Researchers in Myanmar have discovered specimens of Chimerarachne yingi, an ancient arachnid and cousin of the modern spider, perfectly preserved in amber. The little critters look a lot like spiders we’re familiar with today, with one big difference. The Chimerarachne yingi has a long tail, like an early version of the tail on modern scorpions. According to the research […] More
Paper money does exist on Makira, a small island in the eastern Solomon Islands. But the people there don’t always count their fortunes in bills and change; on Makira, bat teeth are more valuable than money, and people hunt the creatures – mostly for food, but often, for their teeth. There are two species of […] More
Researchers at the University of Kansas discovered that stonefish — a group of fish common in Indo-Pacific coastal waters — have a horrifying defense mechanism: a retractable switchblade in either cheek. Called “lachrymal sabers,” the blades are controlled by overdeveloped bones and muscles below the eyes and extend outwards from the cheek when activated. Though […] More
The Ganges river shark (scientific name Glyphis gangeticus) hasn’t been spotted for more than 10 years. In fact, the critically endangered freshwater carnivore is so elusive, researchers’ knowledge of it is limited to what they’ve been able to learn from three museum specimens preserved in the 1800s. But recently, the shark was rediscovered in the last place […] More
Think of the mammals that lived during the Age of Dinosaurs and tiny, shrew-like creatures scurrying around and hiding from larger reptilian predators probably come to mind. But newly-uncovered fossil specimens described in the journal Nature Communications paint a much different picture of a fearsome, fighting creature that would have been a threat not only to those smaller, […] More
Researchers believe it was a crime of passion. But whatever the motivation, this is hard to stomach. Marine biologists at OrcaLab off the coast of Vancouver witnessed a horrifying scene: a mother-son pair teaming up to target and kill a newborn calf in the first documented case of infanticide among killer whales. Responding to strange calls […] More
Paleontologists in Patagonia have uncovered fossils of a terrifying, meat-eating dinosaur that roamed South America 85 million years ago. Tratayenia rosalesi, was nearly 30 feet long (about twice the size of a pickup truck) and had curved, 16-inch-long talons on each hand to catch and subdue prey. “Megaraptorid claws are the stuff of nightmares – razor-sharp […] More
Researchers have spotted a highly unusual sight deep below the ocean: a pair of fanfin anglerfish mating in a never before filmed phenomenon. Kirsten and Joachim Jakobsen recorded the 6-inch long female anglerfish (Caulophryne jordani) and her mate from a submersible operated by the Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation back in 2016, but the footage was only recently […] More
A small, elusive and incredible population of wolves lives on the Pacific coast of Canada. According to researchers who’ve studied the wolves’ DNA, they’re genetically different from their inland relatives. They’re also very different in their behavior: they depend almost completely on the ocean for survival. The coastal or sea wolves, as they’re called, are adept […] More
If you want to eat like a local in Cambodia, you’d better not be squeamish. Deep fried tarantulas are sold by the dozens from roadside stands in cities like Phnom Penh. It’s not unusual to see photos or videos on social media posted by Western tourists who’ve dared to eat a bug. In some Asian […] More
Mumbai is home to Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the largest park within city limits anywhere in the world. Within its 40 square acres, there are two lakes, a big deer population, 20 lions and four tigers (in confined areas), and an estimated 35 free-roaming leopards. Every year, those leopards eat about 1,500 dogs, and in 2017 […] More
Scientists in Australia may have discovered a secret weapon in the battle against antibiotic-resistant superbugs, and it comes from a pretty unlikely place. Then again, everything about the platypus is unlikely: it has a duck’s bill and a beaver’s tail. It’s venomous, it lays eggs, and it produces milk to feed its young. The platypus […] More
