Latest articles by Patrick Pester
Which animal species has existed the longest?
"Living fossils" like Triops tadpole shrimps are believed to have rubbed shoulders with the dinosaurs, but which animal has been on Earth the longest?
Is Bigfoot real? Everything you need to know about the Sasquatch
Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, is a large ape-like creature some people believe inhabits North America but there's no hard evidence it actually exists.
'Completely hypnotic' donut of cell scaffolding swirls endlessly in mesmerizing new video
A "donut" of mesmerizing cell-forming microtubules is among the top entries of Nikon's 2022 Small World in Motion Competition.
Grave robbing is feeding a macabre market currently booming in the UK
Human remains are stolen from graves to supply the U.K.'s largely unregulated human remains trade, experts say.
Desecrated human skulls are being sold on social media in UK's unregulated bone trade
Human skulls and bones are desecrated and sold on social media, but it's legal in the U.K.'s thriving human remains trade, a Live Science investigation has found.
Ancient armored 'worm' is the Cambrian ancestor to three major animal groups
An armored "worm" from the Cambrian called Wufengella bengtsoni is the ancestor to three major animal groups that have totally different lifestyles today, a new study finds.
Ancient 'alien goldfish' shot toothy 'tongue' out of its gut to catch prey
"Alien goldfish" from the Carboniferous had toothy tongue-like structures that resembled those in living mollusks, a new study finds.
Oldest ghost drawing discovered on Babylonian exorcism tablet
The oldest-known ghost drawing has been discovered on an ancient Babylonian tablet as part of an exorcism ritual.
Lizards: From tiny geckos to giant Komodo dragons
Lizards are a diverse group of reptiles made up of thousands of species around the world, including giant Komodo dragons and chameleons the size of your fingertip.
'Massive trauma' found on 1,000-year-old South American mummies
South American mummies were likely brutally murdered 1,000 years ago, and the evidence is still preserved today, a new study finds.
Tigers: The world's largest cats
Tigers are the biggest cats in the world, but their populations are struggling. With only 3,200 left in the wild, there are now more living in captivity than in the wild.
Mammals lived alongside some of the earliest dinosaurs, controversial study claims
The earliest known mammal was a shrewlike animal that emerged in the Triassic period with the first dinosaurs, a controversial new study claims.
Lion-size otters prowled Ethiopia 3 million years ago
The remains of an extinct lion-size otter have been discovered in Ethiopia, and it's the biggest otter on record, a new study finds.
Giant viruses are infecting algae in a floating lake in the Arctic
Giant viruses infect tiny algae in a rare epishelf lake in the Arctic Ocean that's one of the last of its kind.
How are hurricanes named?
Hurricanes often have surprisingly common human names that don't sound very threatening. But where do these names come from?
'Merciless' sea monster with broken teeth prowled the seas 66 million years ago
A giant mosasaur species called Thalassotitan atrox had teeth like a killer whale and ruled the oceans around Morocco towards the end of the Cretaceous period.
Frogs: The largest group of amphibians
Fun facts and frequently asked questions about frogs, the largest and most diverse group of amphibians on Earth.
10 Pokémon that resemble bizarre real-life animals
Many Pokémon designs are inspired by well-known animals, but these Pokémon are based on surprising creatures that not everyone has heard of.
Monkeys in Indonesia use rocks as 'sex toys'
Long-tailed macaques in Indonesia use stones to masturbate, according to a new study that furthers researchers' understanding of the monkey "sex toy" hypothesis.
Wrinkly 'sac' with no anus probably isn't humans' earliest ancestor. (Thank goodness!)
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.
Most of Florida's newly-hatched sea turtles are female. Why?
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
Scientists have identified a woodlouse relative — a 10-inch-long, creamy yellow critter called Bathynomus yucatanensis from deep in the Gulf of Mexico.
Hidden passage leads explorers to deepest cave Down Under
Cavers have successfully navigated Australia's deepest cave and named it the "Delta Variant" after COVID-19.
