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Male common fruit fly (Drosophila Melanogaster) - about 2 mm long - sitting on a blade of grass with green foliage background
The Sex Appeal of Symmetric Songs
Female fruit flies assess the physical symmetry of male suitors through the songs they sing, a study claims.
The Sex Appeal of Symmetric Songs
The Sex Appeal of Symmetric Songs

Female fruit flies assess the physical symmetry of male suitors through the songs they sing, a study claims.

Female fruit flies assess the physical symmetry of male suitors through the songs they sing, a study claims.

behavior, evolution

Reconstruction of an indeterminate theropod running on lacustrine sediments during low water timespan
Car-Sized, Meat-Eating Dinosaur Could Run Faster Than Usain Bolt
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Dec 10, 2021 | 3 min read
A new analysis of fossil footprints suggests that the 2-meter-tall, 4- to 5-meter-long carnivores that left them could run nearly 45 kilometers per hour, bolstering the evidence that at least some dinosaurs were speedy, agile hunters.
a male musk duck
Talking Duck Stuns Animal Behavior Researcher
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Sep 5, 2021 | 7 min read
Leiden University’s Carel ten Cate tracked down 34-year-old duck recordings—and the man who made them—to verify that musk ducks are capable of vocal learning, an ability that hadn’t been thought to exist in waterfowl.
Wild water striders (Microvelia longipes) on a puddle. The animals with long third legs are the males; the others are females.
A Multipurpose Gene Facilitates the Evolution of an Animal Weapon
Viviane Callier | May 11, 2021 | 4 min read
A single gene called BMP11 regulates not only the size and proportions of a water strider’s massively long third legs, but also how it uses the limbs in fights.
Cuttlefish, cephalopod, mollusk, mollusca, animal behavior, marshmallow test, cognition, intelligence, evolution
Cuttlefish Delay Gratification, a Sign of Smarts
Asher Jones | Mar 5, 2021 | 8 min read
The cephalopods resisted temptation for up to 130 seconds to earn their favorite food, hinting at sophisticated cognitive abilities such as planning for the future.
Free Fallin’: How Scientists Study Unrestrained Insects
Amanda Heidt | Mar 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Researchers are pulling from video games, sports broadcasting, meteorology, and even missile guidance technology to better investigate how insects have mastered flight.
Infographic: VR, Radar, and Other Tricks for Studying Insects
Amanda Heidt | Mar 1, 2021 | 1 min read
Researchers are getting creative to understand flight behavior in the fast-moving and tiny animals.
ogre-faced spider Deinopis spinosa metatarsal trichobothria evolution senses hearing vibration sound
This Ogre-Faced Spider Can Hear Prey Through Its Legs
Katarina Zimmer | Oct 29, 2020 | 5 min read
The tropical net-casting spider Deinopis spinosa joins several other arachnid species that can hear sounds from afar without the help of a web, or even ears—an ability that aids its unique hunting tactics.
Ancient Beads Point to Far-Flung Relationships in Southern Africa
Shawna Williams | Jul 13, 2020 | 5 min read
An isotopic analysis of eggshell beads dating back more than 30,000 years indicates that they helped build networks that stretched for hundreds of kilometers.
Innovative Birds Face a Lower Risk of Extinction
Michael Graw | Jul 13, 2020 | 4 min read
Species that come up with new ways to find food may be more likely to survive in habitats disturbed by agriculture and other human activities.
How Squirrels Use Bird Chatter to Assess Safety
Shawna Williams | Jun 1, 2020 | 5 min read
An undergraduate research project finds the animals are tuned in to reassuring information from other species.
Image of the Day: Black Cats
Emily Makowski | Dec 19, 2019 | 2 min read
Melanism in felines is both helpful and harmful.
Single-Celled Organism Appears to Make Decisions
Ruth Williams | Dec 5, 2019 | 4 min read
The unicellular species Stentor roeseli performs a form of sequential decision-making to avoid irritating stimuli.
chimpanzee testes
Why Chimpanzees Have Big Testes, and Mandrills Have Small Ones
Katarina Zimmer | Apr 16, 2019 | 4 min read
For primates, males’ fancier ornaments are linked with smaller testes, according to a new comparative study.
Jumping Spiders Produce Milk to Feed Their Young
Diana Kwon | Nov 29, 2018 | 3 min read
Without access to their mothers’ milk, Toxeus magnus offspring die within the first 10 days of life.
Image of the Day: Swish Swish
Kerry Grens | Oct 16, 2018 | 1 min read
Animals’ tails swat away insects using both wind and whack.
New Caledonian Crows Build Tools From Mental Images, Not Lessons
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 29, 2018 | 2 min read
When it comes to tool making, the birds learn differently than humans.
After Relocation, an Endangered Species Stops Avoiding Predator Scents
Abby Olena, PhD | Jun 6, 2018 | 4 min read
Researchers find that conserving marsupials on a predator-free island dampens their avoidance behaviors, which could mean trouble for their reintroduction to mainland Australia.
Image of the Day: Black-Eyed Rage
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 6, 2018 | 1 min read
When defensive, guppies display a warning sign to their counterparts. 
Image of the Day: Cuddle Buddies
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 1, 2018 | 1 min read
Researchers studying macaques in Morocco find that socialization improves the monkeys’ odds of surviving the winter. 
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