Take my enemy, please
Relocated kangaroo rats can thrive when territorial rivals move with them
Stephens’ kangaroo rats relocated to this new habitat were more likely to survive and have more pups when moved with their dear familiar enemies.Ken Bohn, San [...]
Food makes male flies frisky
Courtship in a classic lab insect is driven by fruity smells
It’s the smell of food that gets male fruit flies in the romantic mood, says a new study exploring the sexual habits of Drosophila melanogaster.
When trying to woo an attractive [...]
5 Reasons Parasites are Beneficial to the Earth
Parasites get a bad rap. By definition, parasites form a relationship that’s characterized by exploitation and dependence. They take advantage of their often-unwitting hosts’ hospitality, often leaving them sick and malnourished [...]
DEET confuses mosquitoes
The insect repellant DEET keeps mosquitoes away by altering scent information picked up by the biting bugs. Credit: CDC.gov
DEET is an insect repellant that fights biting backyard bugs like ticks, chiggers and mosquitoes. A DEET-treated arm [...]
Salamander Study Enlists New York City Seventh Graders
Students from Mark Twain I.S. 239 studied salamanders on Staten Island this week.
“Be careful!” shouted a seventh grader from Coney Island’s Mark Twain Intermediate School 239 for the Gifted and Talented.
“Don’t grab him by the [...]
Small Fixes: Poisoned Nectar Is a Double-Edged Delicacy for Mosquitoes
On what food do mosquitoes live? Orgiastic gouts of human blood that distend their abdomens and render them almost unable to move — right?
Well, actually, no.
The winners of NCSE’s bumper sticker contest
We asked you to submit your ideas for a new NCSE bumper sticker, to speak loud, speak proud, for evolution — and by golly you did.
NCSE (National Center for Science Eduction) headquarters was flooded with almost 550 entries from almost 150 [...]
Lizard fossil provides the missing link in snake origins
There is evidence that the body shapes of snakes and limbless lizards evolved independently
Genetic studies suggest that snakes are related to monitor lizards and iguanas, while their anatomy points to amphisbaenians (‘worm lizards’), [...]
Oldest Flying Insect Imprint Found
Mayfly Captured in Flight 300 Million Years Ago. The oldest known full-body impression of a flying insect was preserved in 300 million-year-old sandstone.
Oldest known full-body impression of a flying insect
Some 312 million years ago, a mayfly [...]
America’s oldest known wild bird a new mother
The oldest known wild bird in the United States isn’t ready to strut into retirement just yet. She’s a mother — again.
The bird, a Laysan albatross named Wisdom, was spotted a few weeks ago with a chick at the Midway Atoll National [...]
