Lava Cave Minerals Actually Microbe Poop

Blue-green ooze in Hawaii and crunchy golden crusts in New Mexico are among newfound mats of microbial waste that could offer clues in the search for extraterrestrial life, scientists say.

"Dumbo," Other Deep-Sea Oddities Found

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Oil-eating tubeworms and 15-tentacled sea cucumbers are among the 5,000 deep-dwelling species identified by the Census of Marine Life, a ten-year effort to chronicle life in the deep ocean.

Piglet Squid, Other Bizarre Species Found

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A football octopod and a piglet squid are just a few of the bizarre deep-sea creatures uncovered during the ten-year Census of Marine Life, which ends in 2010.

CAVE PICTURES: Mineral Crusts, Ooze Found to Be Poop

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Butterscotch ooze, pink crusts, and blue-green goo are just some of the multicolored mineral deposits being excreted by cave-dwelling microbes, researchers have announced.

FIRST PICTURES: "Predator" Corals Eat Jellyfish

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Using stinging tentacles and wide mouths, large coral polyps in the Red Sea have, for the first time, been discovered eating jellyfish nearly as big as they are.

Worms' Paralysis Turned On and Off With Light

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Dr. Horrible, take note: A light-sensitive chemical fed to tiny worms called nematodes caused the creatures to "freeze" when zapped with ultraviolet light, a new study says.

5 "Oddball" Crocs Discovered, Including Dinosaur-Eater

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A "saber-toothed cat in armor" and a pancake-shaped predator are among five strange, dinosaur-era crocodile cousins discovered in the Sahara, archaeologists say. Meet BoarCroc, PancakeCroc, DuckCroc, RatCroc, and DogCroc.

STRANGE CROC PICTURES: New Dino-Eater, Galloper, More

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Fossils of five "oddball" crocodilian ancestors found in the Sahara suggest that the bizarre beasts ruled the southern landmass of Gondwana about a hundred million years ago, paleontologists say.

Katrina Damage Due to "Monumental" Neglect, Judge Rules

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Shoddy oversight by the Army Corps of Engineers led to massive flooding in Hurricane Katrina, a judge ruled Wednesday. The decision could cost the federal government up to two trillion dollars, one expert predicted before the ruling.

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