Animals News
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Evolutionary Flop: Early 4-Footed Land Animal Was No Walker?
May 23, 2012
New 3-D models suggest that what's been seen as one of Earth's first land walkers was actually more of a flopper.
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Magma Rise Sparked Life as We Know It?
May 23, 2012
Oxygen-breathing life exists on Earth today because of changes in the planet's magma 2.5 billion years ago, a new study says.
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Photos: Volcanic Vents, Crawling With Creatures, Found in Mexico Sea
May 23, 2012
Crawling with tube worms and crabs, the hydrothermal vents are the first found in the Gulf of California, scientists report.
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Can Sugar Make You Stupid? "High Concern" in Wake of Rat Study
May 22, 2012
Bingeing on fructose stunted memory and learning in rats, prompting "high concern" over unhealthy humans.
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Fossil Ink Sacs Yield Jurassic Pigment—A First
May 21, 2012
Still soft ink sacs from 160-million-year-old squidlike animals have yielded pigment matching that of modern cuttlefish.
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Giant Killer Mice Decimating Rare Seabirds
May 21, 2012
Oversize house mice are consuming millions of endangered Atlantic petrels on the bird's only known breeding area, a new study says.
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Slow-Mo Microbes Still Living off Dino-era "Lunch Box"
May 17, 2012
Buried for 86 million years, a bacterial community lives so slugglishly it's still surviving on a "lunch box" from dino days, a new study says.
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Pictures: Elephant Underpass Reuniting Kenya Herds
May 16, 2012
A corridor beneath a busy highway in northern Kenya is helping isolated elephant populations reunite, conservationists say.
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Prehistoric "Panda" Found in Spain—Giant Panda Has European Roots?
May 14, 2012
A small fossil bear recently identified in Spain suggests China's giant panda has European roots, a new study says.
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Runner's High Hardwired in People—And Dogs
May 10, 2012
The pleasurable sensation known as "runner's high" may have motivated human and canine ancestors to build endurance, a new study says.
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Biggest Crocodile Found—Fossil Species Ate Humans Whole?
May 8, 2012
The 27-foot-long predator may have ambushed early humans in what's now Kenya, a new study says.
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Pictures: Ancient Pygmy Pipehorse Species Found
May 8, 2012
Fossils of a new species of pygmy pipehorse, a tiny relative of the seahorse, have been unearthed in Slovenia.
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"Zombie Ant" Fungus Under Attack—By Another Fungus
May 4, 2012
Besieged by a fungus that takes over their brains then erupts from their heads, rain forest ants have an unlikely ally—another fungus.
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Pictures We Love: Best of April
May 4, 2012
From hippo dental care to hammer time—see National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures from last month.
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Pictures: 24 New Caribbean Lizards Found
May 3, 2012
The unexpectedly large crop of Caribbean skinks is already at risk of extinction, a new study says.
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Pictures: New "Rebel" Coelacanth Found
May 2, 2012
The unusual predator was built to do "everything a coelacanth should not do," its discoverers say.
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Glowing Pygmy Shark Lights Up to Fade Away
April 30, 2012
In what may sound like soggy logic, the smalleye pygmy shark hides in the dark by lighting up, a new study says.
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Best Underwater Pictures: Winners of 2012 Amateur Contest
April 27, 2012
From the ocean's biggest fish to tiny sea slugs with big color, the stars of an annual contest help reveal "the ocean through other eyes."
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White Killer Whale Spotted—Only One in the World?
April 25, 2012
Iceberg the Orca may be the only known all-white adult killer whale, and his strange skin color remains a mystery.
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New Species: Bumblebee Gecko Strikingly Striped
April 23, 2012
The latest buzz in reptiledom—a strikingly striped lizard—comes from a little-explored Pacific island.
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Fish Glow Green After Genetic Engineering
April 23, 2012
A genetically engineered fish that glows green from the inside out is helping illuminate what pollutants do inside the body.
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Photos: Oldest Reptile Embryos Discovered
April 17, 2012
New reptile fossils may show both the earliest evidence of live birth and of parental care, a new study says.
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Emperor Penguins Counted From Space—A First
April 13, 2012
New satellite images show the population of emperor penguins in Antarctica has doubled since 1992, scientists report.
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"Strawberry" Leopard Discovered—A First
April 12, 2012
The rare South Africa leopard probably has erythrism, a condition that causes a pinkish coat, experts say.
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Drug-Resistant Bacteria Found in 4-Million-Year-Old Cave
April 11, 2012
Deep in an ancient New Mexico cave, scientists have discovered nearly a hundred types of bacteria that can fight modern antibiotics.
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Pictures: New Suckermouth Armored Catfish Discovered
April 10, 2012
An "unusual" species of catfish likely uses its "suckermouth" to scrape algae off rocks, a new study says.
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One-Ton Feathered Dinosaur Found: Fluffy and Fierce
April 4, 2012
About as long as a bus but downy soft in chicklike plumage, Yutyrannus is by far the biggest feathered dinosaur yet, a new study says.
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"Lost" Long-Fingered Frog Found in Africa
April 3, 2012
In a handy stroke of luck, scientists have rediscovered a "lost" African species: the Bururi long-fingered frog.
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Bizarre "King of Wasps" Found in Indonesia
March 27, 2012
Males of the venomous wasps have large, spiked jaws, perhaps to protect young, a new study says.
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Whales Have Sonar "Beam" for Targeting Prey
March 23, 2012
Precision sound "beams" let whales focus on fast prey in the dark ocean, a new study says.
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Viking Invaders Brought Armies of Mice
March 21, 2012
Vikings who conquered new lands unwittingly brought with them another sort of invader: mice, a new study says.
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Pictures: Glowing Blue Waves Explained
March 19, 2012
Glittering or flashing seas have long been linked to marine microbes—and now scientists think they know how the life-forms create light.
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"Hot Bee Balls" Cook Enemy Hornets—But How Do Bees Endure the Heat?
March 16, 2012
Japanese honeybees swarm to cook enemy hornets, but how do they survive the heat themselves? A new brain study may have the answer.
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Giant Squid's Basketball-Size Eyes Have Sperm Whale Vision
March 15, 2012
Colossal and giant squid eyes—the world's biggest—seem to have a "superpower" Captain Ahab might have killed for: sperm whale vision.
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Crocodiles Have Strongest Bite Ever Measured, Hands-on Tests Show
March 15, 2012
An "extraordinary" new study—based on treacherous hands-on measurements—suggests crocs are "force-generating machines" rivaling T. rex.
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New Horned Dinosaurs Found—Among Littlest Known
March 13, 2012
The mini plant-eaters—including one with a neck frill and a hatchet-shaped jaw—roamed then balmy Alberta, Canada, a new study says.
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Spiderwebs Blanket Countryside After Australian Floods (Pictures)
March 7, 2012
Spiders trying to ride out floods in Wagga Wagga, Australia, are coating the town in thick webs.
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"Cute" Tropical Camels: Prehistoric Species Found in Panama
March 6, 2012
Two new species of tiny, tropical camels with croc-like snouts have been found in Panama, a new study says.
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Photos: Pictures of the Year Announced
March 5, 2012
See this year's winners of the global photo contest that aims to "empower the world's best documentary photography."
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Spiny, Venomous New Sea Snake Discovered—"Something Special"
March 2, 2012
Mysteriously covered in spiny scales, the snake was hauled from risky seas: "The only question is which animal would kill us."
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Pictures We Love: Best of February
March 1, 2012
See the pictures we love, as chosen by National Geographic photo editors—from gravity-defying fighters to a "flaming" caterpillar.
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T. Rex Bite Strongest Ever on Land—Ten Times Greater Than Gator's
February 28, 2012
The dinosaur chomped with ten times the force of an alligator, a new study says—but something in the sea was even stronger.
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Giant Prehistoric Penguins Revealed: Big but Skinny
February 27, 2012
Scientists finally have the skinny on two extinct species of tall, "svelte" penguins that lived in New Zealand, a new study says.
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Strange New Leaf-Nosed Bat Found in Vietnam
February 24, 2012
Despite an onslaught of leeches, scientists have uncovered a new bat species whose face bristles with leaf-like protrusions.
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Huge Swarm of Gelatinous Sea Creatures Imaged in 3-D
February 23, 2012
Scientists have created a new 3-D picture of a giant swarm of tiny gelatinous sea creatures off Australia.
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Pictures: New Amphibians Without Arms or Legs Discovered
February 21, 2012
They aren't worms or even snakes. They're burrowing, limbless amphibians, and they're completely new to science, a new study suggests.
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Why Some Poison Frogs Taste Bittersweet When Licked
February 17, 2012
It's a discovery perhaps only a frog-licking scientist could make: Toxic frogs secrete sugars and bile acids in addition to their poisons.
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Pictures: Miniature Chameleons Discovered—Fit on Match Tip
February 15, 2012
Four new chameleon species found in Madagascar—some tiny enough to fit on a match tip—are among the smallest known reptiles.
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Best News Pictures of 2011: World Press Winners
February 15, 2012
See the painterly picture that won this year's World Press Photo Contest—plus a cliff-climbing polar bear, a record-breaking cave, and more.
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Pictures: Shark Swallows Another Shark Whole
February 13, 2012
Divers on Australia's Great Barrier Reef recently snapped rare pictures of a wobbegong, or carpet shark, swallowing a bamboo shark whole.
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Life on Earth Began on Land, Not in Sea?
February 13, 2012
The first cellular life on Earth probably arose in vats of volcanic mud akin to Darwin's idea of a "warm little pond," a new study says.
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Shark-Attack Deaths Highest in 19 Years—Travel Trends to Blame?
February 13, 2012
U.S. fatalities down, possibly due to economic downturn.
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"Vampire" Parasite Found Entombed in Amber
February 10, 2012
The first known fossil of a rare bloodsucker called the bat fly has been found in 20-million-year-old amber, a new study reports.
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Zebra Stripes Evolved to Repel Bloodsuckers?
February 9, 2012
Stripes may do more than help zebras hide in tall grass—the pattern may scramble the vision of bloodsucking horseflies.
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Pictures: Bird Mummies "Fed" After Death, Stuffed With Snails
February 7, 2012
Some of the millions of ancient Egyptian ibis mummies were "fed" after death, scans reveal—the better to live the afterlife.
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Oldest Animal Discovered—Earliest Ancestor of Us All?
February 7, 2012
Could 760-million-year-old African "sponges" be humankind's earliest known ancestors?
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Guinea Pigs Were Widespread as Elizabethan Pets
February 7, 2012
The tiny South American rodents were bred as pets throughout 16th- and 17th-century Europe, a new study suggests.
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Pictures: "Supergiant," Shrimp-Like Beasts Found in Deep Sea
February 6, 2012
"It's a mystery" why giant, shrimp-like animals found off New Zealand are nearly three times larger than other amphipods, experts say.
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Elephants Took 24 Million Generations to Evolve From Mouse-Size
February 3, 2012
For mammals, evolving into bigger sizes takes a lot longer than shrinking, new evolution study shows.
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Groundhog Day 2012: Punxsutawney Phil's Forecast Is In
February 2, 2012
Early spring or long winter? "Immortal" rodent Punxsutawney Phil has made his forecast. Get the odd facts behind Groundhog Day 2012.
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Groundhog Day 2012: Behind Phil's Immortal Allure
February 1, 2012
With ancient origins, "immortal" rodent Punxsutawney Phil rules Groundhog Day 2012. Get the surprising facts behind winter's wackiest U.S. weather prediction.
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Prehistoric "Shield"-Headed Croc Found
February 1, 2012
A fossil croc sporting an odd head "shield" has been found in Morocco, paleontologists say.
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Pictures We Love: Best of January
February 1, 2012
See the pictures we love, as chosen by National Geographic photo editors—from a too plush penguin to a pantsless pedestrian.<p> </p>
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Pythons Eating Through Everglades Mammals at "Astonishing" Rate?
January 30, 2012
Invasive Burmese pythons are likely behind "dramatic" declines of the swamp's mammals—from rabbits to bobcats—new research suggests.
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Near-Extinct Monkeys Found in Colombian Park
January 27, 2012
A new population of one of the world's rarest primates has been found in a Colombian park, conservationists announced today.
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New-Species Pictures: Cowboy Frog, Armored Catfish Among Finds
January 25, 2012
A cowboy frog, eye-licking gecko, and "Crayola" katydid are among new and known species found in a Suriname rain forest.
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Pictures: "Extinct" Monkeys With Sideburns Found in Borneo
January 20, 2012
The Miller's grizzled langur, a rare monkey species with bristly sideburns, has been "rediscovered" in a forest in northeastern Borneo, a new study says.
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First Pictures: Live Snub-Nosed Monkeys Caught on Camera
January 13, 2012
For the first time, the rare Asian species—nicknamed "Snubby"—has been photographed alive in the wild, conservationists say.
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Sharks Eating Songbirds in Gulf of Mexico
January 13, 2012
Land birds disoriented by oil-rig lights are becoming food for tiger sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, a new study says.
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"White," Albino-like Penguin Found in Antarctica
January 12, 2012
Spotted by tourists in Antarctica, the rare bird has a genetic mutation that dilutes feather pigments.
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Pictures: Brainless, Faceless "Fish" Among Scottish Sea Finds
January 12, 2012
See a "fish" without a face, "dancing" feather stars, and huge mussels—all found during recent surveys of Scottish marine life.
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World's Smallest Frog Found—Fly-Size Beast Is Tiniest Vertebrate
January 11, 2012
No bigger than a housefly, the new species is the smallest known animal with a backbone, a new study says.
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Pictures: Deepest Ocean Vents Swarm With Heat-Vision Shrimp?
January 11, 2012
The world's deepest volcanic ocean vents—three miles down in the Caribbean—swarm with shrimp that may have heat vision, experts say.
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Worm-Eating Plant Found—Kills via Underground Leaves
January 10, 2012
A Brazilian plant uses sticky underground leaves to trap roundworms, a new study says.
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Cajun Crayfish Invading Africa, Eating Native Species
January 9, 2012
A popular U.S. crayfish with a voracious appetite is wreaking havoc on African plants and animals, scientists say.
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Baby Harp Seals Being Drowned, Crushed Amid Melting Ice
January 6, 2012
As global warming melts Arctic sea ice, harp seal babies are dying in record numbers, the first study of its kind confirms.
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"Virgin Birth" Record Broken by Hotel Shark
January 6, 2012
A zebra shark at the "world's most luxurious hotel" has experienced four straight years of reproductive success—no male required.
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Old Mice Made "Young"—May Lead to Anti-Aging Treatments
January 6, 2012
Aging mice injected with stem cells lived three times as long, according to findings one scientist found initially unbelievable.
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Fish Mimics Octopus That Mimics Fish
January 5, 2012
For the first time, a jawfish has been caught one-upping a marine master of disguise (with video).
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"Lost World" of Odd Species Found Off Antarctica (Pictures)
January 4, 2012
Swarms of yeti crabs and a ghostly octopus are among the new species spotted near hydrothermal vents, a new study says.
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Hybrid Silkworms Spin Spider Silk—A First
January 4, 2012
Strong hybrid silk may someday be used to make parachutes and artificial limbs, a new study says.
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Pictures: New Horned Viper Found in "Secret" Spot
December 30, 2011
A big, "beautiful" snake with olive-green eyes has been discovered in a remote forest in Tanzania, scientists say.
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"Rapier Wielding" Shark Among New Species Found in 2011
December 28, 2011
Four new shark species—including a "rapier wielding" sawshark—were discovered in 2011 by California Academy of Sciences researchers.
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Wild Gorillas Groom U.S. Tourist in Uganda
December 28, 2011
A tourist's encounter with gorillas in Uganda has become an Internet sensation—and a reminder of the pros and cons of wildlife tourism.
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Best Travel Pictures of 2011 Named
December 23, 2011
Playful wolves, an iceberg climber, and a curious beluga are highlights of the 2011 Travel Photographer of the Year competition.
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Top Ten Discoveries of 2011: Nat Geo News's Most Popular
December 20, 2011
An Earth-like planet and the biggest great white shark are among National Geographic News's most visited coverage of 2011 discoveries.
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Small Spiders Have Big Brains That Spill Into Their Legs
December 19, 2011
Tiny spiders have such huge brains for their body sizes that the organs can spill into the animals' body cavities, a new study shows.
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Best Pictures: Nat Geo Photo Contest Winners, 2011
December 19, 2011
From a rain-pelted dragonfly to a double rainbow over Indonesia, see the winning shots of the 2011 National Geographic Photo Contest.
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Smallest Frogs Found—Each Tinier Than an M&M
December 15, 2011
Two new species of frog—each smaller than an M&M—have been discovered in Papua New Guinea, a new study says.
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Photos: "Elvis Monkey," Cloning Lizard Among New Mekong Species
December 14, 2011
Meet a monkey with a Presleyan pompadour, a cloning lizard found on a menu, and other new species recently found in the Mekong region.
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Walking Began Underwater, Strolling-Fish Discovery Suggests
December 13, 2011
Look Ma, no feet! The first walkers may well have been full-on fish, say experts who've seen a prehistoric-like fish walk underwater.
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Three-Foot "Shrimp" Had More Than 30,000 Lenses Per Eye?
December 12, 2011
The ancient superpredator may have had more than 30,000 lenses in each eye, granting the animal enhanced eyesight, a new study says.
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Pictures: National Geographic's Top Ten Discoveries
December 8, 2011
To mark the National Geographic Society's 10,000th grant, Society experts have named Nat Geo's top grant projects since 1890.
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Pictures: Prehistoric Whale "Graveyard" Found in Desert
December 7, 2011
In what's now Chilean desert, 20 whales died five million years ago. Experts are brushing away sands of time to find out why.
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Pictures: "Lost" Leopard—And Poachers—Seen in Afghanistan
December 6, 2011
Camera traps have revealed a leopard thought locally extinct in Afghanistan, along with other big predators—and a pair of poachers.
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"Yeti" Crabs Farm Food on Own Claws—A First
December 2, 2011
The deep-sea crabs farm bacteria on their furry arms as the crustaceans' main sources of food, scientists have discovered.
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Best News Pictures of 2011: Your Picks From Nat Geo News
December 2, 2011
Japan's tsunami aftermath, an Area 51 spy plane, and a huge crocodile feature among the most viewed Nat Geo News photo galleries of 2011.
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Wasps Can Recognize Faces
December 2, 2011
Paper wasps may discern faces to keep the peace in complex colonies, a new study suggests.
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Pictures We Love: Best of November
December 1, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month—a "flying" rhino, an up-close eruption, and more.
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"Ocean" Creatures That Evolved in Huge Lake Under Threat
December 1, 2011
Jellyfish, snails, and other creatures in Lake Tanganyika may be at risk due to overfishing, pollution, and more, conservationists say.
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Pictures: "Gorgeous" Dinosaur Nest Found Full of Babies
November 29, 2011
A nest full of dinosaur babies—fossilized in their "last, bug-eyed, terrified minutes"—suggests <em>Protoceratops</em> parents nurtured their young.
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Ten Weirdest Life-forms of 2011: Editors' Picks
November 28, 2011
A cyclops shark, a demon bat, and an albino spider are among National Geographic News's picks for the year's weirdest new life-forms.
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"Great Dying" Lasted 200,000 Years
November 23, 2011
Wildfires and disappearing oxygen helped kill off 90 percent of all life some 252 million years ago—and fast, a new study says.
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Thanksgiving 2011 Myths and Facts
November 22, 2011
Before the big dinner, debunk the myths—for starters, the first "real" Thanksgiving wasn't until the 1800s—and get to the roots of Thanksgiving 2011.
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Oldest Antarctic Whale Found; Shows Fast Evolution
November 16, 2011
The oldest known whale to ply the Antarctic may suggest whales evolved faster than thought, researchers say.
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Hundreds of Orangutans Killed Annually for Meat
November 15, 2011
Hundreds of Bornean orangutans are hunted each year in Indonesia for food or to eliminate threats to crops, a new study says.
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Photos: "Dramatic" Elephant Rescue in Zambia
November 11, 2011
A mother elephant and her baby mired in mud were recently saved by a fast-acting team in Zambia.
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Prehistoric "Shield"-Headed Croc Found
November 9, 2011
A fossil croc sporting an odd head "shield" has been found in Morocco, paleontologists say.
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Pictures: Rare Black Rhinos Airlifted to Safety
November 9, 2011
In an "amazing" sight, 19 black rhinoceroses in South Africa recently traveled by helicopter to a protected reserve, conservationists say.
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New "Albino" Spider Found in Australia
November 8, 2011
A new species of spider with an unusual white head has shocked scientists in Australia.
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Entire Mammal Genus on Brink of Extinction
November 8, 2011
For the first time in 75 years, an entire genus of mammal may go the way of the dodo—unless a new sanctuary succeeds, conservationists say.
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Coyote-Wolf Hybrids Have Spread Across U.S. East
November 7, 2011
Coyotes with wolf DNA have been found in Virginia, confirming the hybrids’ spread through the mid-Atlantic, a new study says.
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Pictures: Best Wild Animal Photos of 2011 Announced
November 2, 2011
Sparring cocks and a curious fox feature in some of the year's best wild-animal pictures, according to the results of a U.K.-based contest.
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Pictures We Love: Best of October
October 31, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month—a lightning-filled eruption, a bubbly beluga, and more.
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Javan Rhino Extinct in Mainland Asia
October 28, 2011
The Javan rhino is extinct in mainland Asia, leaving just one small population in Indonesia, conservationists announced this week.
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New Shark-Fin Pictures Reveal Ocean "Strip Mining"
October 28, 2011
Pictures taken by the Pew Environment Group in Taiwan suggest that fishers are "strip mining" the oceans of sharks, conservationists say.
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Python Hearts Double in Size—Now We Know Why
October 27, 2011
High levels of fats in the snakes' blood balloons their organs after breaking a long fast, experiments show.
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Halloween Pictures: 9 Spooky New Species Found This Year
October 27, 2011
From a Beelzebub bat to a vampire flying frog-see Halloween-worthy species that crept from the shadows into the scientific limelight.
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Best Evidence Yet for Dinosaur Migrations—Teeth Tell Tale
October 27, 2011
New tooth analysis provides the best evidence yet that dinosaurs migrated like modern-day birds and elephants, scientists say.
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Pictures: Best Environmental Photos of 2011 Named
October 27, 2011
See whales, penguins, fire, and fighting hummingbirds in winning pictures of this year's Environmental Photographer of the Year contest.
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Giant "Amoebas" Found in Deepest Place on Earth
October 26, 2011
For the first time, huge single-celled creatures have been spotted in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of Earth's oceans.
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Jaguar Pictures: Record Big-Cat Numbers Spotted in Bolivia
October 24, 2011
Camera traps recently helped conservationists identify 19 jaguars in a national park—a record number for a single survey in the country.
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Photos: Speared Mastodon Bone Hints at Earlier Americans
October 21, 2011
A spear tip in a mastodon rib hints that an unknown North American culture was killing big game a thousand years before the famed Clovis culture.
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Should the Ohio Exotic Animals Have Been Shot?
October 20, 2011
The shooting of tigers, lions, and monkeys in Ohio raises new questions about the growing number of exotic animals kept as pets in the U.S.
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Pictures: Lucky Few Exotic Animals Saved From Ohio Shootings
October 20, 2011
After shootings killed dozens of lions, tigers, and other freed exotic animals in Ohio, six are safe in a nearby zoo on Thursday.
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Pictures: How Bubble-Rafting Snails Evolved
October 19, 2011
Scientists have cracked an evolutionary mystery: How did some snails come to "surf" the oceans on mucus-bubble rafts?
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Oldest Tiger-like Skull Yet—Hints Evolution Got It Right From Start
October 18, 2011
A two-million-year-old mini-tiger's skull is "surprisingly similar" to modern tigers', experts say.
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Male Spiders Give "Back Rubs" to Seduce Their Mates
October 18, 2011
When a male <em>Nephila pilipes</em> wants to get busy without getting eaten, he gives his mate a massage, new research shows.
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Seaweed's "Chemical Weapons" Killing Corals
October 17, 2011
Some seaweeds are waging "chemical warfare" on coral reefs in Fiji—and possibly around the world, a new study says.
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How Do Giant Pandas Survive on Bamboo Diets?
October 17, 2011
Panda poop has offered scientists clues to how the iconic bears keep high-fiber diets when they have the guts of carnivores.
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Pictures: Baby Gorilla Rescued in Armed Sting Operation
October 14, 2011
After an armed, undercover operation freed him from a poacher's backpack, an orphan gorilla is beginning the long road to recovery.
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Pictures: Rare "Cyclops" Shark Found
October 13, 2011
A one-eyed fetus whose mother was caught by a fisher is one of only a few sharks with a documented case of cyclopia, new research says.
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Piranhas Bark—Three Fierce Vocalizations Deciphered
October 13, 2011
The fierce fish can be excellent communicators, though their "talk" ranges from "go away" to "no, really, go away," experts have found.
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New Zealand Oil Spill Pictures: Beaches, Birds Coated
October 11, 2011
See beaches and birds blackened with oil after a ship ran aground off New Zealand in the country's worst environmental disaster at sea.
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Kraken Sea Monster Account "Bizarre and Miraculous"
October 11, 2011
An artistic kraken—a giant squid-like sea monster—is said to be behind a fossil graveyard. Critics call the find "fun" but "implausible."
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Armadillo Invasion: Warm-Weather Critters Expanding East
October 7, 2011
Long a denizen of the U.S. West, the adaptable, fast-breeding armadillo is expanding its range north and east, scientists say.
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Huge New Dinosaur Trackway Found in U.S.
October 7, 2011
Spanning two football fields, the footprints of dinosaurs "stomping in the mud" hint that a giant predator was a bit pigeon-toed.
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Pictures: Best Micro-Photos of 2011
October 6, 2011
From mini insect "monsters" to solar cells-turned-abstract art—see the best microphotos chosen in the annual Small World photo competition.
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Pictures We Love: Best of September
September 30, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month--a tool-using octopus, a giant typhoon wave, and more.
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Bats Have Superfast Muscles—A Mammal First
September 29, 2011
Holy bat buzz, Batman—a new study shows the night flyers are the first known mammals with superfast muscles.
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New Life-Forms Found at Bottom of Dead Sea
September 28, 2011
New life-forms have been found living in freshwater springs at the otherwise barren bottom of the Dead Sea, new research shows.
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Best Wildlife Pictures: British Nature Awards 2011
September 27, 2011
From a yawning fox to a glowing jellyfish, see judges' top picks for the 2011 British Wildlife Photography Awards.
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Pictures: Crocodile, Bat Fossils Found in Underwater Cave
September 27, 2011
Ancient remains of crocodiles, monkeys, and bats have been found remarkably well preserved in the Dominican Republic's freshwater caves.
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Pictures: Ancient Chariot Fleet, Horses Unearthed in China
September 27, 2011
Hailing from China's "heyday of chariot warfare," five well-preserved chariots and accompanying horses have emerged from an urban tomb.
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New Raptor Dinosaur Used Giant Claw to Pin, Slash Prey?
September 21, 2011
Talk about a lucky break—paleontologists have found fossils of a new raptor dinosaur species that had a telling injury, a new study says.
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Squid Males "Bisexual"—Evolved Shot-in-the-Dark Mating Strategy
September 20, 2011
In the dark ocean depths, male squid looking for "love" will mate with other males just as much as with females, a new study says.
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Sharks' Virus Killer Could Cure Humans, Study Suggests
September 19, 2011
Sharks carry a "remarkable" substance that stops viruses—a discovery that may lead to new antivirals for humans, a new study says.
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Pictures: Meowing Night Frog, Other New Species Found
September 16, 2011
Twelve new species of night frogs—plus three "lost" species—have been discovered in western India, a new study says.
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Giant Prehistoric Croc Found Near World's Biggest Snake
September 16, 2011
A fish-eating crocodile relative may have battled the world's largest snake in what's now Colombia, a new study suggests.
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New Dolphin Species Discovered in Big City Harbor
September 16, 2011
An entirely new species of dolphin has been discovered in the shadows of Australian skyscrapers, scientists say.
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Pictures: "Incredible" Dinosaur Feathers Found in Amber
September 16, 2011
Prehistoric dinosaur and bird feathers, perfectly preserved in amber, are shedding light on the evolution of feather form and function.
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Ancient Toothy Fish Found in Arctic—Giant Prowled Rivers
September 12, 2011
A new species of giant carnivorous fish that lived 375 million years ago has been discovered in the Canadian Arctic, scientists say.
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Pictures: "Demon" Bat, Other New Tube-Nosed Species Found
September 9, 2011
A creature with diabolic coloring is one of three new species of tube-nosed bat discovered in Southeast Asia, a new study says.
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Oldest Shark Nursery Found—Predators Lived in Lakes?
September 9, 2011
The oldest known shark nursery has been found in an ancient lake bed in Kyrgyzstan, a new study says.
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How "Zombie" Virus Liquifies Caterpillar Hosts
September 8, 2011
Scientists have identified a single gene that helps a caterpillar-brainwashing virus do its dirty work, a new study says.
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Pictures: Biggest Crocodile Ever Caught?
September 6, 2011
An allegedly 21-foot saltwater crocodile captured alive in the Philippines could be the biggest known croc—but some experts are skeptical.
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Pictures: "Walking" Fish a Model of Evolution in Action
September 1, 2011
The first close look at the Pacific leaping blenny may offer clues to how ancient fish first made the transition to land, a new study says.
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New Shark Species Found in Food Market
September 1, 2011
Trolling a Taiwan fish market for data, fish scientists reeled in a surprising catch—a deepwater shark unknown to science.
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Pictures We Love: Best of August
September 1, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the month—an invisible man, sardine "storm," Swiss daredevil, and more.
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First New U.S. Bird Species in Decades—Already Extinct?
August 30, 2011
A new bird species has been found in the U.S. for the first time in decades—but the species may have already flown the coop for good.
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Early Daddy Longlegs Revealed in 3-D—Bugs Evolved Little
August 26, 2011
New 3-D models show that the spiderlike creatures have changed little in 305 million years, experts say.
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Dino-era Mammal the "Jurassic Mother" of Us All?
August 24, 2011
Dug up from the dinosaur era, a shrew-like fossil is the oldest known mammal that gave birth to mature, live young, a new study says.
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86 Percent of Earth's Species Still Unknown?
August 24, 2011
Even after centuries of effort, some 86 percent of Earth's 8.7 million species have yet to be fully described, a new study says.
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Elephant Makes a Stool—First Known Aha Moment for Species
August 19, 2011
In a burst of insight, an elephant made a plan and then put it into action—putting his species in a new IQ league, experts suggest.
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Pictures: Baby Gorilla Rescued From Poachers
August 19, 2011
Found curled on a jail bed by vets, young Luck is in safe hands after being rescued from poachers in Rwanda, conservationists say.
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Ancient Dog Skull Shows Early Pet Domestication
August 19, 2011
A 33,000-year-old canine found in a Russian cave is the most well-preserved example of how wolves became dogs, a new study says.
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Elephant Pictures: Killed Female Highlights Poaching Rise
August 17, 2011
The recent killing of an adult female highlights the worst poaching rates seen in years in Kenya's Samburu National Reserve, experts say.
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Cloned Fathers Mate With Insect Daughters—From Inside
August 17, 2011
Insect females have begun developing internal clones of their fathers, which fertilize the females eggs—which could end males altogether.
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Fanged-Frog Pictures: 9 New Species Found
August 16, 2011
Nine new species of frogs with "fangs" were discovered on a recent expedition to Indonesia, scientists say.
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Camera-Trap Pictures: Mammals—And a Poacher—Exposed
August 16, 2011
The first global camera-trap mammal study has imaged apes, jaguars, and other mammals—including a seemingly camera-shy poacher.
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Pictures: Best Marine Park? Booming Fish Leap and Swarm
August 15, 2011
From leaping rays to lazy sea lions—the "extraordinary recovery" in a Mexican marine reserve makes it Earth's most robust, experts say.
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Small Squid Have Bigger Sperm—And Their Own Sex Position
August 15, 2011
"Sneaker" males' sperm has evolved for a second female reproductive reservoir, reserved just for them, a new study says.
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"Sea Monster" Fetus Found—Proof Plesiosaurs Had Live Young?
August 11, 2011
Like most mammals, giant, dinosaur-era marine reptiles gave birth to live young, a new fossil study hints. But did the monsters mother?
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Sexually Showy Male Birds Finish Early
August 10, 2011
Live fast, age fast—at least if you're a male houbara bustard. A new study shows that sperm quality declines earlier in showy suitors.
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Why Giant Bugs Once Roamed the Earth
August 9, 2011
Dragonflies the size of modern birds ruled 300 million years ago because smaller larvae were at risk of oxygen toxicity, a new study hints.
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Major Deep-Sea Smokers Found—"Evolution in Overdrive"
August 8, 2011
A hotbed of "evolution in overdrive" the newfound volcanic vent field, which teems with odd animals, is a North Atlantic first.
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How Smart Are Planet's Apes? 7 Intelligence Milestones
August 5, 2011
They're not <em>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</em> smart, but they're no dummies. See how apes use their heads—possibly better than humans sometimes.
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Vampire Bats Have Vein Sensors
August 3, 2011
Here's a finding that might make your blood run cold—vampire bats have specially evolved nerves that can sense the heat of your veins.
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Spiky Rat Uses Plant Poison to Turn Its Hair Deadly
August 3, 2011
An African rat chews poison bark, then wears the deadly drool—making the rodent the first animal known to apply external lethal poison.
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Parasite Creating Deformed Frogs in Western U.S.
August 3, 2011
Amphibians with "sick and twisted" deformities remain widespread in the U.S. West, and pollution may be making it worse, new research says.
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Pictures: U.S. Frogs Deformed by Parasite Infections
August 3, 2011
See how a parasite passed from snail to frog in the western U.S. can cause "grotesque" malformations such as extra hind limbs.
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Pictures: Wasps Turn Ladybugs Into Flailing "Zombies"
August 2, 2011
A parasitic wasp "brainwashes" ladybugs into hosting and then aggressively defending the wasp's developing larvae, a new study says.
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"Spectacular" Three-Cat Monolith Unearthed in Mexico
August 1, 2011
The "spectacular" monolith may have been part of an ancient monumental wall crawling with felines.
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Pictures: Rare Antelope, Big Cats Caught by Camera Trap
August 1, 2011
Camera traps set up in a little studied Kenyan forest have revealed an extremely rare antelope, several big cats, an elephant, and more.
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Pictures We Love: Best of July
July 28, 2011
Slimy seas, stormy skies, a bull's ear—National Geographic photo editors eye the month's best new pictures and find ten favorites.
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Bats Drawn to Plant via "Echo Beacon"
July 28, 2011
A Cuban plant that depends on bat pollination evolved a special leaf that acts as an "amp" for bats' sonar, new research says.
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Pictures: New Shrews Found in Indonesia
July 27, 2011
Up to four new species of unusual shrews that live partly in trees have been found in an isolated Indonesian jungle, scientists say.
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"Extinct" Toad Thrives in Lab
July 22, 2011
A tiny Tanzanian toad that all but disappeared after a dam reduced its waterfall habitat is being bred successfully in Syracuse, New York. Video.
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Pictures: Hundreds of Rare Gibbons Found in Vietnam
July 21, 2011
More than 400 endangered northern white-cheeked gibbons have been discovered in a Vietnam park, conservationists say.
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Longest Polar Bear Swim Recorded—426 Miles Straight
July 20, 2011
A polar bear has swam a record nine days straight, covering the distance between Washington, D.C., and Boston, a new study says.
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Ancient Wasps Roosted in Rotting Dinosaur Eggs?
July 19, 2011
Eight sausage-shaped cocoons from Argentina may be the first proof of bugs feasting on dinosaur eggs, experts say.
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Snails Survive Being Eaten by Birds—A Mystery
July 19, 2011
Tiny snails can travel through a bird's digestive tract and mysteriously emerge perfectly healthy, a new study says.
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First Pictures: Snow Leopards Rebounding in Afghanistan
July 18, 2011
A surprisingly healthy population of snow leopards is prowling the mountains of Afghanistan, new camera-trap pictures reveal.
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Rainbow Toad Rediscovered, Photographed for First Time
July 14, 2011
After 87 years, an "extinct," toxic toad has been rediscovered in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
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New Bent-Toed Gecko Found in "Lost World"
July 13, 2011
With characteristic curling toes, the new lizard emerged from the nighttime forests of Indonesia's "lost world" mountains.
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First Pictures: Wild Fish Uses Tool
July 13, 2011
A fish off Australia has been seen bashing open shellfish with a rock—making it the first known wild fish observed using tools.
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New Pit Viper Found—One of World's Smallest
July 13, 2011
Dubbed a "surprise gift" by scientists, a new snake species found in China is one of the littlest pit vipers in the world.
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Pictures: Largest "Sea Monster" Skull Revealed?
July 12, 2011
An ancient marine reptile with eight-foot jaws packed the biggest bite in history—and may be a new species, scientists suggest.
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Afghanistan Bright Spot: Wildlife Thriving in War Zones
July 12, 2011
Surprisingly, Afghanistan's bears, wolves, and big cats have survived decades of war—but they're not out of the woods yet, conservationists say.
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Pictures: Prehistoric Eyes Found—Surprisingly Advanced
July 11, 2011
Surrounded by creepy-crawlies, the 500-million-year-old fly-like eyes are surprisingly advanced and are likely from a shrimplike predator.
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World's Loudest Animals—Bug With "Singing" Penis, More
July 11, 2011
From an insect with "singing" genitals to frogs as loud as lawnmowers, see which species are the noisiest known to science.
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Pictures We Love: Best of June
June 30, 2011
So good we had to share—ten new images that gripped Nat Geo photo editors: "supertrees," an upside-down horse, a surfer on ice, and more.
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"Exceptional" Giant Squid Found Dying off Florida
June 30, 2011
A stirring, intact giant squid gave a fishing party a shock this week—and could give researchers new insights, scientists say.
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Hold the Champagne: Highway to Split Serengeti After All?
June 28, 2011
Were the hopeful headlines—"Serengeti Highway Canned: Victory for Animals!"—premature? Wildlife is still at risk, some experts say.
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Pictures: "Pancake" Sea Slug Among New Philippines Species
June 28, 2011
An "inflatable" shark and colorful sea slugs join hundreds of new species hauled up during a recent expedition to the Philippines.
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Pictures: Thousands of New Species Found in New Guinea
June 27, 2011
A snub-fin dolphin and a blue-eyed possum are among more than a thousand new species found over the past decade on the Pacific island.
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Hybrid Cuban-American Crocodiles on the Rise
June 24, 2011
There's a new Cuban crisis—the island country's rare crocodile is being bred out of existence by its American cousin, a new study says.
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Photos: "Smiling" Tarsier Among New Most Endangered Species
June 22, 2011
An impish-looking primate is among species recently deemed critically endangered—although researchers also found a species bounding back.
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Oldest Art in Americas Found on Mammoth Bone
June 22, 2011
The Americas' oldest known artist has been confirmed as an Ice Age hunter in what is now Florida, according to a new study.
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Arabian "Unicorn" Leaps Out of Near Extinction
June 17, 2011
The legendary Arabian oryx is alive and well in the deserts of the Middle East, conservationists say.
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Sawfish Snout Has Sixth Sense, Splits Prey in Half
June 16, 2011
Sawfish use a sixth sense based in their snouts to hunt and dismember their prey, new research shows for the first time.
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Penguins Do the Wave to Keep Warm
June 15, 2011
New video of huddling penguins shows the birds do the wave—not to show team spirit but to give each a turn in the toasty center. Video.
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Pictures: Biggest Whale Shark "Swarm" Found
June 13, 2011
The biggest gathering of the world's biggest fish—the whale shark—occurred in 2009 off Mexico, a new study says.
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Pictures: Nat Geo Picks of the Week
June 10, 2011
See National Geographic photo editors' favorite news pictures of the week, including a cross-eyed opossum, an epic ashfall, and more.
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Highest Flying Bird Found; Can Scale Himalaya
June 10, 2011
The bar-headed goose can flap to heights of 21,120 feet on its migration over the Himalaya, a new study finds.
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Coelacanths Can Live Past 100, Don't Show Age?
June 9, 2011
An ancient lineage of fish also have long life-spans, a new study suggests.
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Spiders Evolved Spare Legs
June 7, 2011
Scientists may have uncovered why spiders are so creepy-crawly—they have more legs than they actually need, a new study says.
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Photos: "Glam Rock" Lizard Among New Madagascar Species
June 6, 2011
See pictures of a bright pink snake, a see-through frog, and a one-ounce lemur—among hundreds of species found on the island since 1999.
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World's Fastest Bird? Chubby Snipe Snaps Nonstop Record
June 6, 2011
An unlikely speed demon, the rotund great snipe has completed the animal world's fastest long-distance, nonstop flight, a new study says.
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Why Skunks Have Stripes: To Point to Fierce Anal Glands?
June 2, 2011
Some mammals' stripes may direct predators' eyes straight to sources of danger—such as fierce anal glands or sharp teeth—a new study says.
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New "Devil Worm" Is Deepest-Living Animal
June 1, 2011
Found miles under the Earth, a newfound worm species is the deepest-dwelling animal yet discovered, a new study says.
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Photos: Shape-Shifting Cuttlefish Can Mimic Pictures
June 1, 2011
Cuttlefish use visual cues to rearrange their bodies for maximum camouflage, a new study confirms.
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Female Fish Develop "Testes" in Gulf Dead Zone
May 31, 2011
Deprived of oxygen in the polluted Gulf of Mexico, female fish are producing sterile testes, scientists say.
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3-Foot "Shrimp" Discovered—Dominated Prehistoric Seas
May 27, 2011
By far the largest ever found of its kind, the spiny fossil predator "would have made enough scampi to feed an army," one expert quipped.
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Pictures: Gorilla Mother "Mourns" Dead Baby
May 26, 2011
Seemingly grieving, a wild gorilla holds on to her dead baby for days as family gathers around.
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Top Ten New Species: "Walking" Fish, T. Rex Leech, More
May 24, 2011
From a human-size lizard with a double penis to glow-in-the-dark mushrooms—see scientists' picks for the top new species announced in 2010.
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Species Extinctions Overestimated by 160 Percent?
May 18, 2011
Dire predictions of mass animal and plant die-offs may be overblown, but extinctions are still a critical problem, a new analysis suggests.
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Pictures: See-Through Frog, Other "Lost" Species Found
May 17, 2011
Five ''lost species'' of frog--including a see-though species and one the size of a fingernail--have been found in Congo, scientists say.
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Tarantulas Shoot Silk From Feet, Spider-Man Style
May 16, 2011
The big, hairy spiders spin silk from "spigots" in their feet to climb slippery surfaces, scientists have found for the first time.
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Mississippi Flood Pictures: Pets, Wild Animals Seek Safety
May 13, 2011
See a few of the Mississippi River flood's other victims—pets, livestock, and wild animals seeking safety as the waters rise.
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Chimps "Mourn" 9-year-old's Death?
May 12, 2011
In exclusive video, wild chimpanzees react to the deaths of a nine-year-old and infant, in one case quietly gathering around the deceased.
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Blind, Legless Lizard Discovered—New Species
May 12, 2011
The blind, six-inch-long reptile is the first of its kind discovered in Cambodia, conservationists report.
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Mississippi Flood Flushes Snakes, Deer Into Neighborhoods
May 11, 2011
The current Mississippi floods are flushing wild animals out of their natural habitats—and into homes and neighborhoods, officials report.
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"Zombie" Ants Bite at High Noon, Then Die
May 11, 2011
A fungus is turning carpenter ants into puppets, and now scientists have a better idea how and when the infection does its gruesome work.
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Biggest Great White Shark Caught, Released
May 6, 2011
A monster male named Apache hauled up off Mexico is the biggest great white shark yet caught, an expedition team reports.
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New Species of Tiger Stingray Named
May 6, 2011
An orange-black stingray with a tiger-like tail has finally earned its scientific stripes, a new study says.
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Whales Throng New York City Area, Surprising Scientists
May 6, 2011
A lot of big whales have a taste for the Big Apple area—including the largest animal on Earth—underwater recordings suggest.
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Sea Monster Battle Seen in Prehistoric Bite Marks
May 5, 2011
A gnawed fossil skull points to "a really aggressive encounter" between two giant dolphin-like reptiles.
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Giant Squid Killed by Sound?
May 3, 2011
When giant squid died in Spain, experts suspected sonar was to blame—a hunch supported by a new study that says sound harms cephalopods.
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Wild Pig Explosion May Spread Disease to Humans
May 2, 2011
An explosion of feral pigs in the U.S. could be exposing people to dangerous parasites, a new study says.
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Sea Urchin Body Is One Big Eye
May 2, 2011
Sea urchins may use their entire bodies—from the ends of their "feet" to the tips of their spines—as huge eyes, a new study says.
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Is Your Brain Sleeping While You're Awake?
April 27, 2011
If you're sleep-deprived, key parts of your brain may be dozing even when you're awake, according to a new study of rats.
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Marijuana Trade Threatens African Gorilla Refuge
April 27, 2011
Forests in Africa's Virunga National Park are literally going to pot—sparking renewed conflicts between rangers and rebels.
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John James Audubon: Why Birds Flock Around Google's Doodle
April 26, 2011
Honored today with a Google doodle, the painter was a game changer in studying birds who was also "not shy in the ego department," experts say.
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Pictures: Fire Ant Swarms Form Living Life Rafts
April 25, 2011
When a fire ant colony is flooded, the bugs use their natural buoyancy to form life rafts that can last for weeks, a new study shows.
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Bacteria Grow Under 400,000 Times Earth's Gravity
April 25, 2011
Some bacteria can even reproduce under the same crushing gravity found on massive stars or in supernova shock waves, a new study says.
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Scientists "See" Ocean Floor via Sonar
April 21, 2011
Cameras and sonar technology are helping experts create a new map of the little-known seafloor near the U.S. Virgin Islands. Video.
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Texas Wildfire Pictures: Crews Fight Statewide Blaze
April 20, 2011
Severe drought and gusting winds have contributed to 22 separate blazes now raging across more than a million acres of the Lone Star State.
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Migrating Birds Escaped Worst of Gulf Oil Spill
April 19, 2011
Though predictions of mass bird die-offs in the Gulf never materialized, crude is still oozing into some bird habitats, experts say.
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Odd Animal Deaths, Deformities Linked to Gulf Oil Spill?
April 19, 2011
Strangely deformed fish and a rise in deaths of marine animals may be related to the Gulf oil spill, scientists say.
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Gulf Oil Spill Surprises: 6 Things Experts Got Wrong
April 19, 2011
The Gulf oil spill delivered plenty of surprises—here's a look at some of the predictions experts got wrong.
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Gulf Spill Photos: 9 Animal Victims—Plus 2 Survivors
April 19, 2011
From the pancake batfish to the manatee—see what what's happening to animals in the Gulf a year later.
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Pictures: 20 Surprising Species of the Past 20 Years
April 18, 2011
From the "Yoda bat" to a "walking" shark—see 20 new and rare species spotted during two decades of "ecological SWAT team" expeditions.
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Eyes Made of Rock Really Can See, Study Says
April 14, 2011
Sea creatures called chitons can use beadlike structures made of rock to distinguish shapes of approaching predators, a new study says.
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New "Buck-Toothed Evil Spirit" Dinosaur Found
April 13, 2011
A newfound dinosaur with "monstrous front teeth" links the earliest dinos with more advanced predators such as T. rex, experts say.
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Penguin Numbers Plummeting—Whales Partly to Blame?
April 11, 2011
Penguin populations are plunging due to a shortage of krill driven by shrinking sea ice and a boom in hungry whales, a new study says.
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Fossil Pictures: Oldest Flying Insect Imprint Found
April 7, 2011
Three hundred million years ago, a possible ancestor of the mayfly got trapped in the mud—leaving behind a rare full-body impression.
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Pictures: Millions of Puppy Mummies in Egypt Labyrinth
April 6, 2011
Perhaps supplied by ancient puppy mills, millions of animal mummies—likely seen as conduits to a jackal-headed god—fill newly excavated tunnels.
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Alien Wasps Abduct, Drop Ants to Get Food
April 6, 2011
When competing for food with an ant swarm, a wasp will pluck an ant from the pile, fly away, and drop the insect, a new study says.
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Oil-Eating Bacteria Engineered
April 5, 2011
Scientists are experimenting with "green" microbes in the lab that could someday be used to gobble up oil spills along coastlines without damaging the environment.
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Pictures: Bats Swarm Philippines Cave
April 5, 2011
Bats living in a protected cave have set a world record for population size—although experts now worry about the effects of overcrowding.
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Pictures: Sharks Taught to Hunt Alien Lionfish
April 4, 2011
Divers in Honduras are trying to help the top predators acquire a taste for the destructive invasive species, described by one expert as "rats of the sea."
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Radiation in Japan Seas: Risk of Animal Death, Mutation?
April 1, 2011
Radiation in Japan Seas: Animal Death, Mutation Risk?If radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant continues to enter the ocean, animals could suffer "bizarre mutations" or worse.
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April Fools' Day Pictures: Six Animal Hoaxes
April 1, 2011
From a human-dog hybrid to a Tasmanian mock walrus, see pictures of famous animal hoaxes, including some used as April Fools' Day pranks.
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Pictures: Trees Cocooned in Webs After Flood
March 31, 2011
Documented by an aid worker, millions of spiders and possibly insects took to the trees to spin webs after heavy floods inundated Pakistan in 2010.
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Substance to Stop Oil From Sticking to Birds?
March 31, 2011
Scientists are perfecting a naturally based substance that will act like a laundry detergent in oil spills to prevent the oil from sticking to bird feathers. The substance is currently in the testing phase, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.
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"Castrated" Spiders Are Better Fighters, Study Says
March 30, 2011
Males that break off their genitals during sex aggressively guard their mates, perhaps because they "have nothing to lose," scientists say.
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Pictures: New Dinosaur, Crocodile Cousin Found in Brazil
March 30, 2011
"Incredible" fossils of an ancient crocodile cousin and a dinosaur with shark-like teeth have been found in Brazil, scientists say.
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Pictures: New Ruby-Eyed Pit Viper Discovered
March 28, 2011
A new pit viper species with jewel-colored eyes has been found in the forests of Southeast Asia, scientists say.
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Pictures: "Zombie" Ants Controlled, Decapitated by Flies
March 28, 2011
Flies that inject eggs into fire ants are being used to fight the invasive ants. The larvae grow inside the ants' heads, appear to control the ants' behavior, then ''hatch'' from the now empty skulls.
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Pictures: Rare Penguins Blackened by Remote Oil Spill
March 25, 2011
A cargo ship crash has oiled hundreds of rare penguins on a remote Atlantic island—a ''grave environmental disaster,'' experts say.
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Odd Saber-Toothed Beast Discovered—Preyed on ... Plants?
March 24, 2011
Saber teeth can turn up in the strangest places—such as in the fossil head of the new pre-dinosaur vegetarian discovered in Brazil.
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Giant Rabbit Fossil Found: Biggest Bunny Was "Roly-Poly"
March 22, 2011
Giant fossils found in Spain are from the biggest known rabbit species—a "beach bum" that couldn't hop and had short ears, experts say.
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Photos: Preserving Beauty, Providing Hydropower in Scotland
March 21, 2011
Scotland harnessed power from water in the Highlands 60 years ago, amid conflicts that echo with relevance for a world still struggling to find clean and safe energy.
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Fish "Walks" on Beach to Spawn
March 18, 2011
Every spring on California's beaches, thousands of tiny fish come ashore to lay their eggs—though their sandy habitat is in decline, experts say.
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Why Transylvanian Chickens Have Naked Necks
March 15, 2011
Scientists have cracked why the Transylvanian naked neck chicken has a featherless neck—and it isn't to give vampires easier access.
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New Species Found: Thai Fossils Reveal Ancient Primate
March 11, 2011
A handful of fossil jaws from a Thai coal mine belong to a new species of nocturnal primates called tarsiers, scientists say.
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Pictures: Prehistoric American Skull Found in Sea Cave?
March 9, 2011
Divers in an underwater cave in Mexico may have found the skull of one of the earliest Americans—and maybe his or her mastodon leftovers.
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Photos: "Zombie" Ants Found With New Mind-Control Fungi
March 3, 2011
Mind-controlling fungi that create ''zombie'' ants in Brazil's rain forests are more diverse than thought, a new study says.
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Male Monkeys Wash With Urine to Attract Females?
March 2, 2011
Talk about "eew" de toilette—male monkeys that rub their fur with urine may be making themselves irresistible to females, a new study says.
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Elusive Clouded Leopard Captured on Film—a First
March 2, 2011
A camera trap has caught one of the world's most elusive cats on film for the first time, conservationists say.
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Dolphin-Baby Die-Off in Gulf Puzzles Scientists
March 2, 2011
An unusual number of dead young dolphins are washing up on the Gulf Coast. Puzzled scientists warn it's too soon to blame the BP oil spill.
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"Dramatic" New Pictures: Rare Javan Rhino Spotted
March 2, 2011
Javan rhinoceroses—possibly the rarest mammals on Earth—are among the animals recently snapped by camera traps in Indonesia's rain forests.
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Rarest Rhino Filmed
March 2, 2011
Critically endangered and rarely seen rhinos with their calves were filmed by WWF in Indonesia with motion-activated cameras. Video.
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Best Rare-Bird Pictures of 2010 Named
February 28, 2011
From the marvellous spatuletail to a flightless parrot, see 12 award-winning pictures of birds most in danger of extinction.
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Little Fish Exploding in Number, Models Show
February 25, 2011
There are still plenty of fish in the sea—they're just the little ones, according to new models of fish decline.
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"Thunder Thighs" Dinosaur Thrashed Predators to Death?
February 23, 2011
A new dinosaur that used its "exceptionally powerful" thighs to kick predators likely had a bad temper to boot, one expert says.
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Wormlike "Walking Cactus" Fossil Found
February 23, 2011
The 500-million-year-old creature had ten sets of jointed legs that resemble those of modern spiders and crabs, a new study says.
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Photos: Bubble-nest Frog, Other "Extinct" Species Found
February 17, 2011
Fifteen ''lost'' frogs and toads have been rediscovered during a global search—a disappointing number, conservationists say.
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Hibernating Bears Keep Weirdly Warm
February 17, 2011
Hibernating black bears can dramatically lower their metabolism without major drops in body temperature, a surprising new study says.
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How Do Fleas Jump? New Video Solves Mystery
February 14, 2011
It was no small task, but researchers have used high-speed video to solve how the insects jump—by taking off from their toes.
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Best News Pictures of 2010: World Press Winners
February 11, 2011
Whooper swans, a victim of the Taliban, and Bolivian wrestlers are among the winners of the 2010 World Press Photo Contest.
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Squid Get Violent After Touching Eggs, Study Says
February 11, 2011
A chemical on longfin squid eggs causes males to rapidly shift from calm swimming to extremely aggressive fighting, scientists say.
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Pictures: 10 Most Threatened Forest Hot Spots Named
February 10, 2011
From California's redwoods to Cambodia's wetlands—see which forest hot spots are in trouble around the world, according to a new report.
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Frogs Evolve Teeth—Again
February 10, 2011
Lower-jaw teeth in frogs re-evolved after an absence of 200 million years, challenging evolutionary thinking, scientists say.
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Pictures: "Remarkable" Ice Age Fossil Cache Found
February 9, 2011
The ''bumper crop'' of prehistoric animals—including mammoths and a giant sloth—is giving scientists a peek into Ice Age life in the Rockies.
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Pictures: Nine Surprisingly Gassy Cities
February 9, 2011
Forget Beijing and Mexico City: Denver and Rotterdam are among the world's top polluters in terms of per-person CO2 emissions, a new study says.
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Wolverine to Vanish From U.S. Due to Warming?
February 8, 2011
Built for the cold, the fierce wolverine may retreat from the mainland U.S. due to global warming, a new study says.
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Venomous New Pseudoscorpion Found in Colorado Cave
February 4, 2011
Unless you've been living in a cave, you probably haven't run across the poisonous, nearly blind pseudoscorpion described in a new study.
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New Dinosaur: Titanic Triceratops Ancestor?
February 4, 2011
With an eight-foot skull, Titanoceratops may have been the granddaddy of Triceratops. But did it really exist?
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Biggest Bear Ever Found—"It Blew My Mind," Expert Says
February 3, 2011
There's a new titleholder for biggest bear ever found—an ancient South American giant short-faced bear that weighed up to 3,500 pounds.
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"Extinct" Salmon Discovered in Japanese Lake
February 2, 2011
A Japanese TV host helped identify a fish from a Mount Fuji lake as the kunimasu salmon, thought to have gone extinct 70 years ago.
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Bat Uses Pitcher Plant as Toilet; Plant Benefits
February 2, 2011
It's no load of crap—a carnivorous plant in Borneo survives mostly off of bat feces, a new study says.
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Pictures: "Ominous" Japan Volcano Erupts Again
February 1, 2011
The biggest explosion since the Shinmoedake volcano awoke last week coated cities in gray ash and shot debris 6,500 feet into the air.
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Groundhog Day 2011: Punxsutawney Phil Sees No Shadow
February 1, 2011
With ancient origins and modern media smarts, "immortal" rodent Punxsutawney Phil rules Groundhog Day 2011. Get the surprising facts behind winter's wackiest weather prediction.
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Pictures: Volcano Lightning Electrifies Japan Eruption
January 28, 2011
A volcano in a James Bond setting flared to life Wednesday, sparking lightning and a huge ash plume as well as prompting evacuations.
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New Hybrid Whale Discovered in Arctic
January 25, 2011
Antarctic minke whales desperate for food may be swimming north and mating with their Arctic cousins, a scientist suggests.
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First One-Fingered Dinosaur Found—Dug for Bugs?
January 24, 2011
The parrot-size T. rex cousin probably used its enlarged digit to probe termite mounds, a new study says.
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"Pink Meanie" Pictures: New Jellyfish Attacks Other Jellies
January 24, 2011
With a taste for other jellyfish, the species is so different physically that it sparked the creation of a whole new animal family.
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Mother Pterosaurs Laid Soft Eggs, New Fossil Hints
January 20, 2011
The discovery is also the first to show the difference between male and female pterosaurs, suggesting only males had elaborate head crests.
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Sharks Are Color-Blind, Retina Study Suggests
January 19, 2011
Despite their sensory prowess, sharks may not be able to see in living color, according to new tests done on the eyes of 17 species.
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Pictures: "Red Hot" Nuclear-Waste Train Glows in Infrared
January 19, 2011
Nuclear waste glows red-hot in new thermal pictures of a controversial European train. But does that mean it's dangerous?
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Siberians Raided Rodent Caches for Food
January 18, 2011
To survive in winter, nomadic groups dug up stores of roots, seeds, and nuts gathered by small mammals, according to a new study.
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Oldest Domesticated Dog in Americas Found—Was Human Food
January 18, 2011
A skull fragment from a Texas cave shows that humans were breeding—and eating—dogs as early as 9,400 years ago, scientists say.
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Pictures: "Nasty" Little Predator From Dinosaur Dawn Found
January 13, 2011
Fast and fierce, dog-size <em>Eodromaeus</em> dates to the advent of the dinosaur age and may have led to both <em>T. rex </em>and the humble turkey.
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Video: "Nasty" Little Dinosaur Found
January 13, 2011
Meet the "dawn runner," the newfound, 230-million-year-old dinosaur thought to be a precursor to meat-eaters like T. rex.
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Fish as Good as College Students in Numbers Test
January 7, 2011
College students showed roughly the same numerical skills as mosquitofish when presented with a laboratory test, a new study says.
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"Vampire Flying Frog" Found; Tadpoles Have Black Fangs
January 7, 2011
The mountain jungles of Vietnam are home to a new breed of vampire—a tree frog whose tadpoles sport fangs.
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Why Are Birds Falling From the Sky?
January 6, 2011
Seemingly freak bird die-offs in Arkansas and elsewhere are making headlines. But is it just media hype? And what causes airborne die-offs?
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"Bodies" Make Up Fake Coral Reef
January 5, 2011
Sculptures of human figures are making a home for marine life in waters near Cancun, Mexico. The art is helping preserve the world's 2nd largest barrier reef system. Video.
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Prehistoric Bird Had Wings Like Nunchucks
January 5, 2011
A flightless bird with wings like martial arts weapons once thrashed its foes on what's now Jamaica, a new study says.
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Bumblebees Taking a Nosedive in North America
January 4, 2011
A European fungus may be to blame for the rapid decline of four once common bee species in North America, experts say.
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Pictures: Birds Fall From Sky in Arkansas
January 3, 2011
Birds were falling from the sky and fish were found floating dead en masse in two recent but unrelated Arkansas die-offs, experts say.
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Bee Viruses Spread via Flower Pollen, Study Says
December 29, 2010
Viruses that could play a role in the recent decline in honeybee colonies may be spreading through flower pollen, new research finds.
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Rock-Chewing Sea Urchins Have Self-Sharpening Teeth
December 28, 2010
A very close look at sea urchins has uncovered the mystery of how the animals can literally chew through stone without dulling their teeth.
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African Elephant Really Two Wildly Different Species
December 22, 2010
"Big surprise": The two African elephant types seem to be as genetically different from each other as Asian elephants are from mammoths.
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Solar-Powered Hornet Found; Turns Light Into Electricity
December 22, 2010
The oriental hornet's "skin" pigments trap light and generate electricity, according to a new study.
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Chimp "Girls" Play With "Dolls" Too—First Wild Evidence
December 20, 2010
Wild young female apes use sticks as dolls, but males rarely do—suggesting there's at least some biological basis to gender-based toy choices, a new study says.
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Best Pictures: Nat Geo Photo Contest Winners, 2010
December 16, 2010
From a charging buffalo to an erupting volcano—see the winning pictures of the 2010 National Geographic Photo Contest.
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Pictures: "Pizzly" to Be Joined by More Arctic Hybrids?
December 15, 2010
The ''pizzly,'' or ''grolar bear,'' has made headlines, but up to 34 mammal species may interbreed as the Arctic ice shrinks.
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Pictures: New Head-Bobbing Lemur Found in Madagascar?
December 15, 2010
Meet the new rock star of Madagascar: an odd lemur species with head-bobbing theatrics, a high-pitched call, big feet, and a long tongue.
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Killer Alien Weed May Threaten Biggest Animal Migration
December 13, 2010
An invasive weed found recently in southern Kenya may kill off native vegetation that wild animals and livestock depend on for survival, scientists warn.
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Ancient Balloon-Headed Dolphin Found by Fishers
December 13, 2010
A 20-foot dolphin with a bulbous head roamed the North Sea 2.5 million years ago, a newfound fossil reveals.
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New Bacteria Found on Titanic; Eats Metal
December 10, 2010
The metal-munching bacteria found on the famous wreck may help teach engineers how to protect deep-sea oil rigs, experts say.
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Ten Weirdest New Animals of 2010: Editors' Picks
December 7, 2010
A fish with "hands," a T. Rex leech, and a self-cloning lizard are among National Geographic News's picks for the weirdest new species in 2010.
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"Horse Dragon," Colossus Dinosaurs Found in Utah
December 7, 2010
One of two new plant-eaters found in Utah, the species has shaken up a branch of the dinosaur family tree, a new study says.
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Pictures: 14 Rarest and Weirdest Mammal Species Named
December 6, 2010
From echidnas to hairy-nosed wombats, see ten of the rarest and weirdest mammals on Earth, as ranked by the Zoological Society of London.
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Ten NatGeo News Stories You Might Have Missed in 2010
December 6, 2010
See our editors' picks of the best stories of 2010 that flew under the radar, including space-time "wrinkles" and squid plastic surgery.
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Mercury Poisoning Makes Birds Act Homosexual
December 3, 2010
Male birds that eat mercury-contaminated food show "surprising" homosexual behavior, scientists have found.
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NASA Life Discovery: New Bacteria Makes DNA With Arsenic
December 2, 2010
No, NASA didn't find life on another world. But scientists did uncover a new species of bacteria that's perhaps the most ''alien'' yet seen.
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Top Ten Discoveries of 2010: Nat Geo News's Most Popular
November 30, 2010
A time-bending earthquake, a fish with "hands," and "Yoda bat" are among National Geographic News's most visited coverage of 2010 discoveries.
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Pictures: New Squat Lobsters Found Off Australia
November 29, 2010
Looking colorful enough to eat, several squat lobsters found during recent expeditions are new to Australia—and two are new to science.
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Top Ten Videos of 2010: Nat Geo News's Most Watched
November 29, 2010
You watched, we noticed. See Nat Geo News's best videos of 2010, as measured by viewer interest—a fire tornado, a vampire squid, and more.
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"Flamboyant" New Squid Worm Surprises, Delights Experts
November 24, 2010
With head tentacles and iridescent "oars," the new sea species is "definitely flamboyant," one expert said. "I'm delighted by it."
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How Shark Scales Give the Predators Deadly Speed
November 23, 2010
Scales on a shark's body "bristle" to reduce drag, helping the predator hunt fast-moving prey, new research suggests.
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Sea Turtles Match Breathing to Dive Depths?
November 23, 2010
A new study shows that leatherback turtle buoyancy is likely determined by the amount of air they inhale above the surface before they dive. Video.
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First Fishing Bat Discovered in Europe
November 23, 2010
The long-fingered bat is the first bat species in the Mediterranean known to catch and eat fish, scientists say.
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How Snakes Can "Fly"
November 23, 2010
Looking up and doing the twist are among "flying" snakes' best moves, a new DARPA-funded study finds.
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Pictures: Best Underwater Views of 2010 Announced
November 22, 2010
See a diver exploring an deep trench, a seahorse being born, an eel baring its teeth, and more in winners from an undersea photo contest.
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Pictures: "Mr. Burns" Toad, More New Amphibians Found
November 17, 2010
A beaked amphibian said to resemble <em>The Simpsons' </em>Mr. Burns and a poison dart frog are among new species discovered in Colombia.
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Large, "Glamorous" New Glowing Squid Species Found
November 16, 2010
The big, red new squid species—perhaps one of several—underscores the richness of undersea mountain life, experts say.
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Pictures: Oldest Dinosaur Embryos Show "Big Surprises"
November 16, 2010
The most detailed look yet at the 190-million-year-old babies reveal a lack of teeth, suggesting their parents may have cared for them, a new study says.
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Bats Crash More Often When They Use Vision
November 15, 2010
Being blind as a bat has its benefits: Wild bats that rely on vision are more likely to crash, a new study says.
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GigaPan: Pill Bug
November 12, 2010
Billion-pixel photographs are proving powerful for science, such as this ''GigaPan'' of a pill bug.
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GigaPan: Diseased Bees
November 12, 2010
Billion-pixel photographs are proving powerful for science, such as this ''GigaPan'' of honeycomb and diseased bees.
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GigaPan: Fish Ball
November 12, 2010
Billion-pixel photographs are proving powerful for science, such as this ''GigaPan'' of a ball of fish.
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Concrete to Help Oysters?
November 12, 2010
Rings designed to attract oysters may help restore reefs diminished by overharvesting, pollution, and recent oil spill activities, experts say.
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Rare Pictures: Crocodile Attacks Elephant
November 11, 2010
In an unusual ambush, a Nile crocodile grabs onto an elephant's trunk at an African water hole. See which animal comes out alive.
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Flamingos Apply "Makeup" to Impress Mates
November 10, 2010
There's a reason why flamingos are so pretty in pink: The birds apply colorful oil to impress mates, a new study says.
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Photos: Best European Wildlife Pictures Announced
November 10, 2010
See a ghostly owl, a cheetah fleeing fire, and a turtle's first swim in this year's best shots by European wildlife photographers.
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Cricket Has World's Biggest Testicles (But Puny Output)
November 9, 2010
The tuberous bushcricket's large testicles—the world's biggest, proportionately—don't mean greater output, a surprising new study says.
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Sea Turtle Herpes Tumors Linked to Sewage?
November 9, 2010
Herpes tumors that have plagued green sea turtles worldwide for decades may be caused by pollution, a new study says.
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New Self-Cloning Lizard Found in Vietnam Restaurant
November 8, 2010
A popular dish on Vietnamese menus is made from a newly discovered lizard that reproduces via virgin birth, scientists say.
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Polar Bears Turning to Goose Eggs to Survive Warming?
November 8, 2010
Forced ashore earlier due to global warming, the bears are finding nutritious treats on land in the form of goose eggs, studies say.
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Photos: Epic Migration Seen "Through Eyes of" Antelope
November 8, 2010
For the first time, a photographer has walked alongside Wyoming pronghorn on their annual treks, documenting the modern obstacles endangering the ancient migration.<br />
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Giant Shrimp-like Sea Predator Was a Weakling After All
November 3, 2010
A shrimplike creature thought to be Earth's first great predator was actually more of a worm-eating wuss, scientists say.
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Citizen "Scientists" Track Birds in BP-Spill Zone
November 3, 2010
Millions of birds winter on the Gulf of Mexico coast. Now volunteers are counting the animals to help scientists determine the oil spill's effects on resident populations as well as on the migratory populations.
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"Mind-Boggling" Pictures: Goats Scale Dam in Italy
November 1, 2010
Yes, these viral pictures of goats clinging to an impossibly steep rock face are real. Get the facts behind the Internet rumors.
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Chupacabra Science: How Evolution Made a Mythical Monster
October 29, 2010
Just in time for Halloween, scientists say they've cracked the mystery behind the "goat sucking" monster—and it's all too real.
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New Video Filmed by Whale Sharks
October 28, 2010
Researchers in Australia deploy the National Geographic Crittercam on whale sharks to see if tourists swimming with the sharks are affecting their behavior. Video.
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New Snub-Nosed Monkey Discovered, Eaten
October 27, 2010
Pictured moments before humans ate it, a snub-nosed monkey represents a new species that sneezes when it rains.
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New Amazon Species: "Bluetooth" Tarantula, Electric Fish
October 27, 2010
A new Amazon species was found roughly every three days between 1999 and 2009—among them a ''bluetooth'' tarantula and an electric fish.
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Did Gulf Spill Boost "Dead Zone"?
October 25, 2010
Did the BP oil spill may sap oxygen from the Gulf of Mexico? Scientists are weighing new findings against years of "dead zone" data.
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Ocean Pictures: Contest Winners Show Sea Life in Peril
October 21, 2010
Netted turtles, a finned whale shark, and a drowned albatross feature among the winning frames in a 2010 marine-conservation photo contest.
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Gulf Manta Rays Affected by Oil Spill?
October 15, 2010
The little-studied manta rays of the Gulf of Mexico could be their own species—and victims of the BP oil spill, scientists say.
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Fuzzy Critters' Crystallized Pee Changes Climate Record?
October 15, 2010
The crystallized pee of the rodent-like rock hyrax is filling in gaps in our understanding of climate change, experts say.
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Giant Pterosaurs Could Fly 10,000 Miles Nonstop
October 15, 2010
Burned fat stores equal to a ''good-size human'' each trip, expert says.
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New Deep-Sea Pictures: Snailfish, Eels Found in Trench
October 14, 2010
A new snailfish species and an eel swarm are among the creatures spotted nearly five miles deep in a Pacific Ocean trench, scientists say.
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Surprising Ant "Mixing Bowl" Found in Manhattan
October 13, 2010
At least 13 species of urban ants thrive along the bustling boulevards of the United States' biggest city, a new study has found.
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Pictures: Best Micro-Photos of 2010
October 13, 2010
A zebrafish nose, a wasp nest, and a mosquito heart took home top honors in the 2010 Small World Microphotography Competition.
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Pictures: "Scruffy" New Carnivorous Mammal Found
October 12, 2010
Likened to a "scruffy ferret," an odd mammal on Madagascar may be the first new species of meat-eater found in 24 years.
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Photos: Canadian Rain Forest Edges Oil Pipeline Path
October 7, 2010
In the home of the elusive "spirit bear," nine Coastal First Nations people await a decision on a pipeline to carry Canadian oil to sea for export to Asia.
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Pictures: Tube-Nosed Bat, More Rare Species Found
October 6, 2010
A bat with trumpet-like nostrils and a katydid that ''aims for the eyes'' are among the hundreds of species recently seen in Papua New Guinea.
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Photos: Great Whites "Take Turns" Feeding on Dead Whale
October 4, 2010
A veritable swarm of great whites tucked into a whale carcass in South African waters earlier this month—and kept their table manners, says a scientist who witnessed the rare event.
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600-Year-Old Worms Among Surprises of 10-Year Sea Survey
October 4, 2010
Six-hundred-year-old tube worms and other oddities help put the brain-boggling, just-ended, ten-year Census of Maine Life in perspective.
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Biggest Marine Census Complete
October 4, 2010
The Census of Marine Life has identified more than 6,000 potentially new species during a decade of exploring the world's oceans. Video.
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New Species Pictures: Deep-Sea "Jumbo Dumbo," More
October 4, 2010
A see-through sea cucumber, a ''big eared'' octopus-like animal, a ''gold treasure'' crustacean, and more are among the many new deep-dwellers collected during an ongoing marine census.
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13 Stunning Photos From 10-Year Sea Census
October 4, 2010
See "Mr. Blobby" and the other stars of our 13 favorite pictures from the Census of Marine Life, which concluded Monday.
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New Species Photos: Vader-like Jelly, Whale Eater, More
October 4, 2010
See jellyfish with a Darth Vader-like look, a whale-eating worm, and other new species from the final haul of Census of Marine Life.
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Undersea Mountain Photos: Brittlestar Swarm, More Found
October 1, 2010
Swarms of orange fish and other deep-sea creatures have been spotted during a five-year survey of the world's underwater mountain ranges.
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Whale Snot, Cursing Away Pain Among 2010 Ig Nobels
October 1, 2010
Profanity to treat pain and whale-snot-collecting helicopters are just a few of the unusual scientific achievements awarded Ig Nobels on Thursday.
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Pictures: Five-Foot Fossil Penguin Revealed
September 30, 2010
See how a giant new species of red-and-gray penguin might have looked 36 million years ago, based on fossil-feather evidence.
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Giant Prehistoric Penguin Found, Sported Splashes of Red
September 30, 2010
A new, 36-million-year-old Peruvian penguin species--the water king--swam in shades of red and brown, a new study says.
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Video: 5-Foot Penguin Fossil Discovered
September 30, 2010
Scientists have found the fossilized remains of a giant penguin, believed to have stood about 5 feet tall, in Peru. Video.
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BO Attracting Predators to Birds
September 30, 2010
New Zealand birds' ripe body odor is giving the animals away to predators—and deodorant might actually help save species, experts say.
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Pink-Hippo Pictures: Rare Youngster Spotted in Kenya
September 29, 2010
The young Kenyan hippopotamus has leucism, a condition in which the skin produces less pigment than usual, a scientist says.
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Trampling Skews Artifact Dates by Thousands of Years?
September 29, 2010
Sorry, archaeologists. A new study says animal footsteps might have made artifacts seem thousands of years older than they are.
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Best Environmental Photos of 2010 Named
September 29, 2010
See a hummingbird-viper face-off, swarm of devil rays, and more in these winning images from a conservation group's global photo contest.
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Pictures: "Bizarre" New Tailless Whip Scorpions Found
September 28, 2010
Four new species of ''peculiar,'' spider-like creatures with spine-studded appendages have been discovered in Borneo caves, a new study says.
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Photos: Poison Crab, Glass Shrimp, More Found in Korea
September 27, 2010
See an ''alien'' crustacean, poisonous crab, and freckled shrimp that takes shelter in clams—all found in South Korea for the first time.
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Walruses Swarm Beaches as Ice Melts
September 27, 2010
Thousands of walruses gathered recently on an island strip in Alaska, probably because of extreme ice melting, scientists say. Video.
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Whale Sharks Killed, Displaced Due to Gulf Oil?
September 24, 2010
The Gulf spill fouled a stretch of feeding habitat for whale sharks, possibly killing some of the world's largest fish, new research says.
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Hybrid Panthers Helping Rare Cat Rebound in Florida
September 24, 2010
Breeding rare Florida panthers with Texas cougars created tough hybrids that could save the subspecies from extinction, a new study says.
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Drug-filled Mice Airdropped Over Guam to Kill Snakes
September 24, 2010
Dead mice filled with a generic version of Tylenol are being airdropped to kill the invasive brown tree snake, U.S. officials say.
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Photos: Fiery Sea Slug Discovered, Lays Lacy Egg Case
September 23, 2010
A bold, spiky new species of nudibranch—and its doily-like egg mass—has been found near a California campground.
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Flooding Farms on Purpose—For the Birds
September 23, 2010
In response to the BP oil spill, U.S. farmers are flooding fields to create untainted wetland stopovers for migrating birds.
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Rare Photos: Giant Squid Eaten by Sperm Whale
September 23, 2010
"Absolutely sensational" new pictures are rare proof that the world's largest toothed whales feed on elusive giant squid. And if researchers are right, the photos may also show a baby whale's hunting lessons.
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Two New Horned Dinosaurs Found in Utah
September 22, 2010
A giant with a supersized head and another sporting an array of "bony bells and whistles" were found in a "lost continent" in what is now Utah.
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Pictures: "Extinct" Frogs, Salamander Found
September 22, 2010
The first ever search for a hundred "lost" amphibians has already rediscovered three species, including a cave-dwelling salamander, conservationists say.
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Pictures: New Armored, Wood-Eating Catfish Found in Amazon
September 21, 2010
See a new species of armored Amazonian catfish that uses its four jaws to grind away at underwater logs.
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New Species of Giant Elephant Shrew Discovered?
September 20, 2010
With maroon thighs and a black rump, a two-foot-long elephant shrew found in a remote Kenya forest may be a new species, scientists say.
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Giant Vacuum to Help Bugs in Oiled Marshes?
September 17, 2010
Using huge hoses, researchers are vacuuming up marsh bugs along the oiled Gulf coast. By comparing their samples to bugs collected before the spill, teams hope to determine the effects of oil on creatures near the bottom of the food web.
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Photos: World's Biggest, Strongest Spider Webs Found
September 17, 2010
A new spider species in Madagascar weaves 80-foot webs out of the world's toughest biological material, new studies say.
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Pictures: Giant Fossil Bird Found With Spiky "Teeth"
September 15, 2010
The newfound prehistoric species had a beak lined with jagged "pseudoteeth" and a 17-foot wingspan, scientists announced Wednesday.
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Cockroach Brains May Hold New Antibiotics?
September 9, 2010
Cockroaches and locusts produce natural antibiotics that can kill bacteria such as MRSA and toxic strains of E. coli, new research shows.
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Hunchback Dinosaur Found: Carnivorous "Camel"
September 8, 2010
The otherwise fearsome new one-ton predator, Concavenator corcovatus, sported an odd hunchback and scrawny "protofeathers," puzzling scientists.
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Pictures: Crab Swarms Overtake Island—Mystery Solved
September 3, 2010
A surge in hormones allows millions of migrating Christmas Island red crabs to make their epic annual trek to the ocean, a new study says.
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Tarzan Chameleon Found in Tarzan Forest, Near Tarzanville
September 2, 2010
The discovery on Madagascar of the new species—given away by its flat snout—is a "Tarzan yell for conservation," a new study says.
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Evolution in Action: Lizard Moving From Eggs to Live Birth
September 1, 2010
A skink species lays eggs on the coast but births babies in the mountains, giving a rare glimpse at how placentas evolved, scientists say.
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"Whispering" Bat Evolved to Trick Prey
September 1, 2010
The barbastelle bat has lowered its voice to evade detection by moths with keen hearing, a new study says.
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New Deep-Sea Pictures: Chimaera, Ten-armed Starfish, More
August 31, 2010
A hitchhiking anemone, a perching sea robin, and a many-armed sea star were recently spotted off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
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Pictures: Live Tiger Cub Found in Luggage
August 26, 2010
The cat's out of the bag for a woman caught smuggling a live, drugged tiger cub at a Thai airport Sunday.
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Five Years After Hurricane Katrina, Alien Rodents Return
August 26, 2010
The beaver-size, wetland-eating rodents are back—but are being kept in check by a boom in trappers, a wildlife biologist says.
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Pictures: Pea-Size Frog Found—Among World's Smallest
August 25, 2010
Completely lost on a penny, the new frog species was mistaken for a baby for a hundred years.
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Spiders, Carnivorous Plants Compete for Food—A First
August 25, 2010
Spiders build bigger webs to catch more bugs than sundews, says the first study to show such battles between the plant and animal kingdoms.
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Pictures: "Lost" Deer, Rare Cuckoo Caught in Camera Traps
August 25, 2010
The Sumatran tiger and rhinoceros hornbill are just some of the rare species spotted in Sumatra during a recent photographic survey.
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"Snot Otter" Sperm to Save Giant Salamander?
August 20, 2010
To save North America's biggest salamander—the hellbender, or "snot otter"—conservationists are freezing its sperm.
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Giant "Terror Birds" Used Their Heads Like Hatchets
August 19, 2010
Standing up to ten feet tall, the prehistoric terror birds used their ax-like heads to chop their way to the top of the food chain, study says.
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Toxic Oil Lurking Deep on Gulf Seafloor?
August 18, 2010
A signature glow detected in seafloor samples may be from Deepwater Horizon oil—and sea life may be suffering, preliminary results suggest.
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New Public Road to Split the Serengeti?
August 17, 2010
The proposed road in Tanzania would cut through the Serengeti, possibly disrupting the annual wildebeest migration, conservationists say.
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Pictures: Bushy-Bearded Titi Monkey Discovered
August 12, 2010
The "fascinating" new species of monkey mates for life—and may be critically endangered by habitat loss in the Amazon rain forest.
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Gulf Spill Still Threatens Millions of Migrating Birds
August 10, 2010
Despite the BP Gulf spill cap, millions of migrating birds this fall, and for years to come, may face oil threats—starvation in particular. Video.
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Photos: Ten Most Wanted "Extinct" Amphibians
August 10, 2010
From the golden toad to the Turkestanian salamander—the quest begins for the ten likely extinct amphibian species conservationists most want to rediscover.
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Oyster Herpes: Latest Symptom of Global Warming?
August 6, 2010
Don't worry—it isn't a side effect of eating oysters. But a virulent new herpes strain could continue spreading as seas warm, experts say.
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Bats May Be Wiped Out by Fungus in U.S. Northeast
August 5, 2010
Several species of North American bats may disappear if the fatal white-nose syndrome continues to spread unchecked.
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Fossil "Cat Crocodile" Had Mammal-like Teeth
August 4, 2010
With canines, molars, and a sliding jaw, the newfound fossil crocodile Pakasuchus kapilimai could do one thing no other known reptile can or could: chew.
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Video: Prehistoric Croc Was Mammal-like
August 4, 2010
Fossils of an ancient crocodile show that it had mammal-like teeth and legs, and that it probably lived most of its life on land.
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Dogs' Brains Reorganized by Breeding
August 3, 2010
For thousands of years humans have changed dogs' looks through selective breeding. Now it seems we've actually reordered many breeds' brains in the process.
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Video: Record-Breaking Sea-Creature Surveys Released
August 2, 2010
See some of the deep-sea stars of a new "roll call"—thousands of ocean species found during recent expeditions. Video.
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Sea Discoveries Spawn Music Video
August 2, 2010
Featured in a new "roll call" of life from 25 key ocean regions, marine oddities oscillate, swim, and skitter to an ocean "chorus." Video.
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Jumbo Squid Flash, Flail in First Ever Squid-cam Video
July 29, 2010
Filmed away from humans for the first time, jumbo squid light up during an expedition that also found them to have superstrong bites.
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Alligator "Feeding Frenzy" Video Shows Teamwork
July 28, 2010
In a new viral alligator "feeding frenzy" video a fisher boats through hundreds of hyped-up alligators. Despite their snapping, the gators show true teamwork, experts say.
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Photos: "Spectacular" Deep-Sea Species Found off Canada
July 27, 2010
New pictures reveal a potentially new—and arguably adorable—purple octopus and other rare species found this month off Canada's east coast.
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Photos: Cameras "Trap" Hairy-Nosed Otter, More Rarities
July 26, 2010
The hairy-nosed otter—long thought locally extinct—and a stink badger are among rare mammals "caught" by camera traps in a Borneo forest.
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Photos: "Glass" Crustacean Among Hundreds of New Species
July 23, 2010
A see-through crustacean and a weird water bug are among the hundreds of species discovered so far during a survey of Korean biodiversity.
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Hundreds of Gulf Turtle Eggs Relocated
July 23, 2010
In an effort to save baby sea turtles from the BP oil spill, workers are moving up to 700 nests from the Gulf to Florida's Atlantic coast. Video.
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"Prehistoric" Shark Seen Attacking Deep Bait
July 22, 2010
Scientists have filmed deep-sea creatures for the first time at depths of more than 4,500 feet near Australia's coast, including the deep-dwelling sixgill shark biting on bait. Video.
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Pictures: Baby Gulf Turtles Released Into Atlantic
July 22, 2010
Hatchlings from 700 Gulf sea turtle nests are being released into the Atlantic, part of a U.S. federal effort to avoid a "lost generation" due to the Gulf oil spill, experts say.
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30 Amphibian Species Wiped Out in Panama Forest
July 20, 2010
The "catastrophic" epidemic in Panama claimed five species that were lost before they were even identified by science, a new study says.
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Relocated Gulf Pelicans "Enjoying" Texas
July 19, 2010
Some Louisiana pelicans, cleaned of oil from the Gulf spill, have been relocated to Texas—and are apparently quite happy about it. Video.
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"Extinct," Pop-Eyed Primate Photographed for First Time
July 19, 2010
The pop-eyed Horton Plains slender loris has been seen for the first time in 60 years—alive and cute, if not exactly well.
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Pictures: Surprising Creatures Found Deep off Australia
July 16, 2010
See a "prehistoric" shark, a hairy anglerfish, jellyfish glowing like Avatar extras, and more—dark-adapted oddities of the Deep Australia Project.
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Prozac Pollution Making Shrimp Reckless
July 16, 2010
Shrimp exposed to traces of Prozac swim in brighter areas, making them more vulnerable to predators, a new study says.
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Human Sperm Gene Traced to Dawn of Animal Evolution
July 16, 2010
The gene responsible for sperm in all sexual creatures dates to the beginning of animal evolution—and may be a key to the elusive male birth control pill, a new study says.
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Pictures: Giant Undersea Volcano Revealed
July 15, 2010
More than 11,500 feet tall, the newly explored peak off Indonesia is home to odd creatures, spewing vents, and a potentially new squid.
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"Miraculous" Fish Thrive Amid Jellyfish Swarm, Toxic Mud
July 15, 2010
The hardy little bearded goby is the first fish known to thrive in seas dominated by stinging jellyfish and toxic mud, a new study says.
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Jungle Cat Mimics Monkey to Lure Prey—A First
July 13, 2010
Sure it's a "poor imitation," but an Amazon cat's unprecedented monkey call shows surprising "psychological cunning."
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Two New "Walking" Batfish Species Found
July 9, 2010
Two new species of bottom-dwelling "walking" fish have been found in the Gulf of Mexico—right in the path of the Gulf oil spill, a new study says.
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Photos: New Species, "Living Fossils" Found in Atlantic
July 7, 2010
A recent Atlantic expedition discovered many rare sea creatures, from swimming sea cucumbers to potential, pink "missing links."
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Gulf Oil Cleanup Crews Trample Nesting Birds
July 6, 2010
For rare shorebirds in the path of the Gulf oil spill, well-meaning cleanup crews may be doing more harm than the oil itself, experts say.
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Mouse Tears Are Aphrodisiacs
July 2, 2010
A pheromone in male tears makes female lab mice more receptive to mounting, a Japanese study says.
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New Leviathan Whale Was Prehistoric "Jaws"? (Pictures)
June 30, 2010
A newfound prehistoric sperm whale with giant teeth likely attacked other whales—and possibly giant sharks, scientists say.
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T. Rex Plodded Like an Elephant, Nerve Study Says
June 29, 2010
The mighty Tyrannosaurus rex didn't have the nerves—literally—to be a fast, agile killing machine, a new study says.
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Watching "Sexy" Males Leads to Better Chicks, Study Says
June 29, 2010
Watching attractive males dance before breeding makes female Houbara bustards lay more and healthier eggs, a new study suggests.
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Big Cats Wild for Calvin Klein Cologne?
June 24, 2010
Bronx Zoo cheetahs are attracted to Calvin Klein's "Obsession for Men," which scientists have tested to lure wild big cats close to camera traps. Video.
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Sharks Carrying Drug-Resistant "Bacterial Monsters"
June 23, 2010
Our leftover medicines are spawning drug-resistant bacteria that thrive inside sharks, scientists say.
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Chimp Gangs Kill to Expand Territory
June 21, 2010
Some gangs of chimpanzees beat their neighbors to death to gain lucrative parcels of land, according to a ten-year study in Uganda.
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Father's Day Pictures: "Best" Animal Dads
June 17, 2010
"Pregnant" seahorses, ferocious egg-carrying water bugs, and midwife monkeys--meet some of the dedicated fathers that are rarities in the animal kingdom.
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Jacques Cousteau Centennial: What He Did, Why He Matters
June 11, 2010
The late Jacques Cousteau's hundredth birthday is making headlines. Why is the late explorer such a legend? Here are five good reasons.
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Ebola Cured in Monkeys—Hope for Humans?
June 9, 2010
A new drug successfully wiped out the deadly virus in monkeys, possibly bringing humans a step closer to a cure, scientists say.
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Oil-Coated Gulf Birds Better Off Dead?
June 9, 2010
Conservationists should "kill, not clean" oil-coated birds, some say. And even euthanasia critics agree rehabbed birds face stormy skies.
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Crocodiles Body Surf to Hop Between Islands
June 7, 2010
Rather than swimming, the reptiles ride currents to travel long distances, according to a study co-designed by the late Steve Irwin.
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Pictures: "Shark Elevator" Lifts Great Whites From Sea
June 4, 2010
See a giant, ship-mounted hydraulic lift hoist live great white sharks out of the ocean, offering unprecedented research opportunities.
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Mammoth-Belch Deficit Caused Prehistoric Cooling?
June 4, 2010
By killing off woolly mammoths and other Ice Age megamammals, humans may have sparked a thousand-year cooling event, a new study says.
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Frogs Shake Booties Before Fights
June 1, 2010
In a stunning display of amphibian machismo, tree frogs boogie before they brawl in this unprecedented video.
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Photos: Hundreds of New Species Found off Tasmania
May 27, 2010
See photos of some of the hundred new marine species found by Australian scientists in the latest of a string of underwater discoveries.
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First Photos: Weird Fish With Transparent Head
May 27, 2010
With a head like a fighter-plane cockpit, a Pacific barreleye fish shows off its transparent head and barrel-like eyes in the first specimen ever found alive.
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Photos: Dracula Fish, Bomber Worm on Top New Species List
May 26, 2010
From a psychedelic fish to a "phallic" fungus, see some of the most unusual species described in 2009, as chosen by a team of taxonomists.
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Orphaned "Moon Bear" Cubs "Mothered" by Scientists
May 25, 2010
A program to rehabilitate orphaned moon bear cubs is giving these threatened mammals a better chance for survival. Video.
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Pictures: Nine Fish With "Hands" Found to Be New Species
May 24, 2010
Nine fish that use handlike fins to walk, rather than swim, off Australia have been identified as new species.
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Oil Spill to Wipe Out Gulf's Sperm Whales?
May 21, 2010
If the Gulf of Mexico oil spill kills just three sperm whales, the Gulf population may be in serious risk in the long run, experts say.
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Male Antelope Scare Females Into Staying for Sex
May 21, 2010
To keep wandering females close, male topi antelope will begin snorting and staring at nonexistent predators, a new study says.
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New Species Found in "Lost World": Pinocchio Frog, More
May 17, 2010
See the nosy "Pinocchio frog," the world's smallest wallaby, and other new species found in the tropical Indonesian mountains on New Guinea called the Lost World.
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Alpacas to Help Fight Gulf Spill?
May 14, 2010
Human hair, pet fur, and now alpaca fleece from zoo animals are being used to make booms designed to keep oil off the U.S. Gulf Coast. Video.
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Mass Lizard Extinctions Looming; Global Warming Blamed
May 13, 2010
One in five lizard species are headed for extinction due to global warming, a new study says. But they won't bake; they'll starve.
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All Species Evolved From Single Cell, Study Finds
May 13, 2010
Creationism is "an absolutely horrible hypothesis," says the author of a new study of the statistical probability of a universal common ancestor.
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Colossal Squid a Soft, Sluggish Drifter
May 12, 2010
Perseus would have nothing to fear from this kraken-like sea beast: The squid's energy needs suggest it's just a slow, aimless drifter.
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Super Slo-Mo Frog Video Reveals Jumping Secrets
May 12, 2010
Watch mesmerizing video that's helping unlock secrets of jumping frogs, some of which can leap more than ten times their lengths.
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Mutant Mosquitoes Not Repelled by DEET
May 10, 2010
The popular bug-repelling chemical DEET has lost its power against some disease-carrying mosquitoes, a new study says.
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Glowing Sea Beasts: Photos Shed Light on Bioluminescence
May 7, 2010
A new report reviews why, for sea species, bioluminescence can be a very healthy glow—and how so many creatures evolved it in so many ways.
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Mother's Day Mayhem: "Worst" Animal Moms?
May 7, 2010
Meet the animal world's "worst" mothers—and find out why their tough parenting may not be so awful after all.
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"City of Gonads" Jellyfish Discovered
May 6, 2010
Unlike every other known jellyfish, Csiromedusa medeopolis—the new underwater wonder from down under—keeps its gonads on display.
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Why Deep-Sea Creatures Glow
May 6, 2010
Most of the animals in the deep sea naturally emit light known as bioluminescence, a trait that presents many mysteries to scientists. Video.
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Bald Eagles May Have to Eat Toxic Seals, Study Says
May 3, 2010
Eagles on California's Channel Islands are finding fewer of their traditional prey, which may force them to scavenge DDT-laced blubber.
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Gulf Oil Spill Fight Turns to Chemicals
April 30, 2010
Responders are deploying huge amounts of oil dispersant to limit onshore damage from the Gulf of Mexico, but the chemicals don’t make oil disappear.
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Pictures: Ancient Egypt Crocodile Mummies Revealed
April 30, 2010
A crocodile's last meal and an ancient fishhook are among "exciting" details revealed by new CT scans of the 2,000-year-old mummies.
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Pictures: Gulf Oil Spill Hits Land—And Wildlife
April 30, 2010
The first birds covered in oil have been found after the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico reached land along the Louisiana coast.
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Oil Spill Hits Gulf Coast Habitats
April 30, 2010
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill's first landfall is Louisiana's “bird’s foot” delta and barrier marshes, the habitat of the long-struggling brown pelican and other ecologically sensitive species.
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Please DO Feed the Bears, Biologist Says
April 29, 2010
Giving bears snacks may keep the animals away from homes and campsites, one biologist says. Others warn the practice is ineffective—possibly dangerous.
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Pictures: Lion Steals Roving Camera, "Takes" Photos
April 27, 2010
This time, curiosity killed the camera: A lion mangled the remote-controlled BeetleCam—after taking a few pictures of African wilderness.
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Pictures: "Rarest of the Rare" Species Named
April 26, 2010
A giant bat and a tiny fox are among 12 of the world's most endangered species recently highlighted by the Wildlife Conservation Society.
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Photos: "Ninja" Slug, Longest Insect Among New Species
April 22, 2010
In time for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a new report spotlights new species from Borneo, including a flying frog and the world's longest insect.
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Sperm Recognize "Brothers," Team Up for Speed
April 21, 2010
In promiscuous mouse species, sperm from the same male team up like Tour de France racers to give themselves an edge in the dash for the egg, a new study finds.
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Pictures: Strange Sea Species Found Off Greenland
April 21, 2010
From deep-sea "aliens" to promising seafood specimens, 38 striking fish species have been spotted off Greenland for the first time.
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Bacteria-size Babies Among Ocean's Smallest Life
April 20, 2010
An octopus in miniature is among the hundreds of larvae found in a recent Census of Marine Life survey of the tiniest creatures in the sea. Video
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Tiny New Sea Species Discovered—First Ever Video
April 20, 2010
Recent ocean expeditions have uncovered some of the world's smallest species—in spectacular abundance.
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Pictures: Hard-to-See Sea Creatures Revealed
April 18, 2010
From alien-looking baby starfish to snowflake-like crabs, some of the ocean's smallest life-forms have been revealed.
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Oxygen-Free Animals Discovered—A First
April 16, 2010
Deep in the Mediterranean, scientists have discovered the first complex animals known to live without oxygen.
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"Tyrant King" Leech Discovered, Attacks Orifices
April 16, 2010
The new "tyrant king" leech has extremely large teeth, which it uses on mammals' orifices, a new study says.
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Lions, Hyena Killed With Poisoned Meat
April 13, 2010
A bloody bucket streaked with purple stains suggests Kenyan herders killed thelions and hyena with a controversial pesticide called Furadan, experts say.
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Octopus vs. Sea Lion—First Ever Video
April 9, 2010
It's a first. Outfitted with a Crittercam, an Australian sea lion has filmed itself hunting, and eating, a large octopus. Video.
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New Giant Lizard Discovery "an Unprecedented Surprise"
April 7, 2010
It has a double penis, lives on a crowded island, and is as long as a man. So how did Varanus bitatawa go unidentified till now?
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Pictures: Millions of Sea Turtles Killed Accidentally?
April 6, 2010
Millions, not thousands, of sea turtles have been unintentionally killed by fishing operations in the last 20 years, a new report says.
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First African Amber Pictures: Thunder Fly, Wasps, More
April 5, 2010
Frozen in "time capsules" of fossilized tree sap, bugs and spores from the dinosaur era have been dug up at a site in Ethiopia.
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New Blind Snakes Found, Help Explain World Domination
April 1, 2010
The discovery of a new family of wormlike snakes may help explain how blind snakes conquered continents despite being unable to swim.
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New "Roadrunner" Dinosaur Found in China
March 31, 2010
Look out, Wile E. Coyote: A newfound fossil unearthed in China belonged to one of the fastest dinosaurs ever to roam the Earth.
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Gene-Altered "Enviropig" to Reduce Dead Zones?
March 30, 2010
"Enviropig," now approved for limited production, is modified to excrete less phosphorous, a key trigger of algal blooms, scientists say.
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Bulging Mutant Trout Created: More Muscle, More Meat
March 30, 2010
The genetically engineered fish boast at least 15 percent more flesh for eating—but is that good?
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Goliath Tiger Fish: "Evolution on Steroids" in Congo
March 29, 2010
On an unprecedented Congo River run, scientists and kayakers have found potential new species, the spike-toothed goliath tiger fish, and evidence that the African river may be the world's deepest.
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Pictures: Giant Squid Get Extreme Plastic Surgery
March 26, 2010
See two giant squid corpses become "the most lifelike specimens yet"—a two-year process involving dissection, 396 gallons of silicon, and hundreds of needles.
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Tiny T. Rex Ancestors Achieved World Domination
March 25, 2010
"Mini-Me" versions of T. rex once dominated the globe, hints a new fossil that's the first tyrannosaur ancestor found in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Gorillas Extinct in Ten Years in Central Africa?
March 24, 2010
Gorillas may soon go extinct across much of central Africa, due in part to Chinese timber demand, the ape-meat trade, and mining, a new study says.
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Bigger Testes Can Offer a Competitive Edge
March 23, 2010
When competition for females is fierce, males of some species have evolved bigger testes to trounce their rivals, a new study has confirmed.
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First Amphibious Insects Found in Hawaii
March 23, 2010
Twelve new caterpillar species are at home on land or underwater, although scientists are baffled about how the submerged bugs breathe.
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Flat-headed, Web-footed Swamp Cat Dying Out
March 22, 2010
The rare flat-headed cat is disappearing as more of its swampy Asian habitat becomes palm plantations for biofuel production, experts warn.
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New Dinosaur: "Exquisite" Raptor Found
March 19, 2010
A claw protruding from a desert cliff in China led to the discovery of one of the most complete raptor fossils ever found, scientists say.
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Mutant All-Black Penguin Found
March 16, 2010
An all-black king penguin—a very rare mutant—was spotted and filmed on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. Video.
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Half-Male, Half-Female Chicken Mystery Solved
March 16, 2010
It was a tough egg to crack, but scientists have discovered that half-male, half-female chickens possess a mixture of genetically male and female cells.
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"FedEx" Fossil Amphibian Found in Pittsburgh
March 15, 2010
The toothy predator likely chased after giant cockroaches when Pittsburgh was near the Equator, a new fossil study says.
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New Frog Found—Has "Striking" Color Change
March 10, 2010
The jungle species undergoes a "striking" change from a black, yellow-spotted youngster to a peachy, blue-eyed adult, scientists say.
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"Cove" Movie Assails Dolphin Hunt, Gets Oscar Boost
March 8, 2010
With its 2010 Oscar win for best documentary, the movie The Cove has reignited debate over annual dolphin hunts in Taiji, Japan.
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First Proof Gorillas Eat Monkeys?
March 5, 2010
Monkey DNA has been found in gorilla feces—suggesting that maybe, just maybe, the big apes eat meat after all.
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Atlantic Octopus Mimics Flounders—A First
March 4, 2010
An octopus in the Caribbean can mimic not only the shape of a flounder, but also the fish's color and swimming style, most likely in an attempt to avoid predators, researchers say.
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Glowing Animals: Pictures of Beasts Shining for Science
March 3, 2010
Dogs, cats, monkeys, worms, fish: all now glow in the dark, thanks to one jellyfish and a whole lot of research. In this photo round-up of glowing animals (and the odd plant), see the gamut of what science has done with a few fluorescent proteins.
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Snake Caught Attacking Dinosaur—First Fossil Proof
March 1, 2010
Entombed at the moment of attack, a fossil serpent and sauropod are the first solid proof that prehistoric snakes ate dinosaurs, a new study says.
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Weed Killer Makes Male Frogs Lay Eggs
March 1, 2010
One of the most common weed-killers in the United States can transform male frogs into fully functional females, a new study says.
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Grizzly Bears Moving into Canada's Polar Bear Capital
February 26, 2010
There may now be two kings of the Canadian tundra—grizzly bear sightings are on the rise near Churchill, Manitoba, raising the small possibility of more grizzly bear-polar bear hybrids, a new study says.
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Sharks vs. Pig Carcass: Experiments Surprise Scientists
February 26, 2010
After dropping dead pigs into the sea and watching via Webcams, researchers were "very surprised" to see marine scavengers risk low-oxygen waters for a meal.
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Ancient Horned Crocodile Found—Ate Early Humans?
February 25, 2010
A newfound species of fossil crocodile that reached 19 feet long attacked early humans in Africa more than a million years ago, a new study says.
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"Shamu" Kills Trainer--Killer Whale's Act Not Normal
February 25, 2010
The drowning of a Florida SeaWorld animal trainer by "Shamu"—the stage name assigned to multiple SeaWorld captive killer whales—is not typical behavior for the whales, scientists say.
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Huge New Dinosaur Found via "Mind-boggling" Skulls
February 24, 2010
Four 105-million-year-old dinosaur skulls with surprisingly tiny teeth may give scientists a head start on understanding the biggest animals ever to walk the Earth, a new study says.
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Dolphins Turn Diabetes Off and On -- Hope for Humans?
February 19, 2010
Bottlenose dolphins have a condition like human type 2 diabetes, but the animals can turn it off and on. The discovery suggests human medicine might someday do the same.
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New Laser Zaps Mosquitoes in Slow-Motion Video
February 17, 2010
A new laser system can kill mosquitoes without harming other insects, as shown in slow-motion video. It's all part of the effort to combat malaria.
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Deadly Bat Fungus Spreading in U.S.
February 16, 2010
A mysterious disease that has already wiped out thousands of U.S. bats is on the move, according to recent tests that confirmed the killer's presence in Tennessee.
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"Drunk" Bats Fly Right--Discovery Surprises Scientists
February 9, 2010
Some bat species can fly and communicate just as well while inebriated as while sober—even with blood alcohol levels that would exceed legal limits in humans.
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World's Biggest Snake Ate New Prehistoric Croc Species
February 5, 2010
A new, unusually small species of ancient croc found in Colombia was likely no match for the largest snake ever to slither across the Earth, a new study says.
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Eyeless Urchins "See" With Spines
February 5, 2010
Sea urchin bodies act as big spine-covered eyes, according to researchers who created "Twilight Zone" conditions to test how well the marine creatures can see.
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Vampire Squid Turns "Inside Out"
February 3, 2010
The vampire squid can turn itself "inside out" to avoid predators—as seen in a video just released to emphasize the need to protect deep-sea species from the effects of human activities.
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Tentacled Snake Uses Odd Appendages to Sense Prey
February 2, 2010
tentacles snakes
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Groundhog Day Pictures: Punxsutawney Phil, Now and Then
February 2, 2010
The groundhog has spoken, predicting six more weeks of winter in 2010. See Punxsutawney Phil through the years—plus Groundhog Day origins and a wild woodchuck.
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Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil Sees Shadow--And Long Winter for 2010
February 2, 2010
On Groundhog Day 2010, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow—and six more weeks of winter, according to tradition. Get surprising facts behind the wacky weather prediction.
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Groundhog Day 2010 & Punxsutawney Phil: Facts Behind Forecast
February 1, 2010
With ancient origins and modern media smarts, "immortal" rodent Punxsutawney Phil rules Groundhog Day 2010. Get the surprising facts behind winter's wackiest weather prediction.
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New "Destroyer" Dinosaur Found, Was T. Rex Relative
January 28, 2010
The 29-foot-long predator reigned over the U.S. West about 75 million years ago, rare dinosaur fossils from New Mexico reveal.
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"Sex Puppeteers" Force Sex Change, Virgin Birth in Bugs via Genes
January 26, 2010
Fast-spreading parasites are forcing victims into sex changes, inducing virgin births, and turning animals into "gross monsters"—all via genetic sabotage, a new study finds.
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Tiger Trade Slashes Big Cats' Numbers
January 26, 2010
January 25, 2010—Only 350 wild tigers remain in Asia's Mekong River region, according to a new report from the conservation nonprofit WWF, which says the loss is being driven by trade in tiger parts. © 2010 National Geographic; Video courtesy of Education for Nature Vietnam and WWF Greater Mekong
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Fish "Engineers" Dig Up Homes for Marine Life
January 26, 2010
fish-engineers-groupers-florida
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Photos: Queen's Cat Goddess Temple Found in Egypt
January 21, 2010
An ancient temple filled with about 600 cat statues was built for the goddess Bastet by Queen Berenike II, say archaeologists who found the ruins under modern-day Alexandria.
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New Species Photos: Slug-Sucking Snake, Mini-Gecko, More
January 20, 2010
A see-through frog and a gecko the size of a pencil eraser are among rare and new species spotted in Ecuador.
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Flashier Great Tits Produce Stronger Sperm, Bird Study Shows
January 20, 2010
Flashier Great Tits Produce Stronger Sperm, Bird Study Shows
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Mammals "Rafted" to Madagascar, Climate Model Suggests
January 20, 2010
The ancestors of lemurs, fossa, and other Madagascar mammals got to the island aboard natural rafts, according to a new model of the ocean currents and prevailing winds that existed 50 million years ago.
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Superlungs Gave Dinosaurs Competitive Edge
January 14, 2010
alligators-dinosaurs-birds-lungs-breathing
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PICTURE: See-Through Goldfish Bred; Cuts Out Dissection
January 13, 2010
see-through-goldfish-picture
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World's Longest Migration Found--2X Longer Than Thought
January 11, 2010
World's Longest Migration Found--2 Times Longer Than Thought
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Male Fish Punish Unruly Females -- And Benefit, Study Says
January 8, 2010
cleaner-fish-punish
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PICTURES: Tigers Butchered for Trade at "Zoos" in China?
January 7, 2010
Many Chinese tourist attractions are secretly operating as fronts for illegal tiger farming, butchering captive tigers for the multibillion-dollar black market in wildlife parts, conservationists say.
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Giant Salamanders Helped to Spawn
January 7, 2010
A new program in Japan is helping giant salamanders get past dams built to control flooding so the rare amphibians can lay their eggs upstream.
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Rare Gorillas Spied Feasting on Figs
January 7, 2010
Rare Gorillas Spied Feasting on Figs
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Elusive Tree Kangaroos Fitted With Video Cameras
January 7, 2010
crittercam-tree-kangaroo-video
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PHOTOS: 7 Major "Missing Links" Since Darwin
January 7, 2010
For the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, National Geographic News asked leading scientist for their picks of the most important fossil evidence for evolution.
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Early Whale Was Dwarf Mud-Sucker, Fossils Hint
January 7, 2010
Unearthed in southeastern Australia, the tiny, ancient whale likely captured its prey by slurping up mouthfuls of mud from the seafloor, scientists say.
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Shark Fins Traced to Home Waters Using DNA—A First
January 7, 2010
Many of the hammerhead sharks butchered to feed Asian demand for shark-fin soup come from endangered populations in American waters, a new forensic study shows.
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"Pregnant" Fish Fathers Suck the Life From Their Young
January 7, 2010
With the fathers taking on the responsibility of "gestating" their young, the story of pipefish reproduction is among the more heartwarming in biology. Well, it was.
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Venomous Dinosaur Discovered--Shocked Prey Like Snake?
January 7, 2010
Jurassic Park may have had it partly right. Some raptors did have venom, though it was more stupefying than lethal, a new study suggests.
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Czech Zoo Sends Four Rare White Rhinos to Kenya
January 7, 2010
Four of the world's eight remaining northern white rhinoceroses have been flown to Kenya in a last-ditch effort to save the critically endangered subspecies.
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Abstaining Boobies Get "Sexier"
January 7, 2010
Male blue-footed boobies that take a yearlong sex sabbatical get a brighter shade of blue in their feet the following year, which makes them more attractive to females, a new study says.
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RARE ANIMAL PHOTOS: Giant Armadillo, Bush Dog, More
January 7, 2010
In a remote region of the Amazon rain forest, camera traps have captured new images of elusive animals, including ocelots, armadillos, and the extremely rare and little studied bush dog.
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Primate Dialects Recorded in South America—A First
January 7, 2010
The discovery of marmoset vocal variations indicates primate language may be more complicated than previously thought, according to a new study.
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PICTURES: "Natural Treasure" Threatened by Industry?
January 6, 2010
Mountain lions, grizzly bears, and cutthroat trout are among the Rocky Mountain animals snapped during a recent photography expedition to the Flathead region, which conservationists say is threatened by mining, logging, and drilling.
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Some Females Too Sexy for Own Good, Fly Study Says
January 6, 2010
fruit-flies-sex
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Sucker-Footed Bat Hangs Upright Via Sweat, Not Suction
December 17, 2009
Despite its name, the sucker-footed bat of Madagascar—one of the few bats known to roost upright—actually uses "modified sweat" to cling to surfaces, a new study says.
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1,200-Plus Venomous Catfish Species Uncovered
December 17, 2009
1,200-Plus Venomous Catfish Species Uncovered
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Prehistoric Pygmy Sea Cow Discovered in Madagascar
December 16, 2009
The fossil "water bushpig"—as the locals call it—fills in a gap between primitive land-dwelling mammals to today's aquatic sea cows, a new study says.
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Top Ten Discoveries of 2009: Nat Geo News's Most Viewed
December 15, 2009
National Geographic News's most popular coverage of 2009 scientific finds is swarming with megamouth sharks, giant snakes, a transparent-headed fish, and rare species rescued from obscurity—then eaten.
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Alcoholic Flies Show Human-like Desperation, Relapses
December 15, 2009
Turned into alcoholics for science, fruit flies would seemingly drink almost anything for a buzz and relapsed after going cold turkey—findings that researchers hope might lead to new addiction therapies for humans.
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Top New Species of 2009: Nat Geo News's Most Viewed
December 14, 2009
Strange beasts—including a giant rat, a lungless worm, and a vegetarian spider—dominated National Geographic News's most popular new-species coverage of 2009.
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Lobsters to Be Supersized by Climate Change?
December 14, 2009
More acidic oceans may produce jumbo-size lobsters, crabs, and shrimp, according to a new study. But seafood lovers shouldn't start celebrating just yet.
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Bears Go Bald at Zoo; Experts Stumped
December 14, 2009
Three spectacled bears at Germany's Leipzig Zoo have mysteriously lost their fur, and no one knows why they developed the non-life-threatening condition.
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