Ecosystems

Plants

Catapulting pollen helps this flower beat out its rivals

With explosive blasts of pollen, male Hypenia macrantha flowers remove rival pollen from hummingbird beaks before the birds reach female flowers.

Animals

Werewolves could learn from other critters when to hunt

Werewolves aren’t the only creatures that undergo transformation under the full moon. But could weak werewolves be at risk of becoming prey?

Plants

Many flowers and ferns lure in ants as bodyguards

With an offer of a nectar meal, ferns and flowering plants have been bribing ants to fend off predatory insects — since before the rise of T. rex.

Animals

Balmy ‘saunas’ help frogs fend off a deadly fungus 

Hanging out in small sun-warmed hideaways could help some frogs resist deadly chytrid fungus, a new study finds.

Plants

This squid-like ‘fairy lantern’ plant is new to science

A newly named species of fairy lantern — a parasitic plant — sports tentacles and grows among leaf litter and rotten logs in Malaysian rainforests.

Animals

Phoenixes aren’t the only creatures to survive the flames 

Although a phoenix that burns and lives is a myth, many living things on Earth don’t mind hot temperatures. 

Oceans

The seas’ record-breaking hot streak may bring unwelcome changes

Off-the-charts warming could fire up more hurricanes, intensify coral bleaching and accelerate the melting of Antarctic sea ice.

Animals

Surprise! These animals can help fight climate change

Some animals help fight climate change by boosting the amount of carbon dioxide that plants, algae and bacteria absorb from the atmosphere.

Chemistry

Air pollution can make it harder for pollinators to find flowers

Pollutants that build up in night air can break down the scents that attract pollinating hawkmoths to primrose blooms, disrupting their pollination.

Plants

Rampaging vines are slowly strangling tropical forests

Called lianas,these vines are growing out of control. They may cause tropical forests to absorb less carbon dioxide — worsening climate change.

Ecosystems

A weird upside-down world lurks beneath Antarctica’s ice

A vast swath of ocean surrounds Antarctica, hidden under the ice. Here, strange creatures burrow into the dark underbelly of a floating glacier.

Animals

Swimming in schools lets fish save lots of energy

Each tail flap uses less than half as much energy than swimming solo, making it easier for fish to catch their breath after an underwater sprint.