
Patrick Pester
Patrick Pester is the trending news writer at Live Science. His work has appeared on other science websites, such as BBC Science Focus and Scientific American. Patrick retrained as a journalist after spending his early career working in zoos and wildlife conservation. He was awarded the Master's Excellence Scholarship to study at Cardiff University where he completed a master's degree in international journalism. He also has a second master's degree in biodiversity, evolution and conservation in action from Middlesex University London. When he isn't writing news, Patrick investigates the sale of human remains.
Latest articles by Patrick Pester

Asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs allowed flowers to thrive in a post-apocalyptic world
By Patrick Pester published
Scientists have discovered flowering plants were largely unscathed by the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event 66 million years ago, allowing them to take advantage of the new, dinosaur-free planet.

How far apart are stars?
By Patrick Pester published
Scientists have calculated the average distance between stars, but there's much more to star distribution than meets the eye.

Which animal has the shortest life span?
By Patrick Pester published
Mayflies are famous for cramming an entire life into a single day, but that's not strictly true.

Did the Tonga eruption cause this year's extreme heat?
By Patrick Pester published
The 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption may have contributed to this year's heat, but it's not causing climate change.

The biggest hunt for the Loch Ness Monster in 50 years is about to begin
By Patrick Pester published
A visitor attraction in Scotland is enlisting the help of volunteers to search for Nessie, but it's unlikely to yield a monster discovery.

7 rules that explain Earth's most extreme animal shapes and sizes
By Patrick Pester published
Nature has a few rules to help explain the extreme shapes and sizes we see in the animal kingdom.

'Fleeing vampire' haunted Jurassic oceans with glow-in-the-dark organs, fossil reveals
By Patrick Pester published
The newfound vampyromorph species was equipped with defensive features not previously seen in the fossil record — and it's related to modern-day vampire squid.

Great white sharks: The world's largest predatory fish
By Patrick Pester last updated
Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish in the world, but scientists still have much to learn about these iconic predators.

Earth Day: When is it and why do we celebrate it?
By Patrick Pester last updated
Earth Day is an annual global event on April 22 that celebrates Earth and raises public awareness about the environment.

40 human skulls found in Kentucky apartment linked to national network of body part dealers
By Patrick Pester published
The alleged theft of donated body parts from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary is revealing a national network of human remains dealers.

Did Noah's flood really happen?
By Patrick Pester published
Noah's flood is a story much older than the Bible, and researchers are still learning about its roots.

462 million-year-old fossilized eyes and brains uncovered in 'secret' Welsh fossil site
By Patrick Pester published
Wales' new "Castle Bank" fossil site could be among the world's most important deposits.

Mammals with pouches are 'more evolved' than humans — sort of
By Patrick Pester published
Kangaroos, koalas and other marsupials are even weirder than we give them credit for.

Bear kills jogger in Italian Alps. What does this mean for the effort to bring bears back to the region?
By Patrick Pester published
26-year-old Andrea Papi was jogging on a woodland path when he was attacked and killed by a bear with three cubs.

Mystery of prehistoric, alien-like tully monster deepens once more
By Patrick Pester published
Researchers have been debating the Tully monster's evolution since the creature was discovered in the 1950s.

Humpback whales: Facts about the singers of the sea
By Patrick Pester last updated
Humpback whales are iconic members of the baleen whale family thanks to their breathtaking breaches and hauntingly beautiful songs.

25 of the strangest ancient sea monsters
By Patrick Pester published
The fossil record is filled with strange marine animals that would look like sea monsters if they were alive today.

How long will it take for humans to colonize another planet?
By Patrick Pester published
There's a huge difference between sending humans to Mars and colonizing worlds outside our solar system.

Legendary 'cat-fox' could be a new subspecies
By Patrick Pester published
The real-life origins of a once-mythological wildcat called the "cat-fox" are finally coming to light thanks to recent genetics research.

Orca appears to adopt (or abduct) a baby pilot whale
By Patrick Pester published
Researchers have recorded an orca swimming with a pilot whale calf in a possible interspecies adoption, but how the two came together is a mystery.

Alien-like giant phantom jellyfish spotted in frigid waters off Antarctica
By Patrick Pester published
Cruise liner guests encountered giant phantom jellyfish off the coast of Antarctica while diving in submersibles, a new study finds.

Could dogs survive without humans?
By Patrick Pester published
If humans suddenly disappeared and our pets had to fend for themselves, could dogs survive in a world without people?

What did the ancient Egyptian pyramids look like when they were built?
By Patrick Pester published
The ancient Egyptian pyramids have stood for thousands of years and are among the world's most enduring monuments. But what did the pyramids look like when they were first built?
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