Impacts of colonisation on dingoes are ‘written in their bones’, new research finds
Dingoes are no ordinary dogs. They trace their roots back to an ancient Asian lineage and…
Some stinkbugs’ legs carry a mobile fungal garden
Many insect species hear using tympanal organs, membranes roughly resembling our eardrums but located on their…
Why do giraffes have such long legs? Animal simulations reveal a surprising answer
If you’ve ever wondered why the giraffe has such a long neck, the answer seems clear:…
Spiders inspired biologists to create artificial webs to capture airborne DNA for biodiversity monitoring
The global crisis of diminishing biological diversity is challenging our current ability to monitor changes in…
Whale and dolphin migrations are being disrupted by climate change
For millennia, some of the world’s largest filter-feeding whales, including humpbacks, fin whales, and blue whales,…
High-tech cameras capture the secrets of venomous snake bites
For more than 60 million years, venomous snakes have slithered across Earth. These ancient, chemical weapon-wielding…
AI heavyweights call for end to ‘superintelligence’ research
I have worked in AI for more than three decades, including with pioneers such as John…
Should humans colonise space? We asked 5 experts
For roughly 4.5 billion years, the Moon has kept Earth company. In the much shorter span…
Worried about turning 60? Science says that’s when many of us actually peak
As your youth fades further into the past, you may start to fear growing older. But…
And then there were none: Australia’s only shrew declared extinct
For many years the Christmas Island shrew prospered. When European naturalists first visited Christmas Island in…
Termite farmers fine-tune their weed control
Odontotermes obesus is one of the termite species that grows fungi, called Termitomyces, in their mounds….
What’s the difference between moths and butterflies? Look at their antennae
As the weather starts to warm in Australia, you might notice the pleasant flutter of butterflies…
Birds all over the world use the same sound to warn of threats
Language enables us to connect with each other and coordinate to achieve incredible feats. Our ability…
Many animals can reshape and shed their teeth – and now scientists have traced this ability back 380 million years
The first evidence of teeth in any vertebrate (back-boned animal) is in primitive armoured fishes called…
Warn, hide or stand out? How colour in the animal world is a battle for survival
The animal world is incredibly colourful, and behind this colour palette is a constant game of…
Fish ‘fingerprints’ in the ocean reveal which species are moving homes due to climate change
Species across the planet are on the move. Climate change has already caused more than 12,000…
How do flowers know it’s spring? A botanist explains
So most plants measure day length using a green pigment called phytochrome (literally plant colour). This…
Australia has some new marsupial species – but they’re already extinct
You are probably familiar with kangaroos. Wallabies too, and most likely quokkas as well. Less famous…
Research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed
DOI: Archaeometry, 2025. 10.1111/arcm.70030 (About DOIs). DOI: Journal of Medieval History, 2025. 10.1080/03044181.2025.2546884 (About DOIs). Snails…
See Earth’s seasons in all their complexity in a new animated map
The annual clock of the seasons – winter, spring, summer, autumn – is often taken as…
The discovery of an extinct shelduck highlights the rich ancient biodiversity of the remote Rēkohu Chatham Islands
Islands are natural laboratories where evolution can run rampant as plants and animals adapt to new…
Whales and dolphins regularly hang out with each other – new study
As the annual humpback whale migration is underway with thousands of whales passing by the Australian…
Rewilding leopard sharks in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago | 101 East #shorts
Leopard sharks were once abundant in the waters of Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, but commercial fishing…
This stone tool is over 1 million years old. How did its maker get to Sulawesi without a boat?
Our discovery also leads us to wonder what might have happened to Homo erectus on the…