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Oceans
How would a mermaid sound underwater?
Human ears don’t work well in the water. A mermaid would need marine creature features to talk to and understand her aquatic friends.
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Fossils
This bizarre ancient predator snagged soft prey
Scientists are rethinking how this extinct creature used the spiky limbs sticking out of its face to hunt.
By Nikk Ogasa -
Animals
Bottlenose dolphin moms baby talk when their calves are near
Around their babies, bottlenose dolphin moms whistle with higher pitches. It’s similar to human parents speaking in baby talk.
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Animals
Explainer: What is metamorphosis?
Insects, amphibians and some fish undergo metamorphosis. But they’re not the only ones.
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Animals
Megalodons may have become megahunters by running hot
O. megalodon sharks were warm-blooded mega-predators. But when food sources dwindled, colder-blooded sharks may have had an evolutionary edge.
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Ecosystems
Scientists Say: Predator and Prey
Ecological relationships between predators and their prey drive the evolution of plants, animals and microbes.
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Plants
A single particle of light can kick off photosynthesis
In a new experiment with bacteria, a lone photon sparked the process of turning light to chemical energy.
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Animals
Northern elephant seals snooze only two hours a day at sea
These marine mammals sleep only minutes at a time on months-long trips at sea.
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Animals
Explainer: What is animal domestication?
The difference between a dog and a wolf isn’t looks or genes or even behavior. It’s the relationship these animals have with people.
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Animals
Scientists Say: Coral
Over 4,000 species of fish make their home among the reefs created by these colony-dwelling marine animals.
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Brain
Neuroscientists use brain scans to decode people’s thoughts
The research may lead to new devices for people who can’t communicate easily. It also raises privacy concerns.
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Fossils
T. rex may have hidden its teeth behind lips
Dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus have long been portrayed with their big teeth bared. But new research suggests this wasn’t so.
By Jake Buehler