Tubby 'mermaids' vanished from Chinese waters 2 decades ago, now declared extinct By Mindy Weisberger published 25 August 22 Dugongs, or sea cows, which are thought to have inspired tales of mythical mermaids, haven't been seen in Chinese waters since 2000.
Could extinct Tasmanian tigers be brought back from the dead? By Mindy Weisberger published 24 August 22 Thylacines, or Tasmanian tigers, have been extinct for nearly 100 years. But scientists say gene-editing technology could bring back this lost species.
Frogs: The largest group of amphibians By Patrick Pester published 23 August 22 Frogs and toads make up the largest and most diverse group of amphibians. The group includes thousands of species around the world, but many face extinction.
Orcas are attacking boats near Europe. It might be a fad. By Stephanie Pappas published 22 August 22 Orcas are snapping the rudders off boats near Europe, and it may be a cetacean fad.
Which animal has the largest brain relative to its body size? By Martin McGuigan published 22 August 22 Although bigger animals usually have bigger brains, this isn't a perfect measure of their intelligence.
Why do cats 'play' with their prey? By Joanna Thompson published 20 August 22 Here's why cats 'play' with their prey before dealing the death blow.
10 Pokémon that resemble bizarre real-life animals By Harry Baker, Patrick Pester published 19 August 22 Many Pokémon designs are inspired by well-known animals, but these Pokémon are based on surprising creatures that not everyone has heard of.
Monkeys in Indonesia use rocks as 'sex toys' By Patrick Pester published 19 August 22 Long-tailed macaques in Indonesia use stones to masturbate, according to a new study that furthers researchers' understanding of the monkey "sex toy" hypothesis.
Amazonian 'zombie' fungus bursts through fly's body in grisly, contest-winning photo By Brandon Specktor published 19 August 22 A grisly photo of a dead fly blooming with mind-controlling fungus has won top prize in the second annual BMC Ecology and Evolution Image Competition
Megalodon was fastest swimming shark ever and could devour an orca in 5 bites, 3D model reveals By Harry Baker published 18 August 22 Researchers have created a 3D computer model of a megalodon shark based on fossilized teeth and vertebrae, giving us our best look yet at the ancient behemoths.
Giant 'kraken' carcass with dinner plate-size eyes washes ashore in South Africa By Nicoletta Lanese published 18 August 22 A huge giant squid carcass cropped up in Cape Town.
Wrinkly 'sac' with no anus probably isn't humans' earliest ancestor. (Thank goodness!) By Patrick Pester published 18 August 22 A Saccorhytus species that's been described as an "angry Minion" and a "wrinkly ball sack" isn't a human ancestor, according to a new study.
Beneath Greenland iceberg, scientists find a glowing snailfish with antifreeze coursing through its veins By Jennifer Nalewicki published 16 August 22 A glowing snailfish riddled with antifreeze protein was discovered in Greenland. The protein helps protect it from the cold.
Small, prickly dinosaur discovered in South America reveals an unknown lineage By Stephanie Pappas published 12 August 22 An armored dinosaur that weighed as much as a housecat has been discovered in South America. Though it resembles a primitive relative of ankylosaurus, it came from late in dinosaur history.
Sweet dreams, spidey: Arachnids experience REM sleep, and may even dream By Jennifer Nalewicki published 12 August 22 Spiders likely sleep and dream like humans do.
Not just tiny arms: T. rex also had super small eyes to accommodate its big bite By Nicoletta Lanese published 11 August 22 T. rex may have evolved thin eye sockets to help handle its bite force.
Most of Florida's newly-hatched sea turtles are female. Why? By Patrick Pester published 10 August 22 Almost all sea turtle hatchlings are emerging from their eggs as females on some Florida beaches. What's going on?
Creepy deep-sea 'vanilla Vader' woodlouse is 25 times bigger than a land louse By Patrick Pester published 10 August 22 Scientists have identified a woodlouse relative — a 10-inch-long, creamy yellow critter called Bathynomus yucatanensis from deep in the Gulf of Mexico.
'Yoda' primates sing duets like opera stars By Jamie Carter published 8 August 22 Scientists recorded the intricate songs of the small, leaping primates on an Indonesian island.
Weird deep-sea worm looks like a luminous lump of spaghetti By Harry Baker published 5 August 22 A new video released by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) shows off 2012 footage of an unnamed species of spaghetti worm.
