Move over, armadillos. There’s a new bone-plated mammal in town
Mammals are a bit odd when it comes to bones. Rather than the bony plates and scales of crocodiles, turtles,…
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Butterfly tree of life reveals an origin in North America
About 100 million years ago, a group of trendsetting moths started flying during the day rather than at night, taking…
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For birds, blending in may result in more diversity
The saying “Birds of a feather flock together” is being given new meaning by a study published in the Philosophical…
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What is it good for? Absolutely one thing. Luna moths use their tails solely for bat evasion
In a pair of complementary studies, researchers take a close look at Luna moth (Actias luna) tails through the eyes…
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A hard pillbug to swallow: First X-rays of frog feeding show how they consume prey
The phrase “to swallow one’s tongue” has been around since at least the 1880s and has been repurposed in several…
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Ferns finally get a genome, revealing a history of DNA hoarding and kleptomania
Ferns are notorious for containing massive amounts of DNA and an excessively large number of chromosomes. Defying all expectations, a…
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Frog forelimbs may be adapted for love and war as well as jumping
Hold out your arm with your palm facing downward. Now rotate your hand 90 degrees to give a thumbs-up without…
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Plants that pull nitrogen from thin air thrive in arid environments
After a comprehensive study of plants across the United States, researchers have arrived at the unexpected conclusion that plants able…
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Moths enlist additional troops in an evolutionary arms race
While a clear night sky might seem quiet and peaceful to us, empty of everything but stars, this nocturnal world…
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New hawk moth species are among the smallest ever discovered
Hawk moths are known for being some of the largest night fliers in the insect world. With wingspans of more…
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