Animal science
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Despite studies showing pigeons are smart, they are perhaps more widely perceived as unintelligent 'rats with wings.' But now, scientists have demonstrated how these efficient learners solve problems just like artificial intelligence does.
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More than 17 million US households now have chickens. The world's first smart Coop, which is an ideal gateway to help novices raise chooks, has now rolled out Cluck Talk, which can tell you just what your chatty birds are saying to each other and to you.
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While we all know it's a dog-eat-dog world, so to speak, an Australian snake species has taken the suggestion of cannibalism very literally and has been captured consuming a smaller, and very unlucky, version of itself.
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It's one of the biggest and most treasured photography contests on the planet, and this year attracted a massive 49,957 entries. But there could be only a handful of winners. We present the standouts, offering a rare glimpse into the natural world.
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Play is a vital part of animal behavior, helping to form social structures and bonds, develop cognitive function and enhance physical abilities. Now, it's believed whale play with seaweed to scrub off dead skin cells and parasites as they migrate.
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Scientists have successfully extracted RNA from an extinct species for the first time. This was achieved in the thylacine, a species of carnivorous marsupial that roamed Australia until a century ago – and may again one day, if current plans bear fruit.
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In an effort to foil these proficient hide-and-seekers, scientists have enlisted a tech secret weapon to find the northern hairy-nosed wombat, a shy and critically endangered Aussie icon. Despite their hiding skills, just an estimated 315 animals remain.
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The animal kingdom is home to all kinds of stories – even horror stories. Scientists at Brown University have now uncovered a creepy new zombie story involving worms that propagate by hack their shrimp host's genome to take control of their minds.
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The blue whale has long been considered the largest animal to have ever existed, even dwarfing the biggest known dinosaurs. But now a new species threatens to steal the crown, and upends what we thought we knew about whale evolution.
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Rebuilding knees with kangaroo tissue is one step, or hop, closer to being a reality, with human trials set to get under way in 2024. Their tendons are six times stronger than our own and are more sustainable and durable than current surgery options.
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In a world first, researchers have successfully reared cone snails in a laboratory aquarium, gaining rare insight into juveniles with different venom and unlocking the power of their complex conotoxin compounds for a vast range of human therapeutics.
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Scientists have speculated about the cognitive and dreaming abilities of the octopus. This study is a step closer in understanding their complex behavior. As does a study on cuttlefish from the same team, showing their color shifting like never before.
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