15 Most Popular News Stories

Top 15 as of November 22, 2009
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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.

November 19, 2009
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A new species of caecilian can survive on land with no nostrils, lungs, or legs, according to researchers who discovered the bizarre wormlike amphibian.

November 18, 2009
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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.

November 19, 2009
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"I'd be shocked if no life existed on Europa," one scientist says—and provocative new research suggests the moon's seas have enough oxygen for fishlike animals.

November 16, 2009
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Human bones, colorful murals, and illuminated manuscripts are just some of the treasures found in caves carved into steep cliffs in a remote corner of Nepal—and the sacred hoard could be linked to the real-world inspiration for the fictional paradise Shangri-La, experts say.

November 17, 2009
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Ancient Tibetan art and manuscripts recovered from caves carved into sheer cliffs could be linked to the fictional paradise Shangri-La, says the team that made the discovery.

November 17, 2009
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So the moon has water, we now know. But how did it get there? Scientists have three key theories—and one wild one.

November 17, 2009
 

Scientists have unearthed the remains of an ancient crocodile that was as long as a city bus and as heavy as a small whale. The giant creature lived 110 million years ago in a river that once flowed through what is now the Sahara. Its jaws and teeth were so powerful it may have eaten small dinosaurs as well as fish.

October 25, 2001
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Five ancient crocodile ancestors, two previously unknown, have been uncovered in the Sahara by a National Geographic researcher and his team. The most imposing, BoarCroc, was 20 feet long with triple fangs and likely could have taken down a dinosaur.

November 19, 2009
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What could be the only footage of an actual human headshrinking ceremony in South America--which shows heads being boiled and dried--may be real, says an explorer in a new documentary. Warning: Video contains graphic images.

November 13, 2009
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Two advanced Japanese "samurai subs" have been found off Pearl Harbor—including a stealth aircraft-carrying submarine and a supersleek vessel engineered for utmost speed.

November 12, 2009
 

Global warming, or climate change, is a subject that shows no sign of cooling down. Here's the lowdown on why it's happening, what's causing it, and how it might change the planet. Includes photo gallery.

Updated June 14, 2007
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Supposed Maya predictions of the end of the world in 2012 have some people seriously scared. See what experts say about the unknown planet predicted to pummel Earth, the cataclysmic "galactic alignment," and more.

November 6, 2009
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The world's oceans, which normally gobble up carbon dioxide, are getting stuffed to the gills, according to the most thorough study to date of human-made carbon in the seas.

November 18, 2009
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The "lounge lizard" lifestyle helped a prehistoric goat adjust its growth and metabolism during lean times—but its energy-saving methods may have spelled its ultimate doom, a new study says.

November 16, 2009

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