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Stupid hot: Heat waves cause cognitive changes in animals, making them more aggressive and unable to complete basic tasksAs temperatures rise, some creatures pick fights while others struggle to learn. The consequences of these behavioral changes may ripple through ecosystems.
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World's largest scorpion had 6-inch pincers, and prowled UK land and waters 415 million years agoEnigmatic 415 million-year-old fossils belong to a giant scorpion that may have reached lengths of around 3 feet (1 meter), a remarkable body size because most life on land at that time was small.
3 Commentsextinct-species -
New Velociraptor cousin was a '4-winged' dragon that hunted prey from the trees of ancient China, fossil find hintsA new microraptor from Cretaceous China likely preyed on ancient birds.
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Daddy longlegs may be capturing and devouring frogs in the tropical forests of South AmericaDaddy longlegs have been observed eating frogs in South America, suggesting that these arachnids may be predators of vertebrates.
2 Commentsspiders-arachnids -
'Animals were imprisoned in jails where humans were incarcerated': The bizarre trials of the Late Middle Ages — and surprising lack of criminal catsExcerpt Animal trials took place across Europe from the Late Middle Ages until the end of the 18th century. In this excerpt from "Cats: A History", Rod Phillips explores this strange practice, and looks why cats appear to have been largely law-abiding.
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First whole-genome sequence of a Greenland shark holds clues to their extreme longevityA genomic study of Greenland sharks, thought to be the longest-lived vertebrates on the planet, is hinting at the secrets to their epic lifespan and cancer resistance.
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'We were being bullied in our own home': How 'authoritarian' HOAs are contributing to the insect apocalypseExcerpt In the book "Bitter Honey," writer and researcher Jennie Durant explores how industrial agriculture is destroying bees — and what can be done to stop them.
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How did animals survive the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs?Life's Little Mysteries It helped to have a number of features to aid survival following the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
6 CommentsLife's Little Mysteries -
Seal pups were dying from a 'corkscrew killer' on a Canadian island. It turned out to be cannibals.Dead seal pups on a Canadian island have been found with mysterious spiral-shaped injuries for years. The wounds were thought to be the work of sharks or boat propellers, but new research confirms a different cause.
6 Commentsmarine-mammals
