The Scientist spoke to marine biologist Tim Lynch, who dusted off 25-year-old data from his PhD to figure out why olive sea snakes approach divers so often. He says the animals, especially the males, likely confuse people for potential mates.

A 12-year study shows variation among primate groups in how the animals clasp hands during grooming, but consistency within them, even as group membership shifts over time.

The hormone, which is well known for regulating appetite, appears to influence neuronal development—a finding that could shed light on disorders such as autism that involve dysfunctional synapse formation.

For the first time, scientists tracked large shark movements during hurricanes and found that tiger sharks may find the turmoil opportunistic for feeding.

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.

The Centenary University professor studies the far-reaching effects of changes in the gut bacteria of mosquitos and other species.

Researchers find that the animals can account for others’ behavior and circumstances in their strategies.

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.

Researchers across disciplines are adopting high-tech tools to better understand the kinematics and behaviors behind insect flight.

Researchers are pulling from video games, sports broadcasting, meteorology, and even missile guidance technology to better investigate how insects have mastered flight.

Researchers are getting creative to understand flight behavior in the fast-moving and tiny animals.

Pets asked by their owners to pick up an object attached to a mat they were sitting on understood they needed to move in order to complete the task, researchers report.

Directing an object on a screen to a target provided a tasty reward.

The review of more than two dozen studies finds aripiprazole has side effects and does not change core autism features, but parents report improvements in self-injury, tantrums, and other challenging behaviors.

Check out the optical illusion that researchers put before canines, finding that fido and master have opposite reactions.

Researchers are using visual tricks to try to better understand canine perception.

Researchers use optical illusions to investigate canine perception.

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.