Fossils hint at India’s crucial role in primate evolution
Remarkably preserved bones of rat-sized creatures excavated in an Indian coal mine may come from close relatives of the first primatelike animals, researchers say. A set of 25 arm, leg,…
Reef rehab could help threatened corals make a comeback
Coral reefs are bustling cities beneath tropical, sunlit waves. Thousands of colorful creatures click, dash and dart, as loud and fast-paced as citizens of any metropolis. Built up in tissue-thin…
Eyes offer window into brain’s timekeepers
The eyes may reveal whether the brain’s internal stopwatch runs fast or slow. Pupil size predicted whether a monkey would over- or underestimate a second, scientists report in the Nov.…
Too many stinkbugs spoil the wine
How many stressed-out stinkbugs does it take to spoil a batch of wine? More than three per grape cluster, new research says. Stinkbugs are a pest among vintners because of…
Cassini’s ring dive offers first close-up of Saturn’s cloud tops
Cassini has beamed back stunning images from the spacecraft’s daring dive between Saturn and its rings. The first closeup pictures of the planet’s atmosphere reveal peculiar threadlike clouds and puffy…
This sea snake looks like a banana and hunts like a Slinky
With its bright hue, this snake was bound to stand out sooner or later. A newly discovered subspecies of sea snake, Hydrophis platurus xanthos, has a narrow geographic range and…
Skeleton ignites debate over whether women were Viking warriors
Viking warriors have a historical reputation as tough guys, with an emphasis on testosterone. But scientists now say that DNA has unveiled a Viking warrior woman who was previously found…
Photons are caught behaving like superconducting electrons
Light is a fan of the buddy system. Photons, or particles of light, have been spotted swapping energy with partners. This chummy behavior resembles how electrons pair up in materials…