peacock spider looks like 'Nemo' (and dances) By Mindy Weisberger An arachnologist described a new species of peacock spider after a citizen scientist discovered it in the wetlands of southern Australia.
500 million-year-old fossil is the granddaddy of all cephalopods By Laura Geggel Tiny fossils in Newfoundland, Canada may be evidence of the oldest cephalopod on record.
Sea creatures' strange circular swimming has scientists puzzled By Ben Turner Scientists propose that the circling could calibrate the animals' magnetic biosensors, in much the same way as submarines circle.
What are Brood X cicadas? By Vicky Stein Billions of periodical cicadas, known as Brood X, will emerge across the eastern U.S. in 2021.
Why do hummingbirds 'hum'? By Mindy Weisberger High-speed cameras and arrays of microphones helped researchers draw an acoustic map of hummingbirds' distinctive hum.
Vampire squid ancestor died in 'eternal embrace' with its dinner By Laura Geggel A well-preserved fossil reveals that 180 million years ago, an eight-armed predator suffocated with its prey.
Prime numbers protect Brood X cicadas from everything but zombie fungus By Stephanie Pappas Most predators are stymied by the cicadas' 17-year life spans, but the insects are still vulnerable to being zombified.
Cause of mysterious bald eagle deaths found after 25 years By Harry Baker Scientists have finally solved a 25-year-old mystery surrounding a neurodegenerative disease killing bald eagles and other lake animals in the U.S.
Do octopuses dream of 8-armed sheep? New study hints at human-like sleep cycle in cephalopods By Nicoletta Lanese Octopuses switch between "quiet" and "active" sleep, where they turn vivid colors.
Orcas: Facts about killer whales By Alina Bradford, Patrick Pester Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphin family.
Millions of dead jellyfish are washing up around the world. 'The blob' could be to blame. By Brandon Specktor Every few years, millions of by-the-wind sailor jellyfish wash up on beaches and die. What is causing so many of them to become stranded? The blob could be to blame.
Amazon 'river monster' turns up dead in Florida By Laura Geggel A dead "river monster" from the Amazon was discovered in Florida, leading to concerns that the fish might become an invasive species there.
Genes of 500 million-year-old sea monsters live inside us By Cameron Duke Primeval sea creatures share genes with humans, suggesting that we're more like ancient animals than previously thought.
Dead juvenile humpback whale washes up on UK beach By Harry Baker A juvenile humpback whale has washed up on a beach in the U.K. after first being spotted dead weeks ago.
