A finger-sized marine predator with three eyes and an unusual respiratory system is challenging what scientists thought they knew about the early evolution of arthropods, the group that includes modern insects, crustaceans, and spiders. Canadian researchers have discovered Mosura fentoni, a 506-million-year-old creature from the famous Burgess Shale fossil beds, with an unprecedented body arrangement … Read more
Researchers studying chimpanzees in Uganda have documented something remarkable — these apes don’t just treat their own injuries with medicinal plants, but also provide healthcare to injured community members. This discovery, published Wednesday in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, suggests that prosocial healthcare in our closest relatives may be more widespread than previously recognized, potentially … Read more
When scientists set out to see if fish could evolve to survive in warmer waters, they never expected to discover a surprising superpower. Not only did these fish adapt to heat—they became more resistant to cold temperatures too, potentially giving them an unexpected edge in our rapidly changing climate. The study, published Wednesday in Nature … Read more
Not all orangutan mothers parent alike, according to pioneering research that tracked wild Sumatran orangutans for 15 years. The study, published Tuesday in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, documents for the first time how individual orangutan mothers consistently differ in their parenting approaches—even with different offspring. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal … Read more
Cutting-edge imaging technology has uncovered that all living organisms emit an extremely faint light invisible to the naked eye, with patterns that significantly differ between life and death. These ultraweak photon emissions (UPE) offer researchers a promising tool for non-invasive monitoring of biological processes and stress responses in both animals and plants. What Are Ultraweak … Read more
Ever wonder if your favorite music beat has anything in common with animal sounds? Scientists just discovered something mind-blowing: the rhythm patterns in chimp drumming, human speech, and music all connect in ways we never knew before. In a study published in March 2025, researchers revealed that the mathematical tools used to analyze these different … Read more
An international report has identified the 25 most imperiled primate species on Earth, highlighting the urgent need for conservation action across four continents. The 12th biennial listing reveals devastating population losses and shrinking habitats that threaten to eliminate some of our closest evolutionary relatives within decades. Critical Countdown: The Alarming State of Global Primate Conservation … Read more
Scientists have discovered that cuttlefish use distinct arm movements to communicate with each other, adding another dimension to these already remarkable marine creatures. Researchers from the École Normale Supérieure in Paris and the Italian Institute of Technology have identified specific arm gestures they’ve named “arm wave signs” that appear to serve as a communication system … Read more
Deep in the misty mountain forests between Vietnam and Laos lives a creature so rare and elusive that scientists nicknamed it the “Asian unicorn.” Its formal name is the saola (pronounced “sow-la”), and despite only being discovered in 1992, it might already be extinct. Now, groundbreaking genetic research offers a glimmer of hope for saving … Read more
In a discovery that could transform our understanding of both evolution and genetic disease, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and Vanderbilt University have identified how horses pull off a remarkable genetic trick previously thought exclusive to viruses – they run right through a “stop sign” in their DNA. This evolutionary adaptation, which occurred millions of … Read more
Nature’s Secrets, Scientifically Told.