How many weeks are there in a year? By Richard Pallardy published 3 November 24 We take our timekeeping rules for granted, but the history of these rules is long and complex.
What's the difference between a tsunami and a tidal wave? By Richard Pallardy published 28 October 24 Tsunamis and tidal waves are the powerful types of wave on Earth, but very different processes are involved in their formation.
Ancient piece of driftwood hidden for thousands of years could hold secrets for combating climate change By Richard Pallardy published 8 October 24 A 3,775-year-old log found in Canada had barely lost any of its carbon content since being buried, indicating "wood vaulting" is a viable means of carbon storage.
80 million-year-old sea monster jaws filled with giant globular teeth for crushing prey discovered in Texas By Richard Pallardy published 18 September 24 Rare fossils of the mosasaur Globidens alabamaensis — a 20 foot predator with strange, mushroom-shaped teeth — unearthed in northeastern Texas.
A really big shark got gobbled up by another, massive shark in 1st known case of its kind By Richard Pallardy published 3 September 24 A pregnant porbeagle shark is believed to have been eaten by a great white, with the larger predator swallowing its tracking device off the coast of Bermuda, scientists report.
Evolution of snakes takes surprise twist — cobras didn't come from where we thought they did By Richard Pallardy published 9 August 24 Ancient origins of cobras traced back to Asia, before jumping continents to spread across the world up to 37.5 million years ago.
World's loneliest tree species can't reproduce without a mate. So AI is looking for one hidden in the forests of South Africa. By Richard Pallardy published 25 July 24 A single specimen of an ancient tree species was found in 1895. Now scientists are using AI to find it a mate.
Pair of dog-size dinosaurs likely crushed to death in underground burrow collapse By Richard Pallardy published 15 July 24 New species of dinosaur discovered in Utah may have lived underground, with near-complete fossils indicating they died in burrows.
Never-before-seen vampire squid species discovered in twilight zone of South China Sea By Richard Pallardy published 4 July 24 Scientists discover what appears to be the second known living species of vampire squid swimming in deep water off Hainan island, China.
Which animals can recognize themselves in the mirror? By Richard Pallardy published 28 June 24 Research on whether animals can recognize themselves in the mirror began in 1970 1 and just a handful of species have since passed the test ever since.
Bizarre evolutionary roots of Africa's iconic upside-down baobab trees revealed By Richard Pallardy published 17 May 24 The baobab tree evolved on the island of Madagascar before eventually spreading to Africa and Australia, new research suggests.
Earth may have had freshwater and continents soon after forming, ancient crystals reveal By Richard Pallardy published 13 May 24 Ancient zircon crystals hold chemical clues that of freshwater may have existed on Earth soon after it formed.
Dice snakes fake their own death, smearing themselves with blood and poop to make the performance extra convincing By Richard Pallardy published 9 May 24 Dice snakes theatrically stage their own deaths, using blood and feces to convince predators they've shuffled off their mortal coils.
2 plants randomly mated up to 1 million years ago to give rise to one of the world's most popular drinks By Richard Pallardy published 30 April 24 Arabica coffee plant appears to have evolved between 600,000 and 1 million years ago after two other coffee species crossbred in the forests of what is now Ethiopia.
Giant, 82-foot lizard fish discovered on UK beach could be largest marine reptile ever found By Richard Pallardy published 17 April 24 Newly discovered ichthyosaur that lived 200 million years ago in the Triassic sea is potentially the biggest to ever live, scientists say.
Anglerfish entered the midnight zone 55 million years ago and thrived by becoming sexual parasites By Richard Pallardy published 17 April 24 Anglerfish first colonized the ocean's midnight zone 55 million years ago, during a period of extreme global warming, a new study finds. The bizarre fish adapted to thrive in the deep sea by becoming sexual parasites, the researchers said.
Beluga whales appear to change the shape of their melon heads to communicate, scientists discover By Richard Pallardy published 19 March 24 Beluga whales appear to change the shape of their heads during encounters with one another in what scientists believe is a form of visual communication among this highly social species.
Prehistoric fish with giant jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth are the ultimate living fossils By Richard Pallardy published 13 March 24 Gars have the slowest rate of evolution of all jawed vertebrates, having barely changed since first appearing at the time of the dinosaurs.
'Living fossil' tree frozen in time for 66 million years being planted in secret locations By Richard Pallardy published 28 February 24 Wollemi pines — thought to have gone extinct 2 million years ago — were rediscovered in 1994. Scientists are now hoping to reintroduce the species in the wild in a conservation effort that could take centuries.
Dinosaurs dominated our planet not because of their massive size or fearsome teeth — but thanks to the way they walked By Richard Pallardy published 13 February 24 Dinosaurs may have ruled Earth for over 160 million years because the way they walked gave them a big advantage during the drying climate of the Triassic.
Cloned Przewalski's horses are 'resurrected stallions' that could help species thrive, scientists say By Richard Pallardy published 19 January 24 Przewalski's horses cloned from a stallion that died in 1998 could help reintroduce much needed diversity to the species that was once declared extinct in the wild.
'Peculiar' pink fairy armadillos have a weird double skin not seen in any other mammal By Richard Pallardy published 16 January 24 Pink fairy armadillos, which are just 6 inches long, appear to have evolved a strange double skin millions of years ago as they moved underground in response to the climate becoming more arid.
Color-changing fish turns black with rage when provoked By Richard Pallardy published 16 January 24 Aggressive little male fish from Indonesia turn black when angry to show their dominance, scientists discover.
Ocean pout: The fish with antifreeze blood By Richard Pallardy published 2 December 23 Ocean pout live in frigid waters from Labrador in Canada to North Carolina and have evolved a blood protein that serves as antifreeze.
Strange sea worms have butts that grow a brain before wriggling off to find a mate By Richard Pallardy published 29 November 23 Scientists have worked out how Japanese green syllids grow a butt with a brain that can swim away to reproduce.
