Latest science news in Biology & Nature
First national analysis finds America's butterflies are disappearing at 'catastrophic' rate
America's butterflies are disappearing because of insecticides, climate change and habitat loss, with the number of the winged beauties down 22% since 2000, a new study finds.
New research shows bigger animals get more cancer, defying decades-old belief
A longstanding scientific belief about a link between cancer prevalence and animal body size has been tested for the first time in our new study ranging across hundreds of animal...
A 'yoga pill' to end anxiety? Neuroscientists discover a brain circuit that instantly deflates stress
A new study from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has identified a brain circuit that slows the breath to calm the mind.
L.A.'s mountain lions become more nocturnal to avoid people. Does it come at a cost?
A new study found mountain lions in the L.A. area are shifting to a later schedule to avoid people, a hopeful coexistence strategy that may have downsides.
A wave of cat deaths from bird flu prompts new rules on pet food production
Cats — both large cats in captivity and pet house cats — across multiple states have been dying from H5N1 bird flu. Now, federal agencies are enforcing new rules to help...
A new strain of bird flu is found on a California duck farm
A new strain of H5N9 bird flu was detected at a commercial duck operation in California's Merced County. All the ducks were euthanized.
A new bill could require California to monitor wastewater for disease in the Central Valley
The Wastewater Surveillance Act, if passed, would require at least one wastewater monitoring site in every California county.
Weird 'Obelisks' Found in Human Gut May be Virus-Like Entities
Rod-shaped fragments of RNA called “obelisks” were discovered in gut and mouth bacteria for the first time
What Apple's New Vision Pro Headset Might Do to Our Brain
The release of Apple’s mixed-reality headset raises questions about hours spent in a virtual replacement of our world
Chimpanzees and Bonobos Have Surprisingly Different Parenting Styles
Chimpanzee “helicopter moms” often protect their offspring from bullies, but bonobo moms are more hands-off
An Evolutionary 'Big Bang' Explains Why Snakes Come in So Many Strange Varieties
Snakes saw a burst of adaptation about 128 million years ago that led to them exploding in diversity and evolving up to three times faster than lizards
Endangered frog dads travel 7,000 miles to 'give birth'
Male frogs carrying tadpoles made an incredible journey to the UK by boat, plane, and car.
Woolly mice designed to engineer mammoth-like elephants
Experiments on mice could see hairy, genetically modified elephants living in the Arctic, a US company claims.
US lost a fifth of its butterflies within two decades
However the researchers say butterflies may be able to recover if urgent conservation measures are taken.
'Queen of icebergs' A23a grounds off South Atlantic wildlife haven
The world's largest iceberg has run aground just off the coast of South Georgia. But what does this mean for the wildlife there?
Poll: Should we bring back woolly mammoths?
Colossal scientists just created "woolly mice" in another step towards their ultimate goal of resurrecting woolly mammoths. But should we be tinkering with extinct species? Take our poll and have...
Golden scaleless cave fish discovered in China shows evolution in action
The discovery of a golden scaleless fish in China is helping scientists understand how animals evolved to live in caves.
'Mini placentas' in a dish reveal key gene for pregnancy
Different versions of a gene called ACE2 affect how well the placenta grows during pregnancy, a laboratory study finds.
Elephant quiz: Test your smarts on the world's largest land animal
Elephants have good memories, but what about you? Take this quiz to find out how much you know about elephants.
'Let's just study males and keep it simple': How excluding female animals from research held neuroscience back, and could do so again
Neuroscience research has only recently begun to prioritize the inclusion of both male and female lab animals in studies. Could we see that shift reverse?
Is there really a difference between male and female brains? Emerging science is revealing the answer.
Brain scans, postmortem dissections, artificial intelligence and lab mice reveal differences in the brain that are linked to sex. Do we know what they mean?
Do 'elephant graveyards' really exist?
Stories of vast graveyards where elephants go to die only scratch the surface of the fascinating death-related behaviors in these mammals.
Is there life out there? The existence of other technological species is highly likely
Is there life out there? The existence of other technological species is highly likely
Rare dolphin sighting delights West Vancouver onlookers
A pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins swimming near Ambleside Beach was caught on film by Vancouver resident Imaan Jiwa, who was out for a walk on Friday night. The encounter...
Scientists brought to tears by huge loss of U.S. butterflies
Scientists calculated just how much U.S. butterfly populations have declined in the past 20 years. The results brought some scientists to tears, and have them warning about dire implications for...
5 things we learned this week
Photo illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Campus & Community 5 things we learned this week Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer March 6, 2025 1 min read How closely have you been following...
Butterfly populations are plummeting across the United States
The American lady ( Vanessa virginiensis ) is one of the most common and widespread butterflies across the United States. But over the past 2 decades, this orange-and-black beauty—along with almost all other...
Cutting off rhino horns to prevent poaching makes them homebodies
When rhino poaching reached a crisis level in 2014, wildlife managers in southern Africa turned to a last-ditch defense. They started sawing off horns, which doesn’t hurt rhinos, but may dissuade poachers from...