A century ago the night sky was a black expanse pricked by thousands of stars. Then came Edison's light bulb, and light pollution—the luminous orange glow that haloes cities and suburbs and erases the stars. Our over-lit nights also impact animals by disrupting biological rhythms and interfering with the behavior of nocturnal animals.
Dogs respond well when they are trained to help people with disabilities. They lead the blind, alert the deaf, and retrieve items for the physically challenged. Now dogs are being trained to alert people to their impending seizures. Trained service dogs with this ability provide people who suffer from seizure disorders greater mobility and security.
Comic-book super heroes always sense when there is trouble afoot, and swoop in to save the day. Real life, of course, is different, unless you know Peter Knights, an investigator for WildAid who travels the world to expose illegal trade in endangered species. He talks to Inside Base Camp With Tom Foreman.
A mysterious group of apes in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo has scientists and conservationist scratching their heads. The apes nest on the ground like gorillas but have a diet and features characteristic of chimpanzees. Researchers suspect the apes may be a band of giant chimpanzees.
The military has some of the most sophisticated equipment available. But when it comes to detecting hidden explosives, its technology can't match the accuracy of a dog's nose. Whether on the frontlines of Iraq or on security patrol on the home front, these four-legged soldiers still have the best equipment to sniff out hidden explosives and help save lives.
On one of Earth's all-time worst days, a giant comet or asteroid struck Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula some 65 million years ago, ultimately killing the dinosaurs and 70 percent of life on the planet. A new high-resolution map, based on NASA imagery gathered from space, shows the most telling evidence of the 112-mile (180-kilometer) wide crater.
For bird species whose males and females differ in color, guys with the brightest feathers tend to have the greatest lady luck. New research confirms that birds with the gaudy plumage also tend to die earlier. This is not a problem for the species as vacant territories are quickly recolonized by new generations—provided that sprawl and other human development do not get in the way.
Romance, fights, comedy, infidelity—all these enliven prime-time TV soaps. Similar elements make urban parakeet colonies compulsive viewing for city folk. As the colorful birds continue to spread, their audience figures are set to rise.
The numbers of great apes in Gabon have been halved in less than 20 years, felled by disease and poaching, researchers report. Experts fear the decline is steeper outside Gabon and that, unless trends are reversed, wild great apes could become effectively extinct in Africa within two generations.
For a small number of churches, found mostly in Appalachia in the Southeastern United States, handling venemous serpents during religious services is an often dangerous, sometimes deadly, century-old calling.
In a study based on measurements of the bite force of living crocodilians, researchers have concluded that the ancient Sarcosuchus imperator, or "SuperCroc," had jaws of steel that no prey—not even small dinosaurs—could pry open.
Scientists have long known that females of many bird species are attracted to males with the most impressive ornamental features, such as the longest tails, brightest colors and loudest songs. Now, researchers have demonstrated a link between one of these flashy ornaments and the strength of the immune system in two species of bird.
Admirers call it "the wild world's Scotland Yard" whose scientists are "animal detectives." Each year the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory tackles approximately 900 crimes against wildlife where the evidence ranges from a whole carcass to bits and pieces. This story airs tonight on our U.S. cable television program National Geographic Today.
Cuckoos aren't the only birds that leave parenting to others. American coots often lay eggs in neighboring nests. But new research shows female coots have found a novel way to avoid becoming foster moms. They keep tally on what's theirs and what's not because they have learned to count.
Many dinosaurs had weird body parts: horns on foreheads like mythological unicorns, claws as long and dangerous as rusty pitchforks, spikes around their necks that made them look like displaced punk rockers. Paleontologists believe that these adornments—in addition to towering necks, feathered limbs, pointy fingers, and shrunken arms—had purpose. Discovering what those purposes were provides insight to the range of adaptive strategies throughout evolution. View the full story and a photo gallery:
