Live Science
Live Science
Articles from Live Science
livescience.comCity birds appear to like men more than women, but experts have no idea why
Despite being surrounded by a multitude of people, urban birds may be picky about who can approach them, new research suggests. After surveying over 37 city bird species in five European countries, experts found that the avians fled sooner when approached by women than by men.
'I'm more hopeful that birds can endure than maybe even our own species'
In a new book, paleontologist Steve Brusatte tells the wild story of how birds evolved during the Jurassic and took to the skies, surviving the asteroid strike that killed their fellow dinosaurs.
Bruce the parrot is missing his upper beak — but that hasn't stopped him from becoming an undefeated jousting champion
Bruce the parrot uses his injured beak to win competitions with other male parrots. (Image credit: Alex Grabham) A New Zealand parrot that's missing the entire top half of its beak has developed a unique jousting technique to attain top social status, researchers report in a new study.
Can chickens really run around with their heads cut off?
There's lore about chickens surviving from seconds to months after their heads are chopped off, but what does the science say?
Naked mole rats wage bloody wars of succession to choose a new queen — but one colony did something scientists have never seen before
When their queen dies, naked mole rat females usually wage bloody battles of succession. But peace may be possible, a new study suggests
New study confirms lobsters feel pain, driving scientists to call for a ban on boiling them alive
A new study adds to the growing body of evidence that lobsters feel pain, with the crustaceans seemingly responding to electrical shocks with emotional distress.
'More questions than answers': Experts baffled by Alaskan mammal-eating orcas spotted near Seattle
Three orcas from Alaska surfaced in the waters between Washington state and Canada in March, an area where they've never been documented.
Chimpanzees in Uganda are locked in a deadly 'civil war' after their group split apart — and scientists don't know why
The first well-observed "civil war" in wild chimpanzees reveals that shifting social ties alone can fracture a group, igniting deadly conflict between former friends.
World's fattest parrot — on the verge of extinction 30 years ago — has record-breaking breeding season
Conservationists are celebrating the 105th kākāpō chick to hatch during the 2026 breeding season — the highest number reported since such records began 30 years ago.
Critically endangered hare spotted in surprising location for the first time in 40 years — but it was already dead
Scientists in China have announced the first confirmed sighting of the critically endangered Hainan hare in part of its native range in four decades, after spotting its completely flattened carcass on a roadside.
Watch sperm whale headbutt another for no apparent reason
Scientists have captured first-of-its-kind footage of a sperm whale violently headbutting another sperm whale out of the blue. Researchers filmed the clip with a drone during fieldwork off the Azores and Balearic Islands.
'Parasites of human societies': How did we end up so close to cats?
In the book "The Call of the Honeyguide," applied ecologist Rob Dunn explores mutually beneficial relationships between different species. But Dunn argues the relationship between humans and cats may force a rethink of what shape these mutualisms can take.
Bonobos are just as aggressive as chimps, but there's a key difference — the female bonobos
A new study of chimpanzee and bonobo groups at zoos reveals similar levels of aggression. However, scientists found stark sex-based differences between the species.
Birds are declining faster and faster in 3 US hotspots, new study finds
Researchers have revealed that North American birds are declining at an accelerating rate in three regional hotspots associated with intense agriculture.
Chewed-up orca fins on Russian beach point to cannibalism, and scientists say it may explain why some pods are so tight-knit
Detached orca fins scored with distinctive tooth marks suggest that killer whale cannibalism is happening — and it might explain some complex orca societies.
Prehistoric water-dwelling weirdo with sideways teeth and a twisted jaw was already a 'living fossil' 275 million years ago
Scientists have described Tanyka amnicola, a newly identified species of prehistoric creature that lived 275 million years ago and had a bizarre twisted jaw with sideways-facing teeth.
Every ant is a queen in this parasitic species — and they reproduce by cloning themselves and hijacking other ant colonies
A rare Japanese ant is the only species known to lack female workers and males; all of its young develop into parasitic queens that try to take over other colonies.
'We're starting to find a lot more weirdness': These strange animals can control their body heat
Some creatures can dramatically alter their internal temperature — a strategy called heterothermy — and outlast storms, floods and predators.
Kazakhstan plants tens of thousands of trees in giant effort to reintroduce tigers
Kazakhstan planted 37,000 seedlings and cuttings in South Balkhash last year to prepare for the return of its tigers, which disappeared more than 70 years ago.
Scientists find genetic 'switch' in mice that turns caring dads into violent brutes
An African striped mouse father huddles with some of his pups. (Image credit: C. Todd Reichart / Princeton University (Department of Molecular Biology)) Flipping a single genetic switch can make doting dads attack their offspring, at least in African striped mice, new research suggests.
Snakes keep evolving into cannibals — here's what scientists think is going on
A review of over 500 reports of cannibalistic behavior in snakes finds it's appeared multiple times in different evolutionary lineages, leading researchers to hypothesize it's beneficial for snakes.
Extraordinary photo captures first appearance of Siberian peregrine falcon in Australia's arid center
The Siberian peregrine falcon captured on camera by ecologist Tim Henderson over Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary near Alice Springs in central Australia.
Kanzi the bonobo could play pretend — a trait thought unique to humans
Past anecdotal observations have hinted that great apes play pretend. But now, experimental research shows that our closest living relatives can keep track of imaginary objects.
Saltwater crocodiles crossed the Indian Ocean to reach the Seychelles — before humans arrived and wiped them out
New study finds saltwater crocodiles used to be in a lot more places than they are today. Saltwater crocodiles used to occupy a massive range that stretched across the Indian Ocean to the Seychelles, new DNA research confirms.
Spotted lanternflies are invading the US. They may have gotten their evolutionary superpowers in China's cities.
The alarming spread of spotted lanternflies across the U.S. has been made possible by cities acting as evolutionary incubators, fine-tuning the insects and enabling them to thrive.
City birds appear to like men more than women, but experts have no idea why
Despite being surrounded by a multitude of people, urban birds may be picky about who can approach them, new research suggests. After surveying over 37 city bird species in five European countries, experts found that the avians fled sooner when approached by women than by men.
'I'm more hopeful that birds can endure than maybe even our own species'
In a new book, paleontologist Steve Brusatte tells the wild story of how birds evolved during the Jurassic and took to the skies, surviving the asteroid strike that killed their fellow dinosaurs.
Bruce the parrot is missing his upper beak — but that hasn't stopped him from becoming an undefeated jousting champion
Bruce the parrot uses his injured beak to win competitions with other male parrots. (Image credit: Alex Grabham) A New Zealand parrot that's missing the entire top half of its beak has developed a unique jousting technique to attain top social status, researchers report in a new study.
Can chickens really run around with their heads cut off?
There's lore about chickens surviving from seconds to months after their heads are chopped off, but what does the science say?
Naked mole rats wage bloody wars of succession to choose a new queen — but one colony did something scientists have never seen before
When their queen dies, naked mole rat females usually wage bloody battles of succession. But peace may be possible, a new study suggests
New study confirms lobsters feel pain, driving scientists to call for a ban on boiling them alive
A new study adds to the growing body of evidence that lobsters feel pain, with the crustaceans seemingly responding to electrical shocks with emotional distress.
'More questions than answers': Experts baffled by Alaskan mammal-eating orcas spotted near Seattle
Three orcas from Alaska surfaced in the waters between Washington state and Canada in March, an area where they've never been documented.
Chimpanzees in Uganda are locked in a deadly 'civil war' after their group split apart — and scientists don't know why
The first well-observed "civil war" in wild chimpanzees reveals that shifting social ties alone can fracture a group, igniting deadly conflict between former friends.
World's fattest parrot — on the verge of extinction 30 years ago — has record-breaking breeding season
Conservationists are celebrating the 105th kākāpō chick to hatch during the 2026 breeding season — the highest number reported since such records began 30 years ago.
Critically endangered hare spotted in surprising location for the first time in 40 years — but it was already dead
Scientists in China have announced the first confirmed sighting of the critically endangered Hainan hare in part of its native range in four decades, after spotting its completely flattened carcass on a roadside.
Watch sperm whale headbutt another for no apparent reason
Scientists have captured first-of-its-kind footage of a sperm whale violently headbutting another sperm whale out of the blue. Researchers filmed the clip with a drone during fieldwork off the Azores and Balearic Islands.
'Parasites of human societies': How did we end up so close to cats?
In the book "The Call of the Honeyguide," applied ecologist Rob Dunn explores mutually beneficial relationships between different species. But Dunn argues the relationship between humans and cats may force a rethink of what shape these mutualisms can take.
Bonobos are just as aggressive as chimps, but there's a key difference — the female bonobos
A new study of chimpanzee and bonobo groups at zoos reveals similar levels of aggression. However, scientists found stark sex-based differences between the species.
Birds are declining faster and faster in 3 US hotspots, new study finds
Researchers have revealed that North American birds are declining at an accelerating rate in three regional hotspots associated with intense agriculture.
Chewed-up orca fins on Russian beach point to cannibalism, and scientists say it may explain why some pods are so tight-knit
Detached orca fins scored with distinctive tooth marks suggest that killer whale cannibalism is happening — and it might explain some complex orca societies.
Prehistoric water-dwelling weirdo with sideways teeth and a twisted jaw was already a 'living fossil' 275 million years ago
Scientists have described Tanyka amnicola, a newly identified species of prehistoric creature that lived 275 million years ago and had a bizarre twisted jaw with sideways-facing teeth.
Every ant is a queen in this parasitic species — and they reproduce by cloning themselves and hijacking other ant colonies
A rare Japanese ant is the only species known to lack female workers and males; all of its young develop into parasitic queens that try to take over other colonies.
'We're starting to find a lot more weirdness': These strange animals can control their body heat
Some creatures can dramatically alter their internal temperature — a strategy called heterothermy — and outlast storms, floods and predators.
Kazakhstan plants tens of thousands of trees in giant effort to reintroduce tigers
Kazakhstan planted 37,000 seedlings and cuttings in South Balkhash last year to prepare for the return of its tigers, which disappeared more than 70 years ago.
Scientists find genetic 'switch' in mice that turns caring dads into violent brutes
An African striped mouse father huddles with some of his pups. (Image credit: C. Todd Reichart / Princeton University (Department of Molecular Biology)) Flipping a single genetic switch can make doting dads attack their offspring, at least in African striped mice, new research suggests.
Snakes keep evolving into cannibals — here's what scientists think is going on
A review of over 500 reports of cannibalistic behavior in snakes finds it's appeared multiple times in different evolutionary lineages, leading researchers to hypothesize it's beneficial for snakes.
Extraordinary photo captures first appearance of Siberian peregrine falcon in Australia's arid center
The Siberian peregrine falcon captured on camera by ecologist Tim Henderson over Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary near Alice Springs in central Australia.
Kanzi the bonobo could play pretend — a trait thought unique to humans
Past anecdotal observations have hinted that great apes play pretend. But now, experimental research shows that our closest living relatives can keep track of imaginary objects.
Saltwater crocodiles crossed the Indian Ocean to reach the Seychelles — before humans arrived and wiped them out
New study finds saltwater crocodiles used to be in a lot more places than they are today. Saltwater crocodiles used to occupy a massive range that stretched across the Indian Ocean to the Seychelles, new DNA research confirms.
Spotted lanternflies are invading the US. They may have gotten their evolutionary superpowers in China's cities.
The alarming spread of spotted lanternflies across the U.S. has been made possible by cities acting as evolutionary incubators, fine-tuning the insects and enabling them to thrive.
1