Live Science
Live Science
Articles from Live Science
livescience.com'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.
Grim photo captures polar bear mom and cubs resting in mud in summer heat
An image of polar bears napping along the Hudson Bay coast in Canada has been shortlisted for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Nuveen People's Choice Award 2026.
'System in flux': Scientists reveal what happened when wolves and cougars returned to Yellowstone
After wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park, cougars — that had only regained a foothold a few decades earlier — were able to coexist due to their diets changing and the varied landscape of the park, according to new research.
'Part of the evolutionary fabric of our societies': Same-sex sexual behavior in primates may be a survival strategy, study finds
A new study comparing 59 species of primates linked same-sex sexual behavior to scarce resources and more predators in socially complex species. The findings show diverse sexual behaviors are common — and likely beneficial in primates.
Shark attacks in Hawaii spike in October, and scientists think they know why
"Sharktober" — the spike in shark bite incidents off the west coast of North America during the fall — is real, and it seems to happen in Hawaii when tiger sharks give birth in the waters surrounding the islands, new research suggests.
Rock climbers in Italy accidentally discovered evidence of an 80 million-year-old sea turtle stampede
Rock climbers in Italy stumbled across evidence of what appears to be a sea turtle stampede that took place nearly 80 million years ago. Now, new research suggests these ancient marine reptiles were fleeing an earthquake.
Scientists baffled at mysterious ancient creature that doesn't fit on the tree of life as we know it
A bizarre ancient life-form, considered to be the first giant organism to live on land, may belong to a totally unknown branch of the tree of life, scientists say. These organisms were massive, with some species growing up to 26 feet (8 meters) tall and 3 feet (1 m) wide.
Coyote scrambles onto Alcatraz Island after perilous, never-before-seen swim
Prisoners on Alcatraz once risked the perilous waters in San Francisco Bay to escape the island's high-security prison. Now, a wily coyote has been filmed doing the opposite: swimming to Alcatraz Island for the first time.
Rare nocturnal parrots in New Zealand are breeding for the first time in 4 years — here's why
The critically endangered kakapo have entered their first breeding season in four years, officials report. (Image credit: Liu Yang/Getty Images) A critically endangered, flightless parrot species is breeding for the first time in four years in New Zealand, officials announced Jan. 6.
Did any cat breeds develop naturally?
Of the more than 600 million cats across the globe, less than 10% belong to a specific breed. But are these purebred cats the result of human intervention, or did some develop naturally? The answer is more complicated than it might seem. According to Leslie A.
Did reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone really cause an ecological cascade?
Over the last three decades, Yellowstone National Park has undergone an ecological cascade. As elk numbers fell, aspen and willow trees thrived. This, in turn, allowed beaver numbers to increase, creating new habitats for fish and birds.
Orcas are adopting terrifying new behaviors. Are they getting smarter?
In March 2019, researchers off the coast of southwestern Australia witnessed a gruesome scene: a dozen orcas ganging up on one of the biggest creatures on Earth to kill it. The orcas devoured huge chunks of flesh from the flanks of an adult blue whale, which died an hour later.
Last of its kind dodo relative spotted in a remote Samoan rainforest
The manumea, a critically endangered ground pigeon and one of the closest living dodo relatives, has been spotted multiple times in a remote Samoan rainforest.
Pumas in Patagonia started feasting on penguins — but now they're behaving strangely, a new study finds
Pumas in Patagonia are preying on penguins — and it's changing how the big cats interact with each other. The pumas in question reestablished themselves in an Argentinian national park that housed a penguin breeding colony — and the cats promptly began eating the birds.
Polar bears in southern Greenland are 'using jumping genes to rapidly rewrite their own DNA' to survive melting sea ice
Polar bears are threatened by climate change as the ice they hunt on melts. Temperature stress may be driving genetic mutations in polar bears in southern Greenland, a new study reports. The species is struggling in the face of a changing global climate .
Scientists finally sequence the vampire squid's huge genome, revealing secrets of the 'living fossil'
Scientists have sequenced the genome of t he vampire squid and discovered its chromosomes still resemble those of squids and cuttlefish, suggesting it has changed very little in millions of years.
Cassius the giant crocodile died from sepsis after 40-year-old dormant infection burst from 'abscess,' necropsy reveals
Cassius was an 18-foot-long saltwater crocodile living in captivity in Marineland Crocodile Park in Australia. He died last year at the age of about 120, and we finally know why.
Killer whales are teaming up with dolphins on salmon hunts, study finds — but not everyone agrees
Orcas living off the coast of British Columbia in Canada have been spotted hunting with dolphins and sharing scraps of salmon with them after making a kill.
'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.
Grim photo captures polar bear mom and cubs resting in mud in summer heat
An image of polar bears napping along the Hudson Bay coast in Canada has been shortlisted for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Nuveen People's Choice Award 2026.
'System in flux': Scientists reveal what happened when wolves and cougars returned to Yellowstone
After wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park, cougars — that had only regained a foothold a few decades earlier — were able to coexist due to their diets changing and the varied landscape of the park, according to new research.
'Part of the evolutionary fabric of our societies': Same-sex sexual behavior in primates may be a survival strategy, study finds
A new study comparing 59 species of primates linked same-sex sexual behavior to scarce resources and more predators in socially complex species. The findings show diverse sexual behaviors are common — and likely beneficial in primates.
Shark attacks in Hawaii spike in October, and scientists think they know why
"Sharktober" — the spike in shark bite incidents off the west coast of North America during the fall — is real, and it seems to happen in Hawaii when tiger sharks give birth in the waters surrounding the islands, new research suggests.
Rock climbers in Italy accidentally discovered evidence of an 80 million-year-old sea turtle stampede
Rock climbers in Italy stumbled across evidence of what appears to be a sea turtle stampede that took place nearly 80 million years ago. Now, new research suggests these ancient marine reptiles were fleeing an earthquake.
Scientists baffled at mysterious ancient creature that doesn't fit on the tree of life as we know it
A bizarre ancient life-form, considered to be the first giant organism to live on land, may belong to a totally unknown branch of the tree of life, scientists say. These organisms were massive, with some species growing up to 26 feet (8 meters) tall and 3 feet (1 m) wide.
Coyote scrambles onto Alcatraz Island after perilous, never-before-seen swim
Prisoners on Alcatraz once risked the perilous waters in San Francisco Bay to escape the island's high-security prison. Now, a wily coyote has been filmed doing the opposite: swimming to Alcatraz Island for the first time.
Rare nocturnal parrots in New Zealand are breeding for the first time in 4 years — here's why
The critically endangered kakapo have entered their first breeding season in four years, officials report. (Image credit: Liu Yang/Getty Images) A critically endangered, flightless parrot species is breeding for the first time in four years in New Zealand, officials announced Jan. 6.
Did any cat breeds develop naturally?
Of the more than 600 million cats across the globe, less than 10% belong to a specific breed. But are these purebred cats the result of human intervention, or did some develop naturally? The answer is more complicated than it might seem. According to Leslie A.
Did reintroducing Wolves to Yellowstone really cause an ecological cascade?
Over the last three decades, Yellowstone National Park has undergone an ecological cascade. As elk numbers fell, aspen and willow trees thrived. This, in turn, allowed beaver numbers to increase, creating new habitats for fish and birds.
Orcas are adopting terrifying new behaviors. Are they getting smarter?
In March 2019, researchers off the coast of southwestern Australia witnessed a gruesome scene: a dozen orcas ganging up on one of the biggest creatures on Earth to kill it. The orcas devoured huge chunks of flesh from the flanks of an adult blue whale, which died an hour later.
Last of its kind dodo relative spotted in a remote Samoan rainforest
The manumea, a critically endangered ground pigeon and one of the closest living dodo relatives, has been spotted multiple times in a remote Samoan rainforest.
Pumas in Patagonia started feasting on penguins — but now they're behaving strangely, a new study finds
Pumas in Patagonia are preying on penguins — and it's changing how the big cats interact with each other. The pumas in question reestablished themselves in an Argentinian national park that housed a penguin breeding colony — and the cats promptly began eating the birds.
Polar bears in southern Greenland are 'using jumping genes to rapidly rewrite their own DNA' to survive melting sea ice
Polar bears are threatened by climate change as the ice they hunt on melts. Temperature stress may be driving genetic mutations in polar bears in southern Greenland, a new study reports. The species is struggling in the face of a changing global climate .
Scientists finally sequence the vampire squid's huge genome, revealing secrets of the 'living fossil'
Scientists have sequenced the genome of t he vampire squid and discovered its chromosomes still resemble those of squids and cuttlefish, suggesting it has changed very little in millions of years.
Cassius the giant crocodile died from sepsis after 40-year-old dormant infection burst from 'abscess,' necropsy reveals
Cassius was an 18-foot-long saltwater crocodile living in captivity in Marineland Crocodile Park in Australia. He died last year at the age of about 120, and we finally know why.
Killer whales are teaming up with dolphins on salmon hunts, study finds — but not everyone agrees
Orcas living off the coast of British Columbia in Canada have been spotted hunting with dolphins and sharing scraps of salmon with them after making a kill.
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