Flat faces and difficulty breathing: how pet trends have harmed animal health – and what we can we do about it

The genetic mutations responsible for the unusual physical features in animals can also cause great harm.

Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
April 23, 2024 • ~7 min

Why don’t female crickets chirp?

Only male crickets have wing structures that produce sound, but females are very good at following the signal.

Floyd W. Shockley, Entomologist and Collections Manager, Smithsonian Institution • conversation
April 22, 2024 • ~6 min

Giant Ocean Reptile Discovered by Father, Daughter
VOA Learning English • voa
April 20, 2024 • ~5 min

The secret world of earthworms: meet the tiger worm and the nightcrawler

And why earthworms are careful to select a mate of the same size as themselves.

Kevin Richard Butt, Reader in Ecology, University of Central Lancashire • conversation
April 16, 2024 • ~8 min

Human brains and fruit fly brains are built similarly – visualizing how helps researchers better understand how both work

Studying the human brain is difficult because of its vast and intricate network of neural connections. The fruit fly offers a simpler but similar model that researchers can more easily map.

Kristin Scaplen, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, Bryant University • conversation
April 15, 2024 • ~5 min

Study: Humans Give More Viruses to Animals Than They Give Us
VOA Learning English • voa
April 8, 2024 • ~5 min

During the 2024 eclipse, biologists like us want to find out how birds will respond to darkness in the middle of the day

Since an eclipse only lasts a few minutes, you need more than just a handful of scientists running around collecting data on bird activity. That’s where a new app comes in.

Liz Aguilar, Ph.D. Student in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Indiana University • conversation
April 4, 2024 • ~8 min

Could sharing a bedroom with your pets be keeping you from getting a good night’s sleep?

Pets provide a source of comfort and intimacy for many owners drifting off to sleep. But according to new research, they may also disrupt your ability to fall or stay asleep.

Brian N. Chin, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Trinity College • conversation
April 3, 2024 • ~5 min

Elephant calves have been found buried – what does that mean?

Recent reports of burials of elephant calves are intriguing but it’s impossible to confirm that this was intentional.

Leanne Proops, Associate Professor in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, University of Portsmouth • conversation
March 15, 2024 • ~6 min

It’s a myth that male animals are usually larger than females – new study

Does size matter? In the animal kingdom, yes.

Louise Gentle, Principal Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
March 13, 2024 • ~6 min

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