How we discovered that sea turtles in Seychelles have recovered from the brink
Sea turtles of Aldabra were almost hunted to extinction. But thanks to years of protection the much-loved animals are now thriving again - and so is the iconic giant tortoise.
March 17, 2022 • ~7 min
Why do flocks of birds swoop and swirl together in the sky? A biologist explains the science of murmurations
These coordinated movements of a flock of starlings follow no plan or leader. Scientists used to think the animals must communicate via ESP to create these fast-moving blobs.
March 14, 2022 • ~7 min
Russia's false claims about biological weapons in Ukraine demonstrate the dangers of disinformation and how hard it is to counter – 4 essential reads
The Russian government used disinformation to fabricate a justification for invading Ukraine. A new campaign focused on biowarfare claims threatens to escalate the conflict.
March 14, 2022 • ~8 min
An “oracle” for predicting the evolution of gene regulation
Researchers create a mathematical framework to examine the genome and detect signatures of natural selection, deciphering the evolutionary past and future of non-coding DNA.
March 11, 2022 • ~9 min
Deer have antlers, walruses have tusks – here’s why so few birds have weapons of their own
Birds will shriek and dive at each other over food, territory or mates, but only a small number of species sport actual weapons. The reason: Flying matters more for their survival than fighting.
March 7, 2022 • ~9 min
Deer have horns, walruses have tusks – here’s why so few birds have weapons of their own
Birds will shriek and dive at each other over food, territory or mates, but only a small number of species sport actual weapons. The reason: Flying matters more for their survival than fighting.
March 7, 2022 • ~9 min
Animals have evolved to avoid overexploiting their resources – can humans do the same?
New research sheds light on why predators don’t evolve to become so aggressive that they eat all their prey – and then go extinct themselves.
March 3, 2022 • ~7 min
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