Life

  1. Animals

    Caecilians: The other amphibian

    Legless creatures live secretive, strange existences underground and underwater.

    By Roberta Kwok
  2. Microbes

    Stony bacteria

    Lake-dwelling bacterium has hard lumps inside it.

    By Roberta Kwok
  3. Chemistry

    DNA, RNA…and XNA?

    Scientists create artificial genetic molecules that can carry information, evolve.

    By Roberta Kwok
  4. Animals

    Baboons detect bogus words

    Some monkeys know a real word when they see it.

    By Stephen Ornes
  5. Genetics

    Sniffing out truffle scent

    Genetics, not geography, plays key role in the aroma of the delicacy.

    By Roberta Kwok
  6. Fossils

    Fluffysaurus

    Newfound fossils belong to giant feathered dinosaurs.

    By Stephen Ornes
  7. Animals

    Animal buddies

    Humans aren’t the only animals that benefit from friends.

    By Stephen Ornes
  8. Fossils

    Old relative steps down

    Ancient human ancestor climbed trees but also walked clumsily upright on the ground.

    By Stephen Ornes
  9. Humans

    Becoming human

    Two new studies suggest that during ice ages, steep drops in temperature may have sent ancient species moving to more temperate, or mild, areas. As a result, these species would have been isolated from other populations.

    By Stephen Ornes
  10. Environment

    Suffocating waters

    Coastal animals around the world are spending more time in or around waters with too little oxygen.

    By Cecile LeBlanc
  11. Fossils

    Dino drama

    Scientists study skulls to determine whether Triceratops and Torosaurus were two different species.

    By Stephen Ornes
  12. Fossils

    Early toehold on land

    A five-toed fossil now holds the record for smallest, oldest foot ever found.

    By Stephen Ornes