Animal Life news stories

Catastrophe might have created the first ant farms
4th October 2024 cosmosmagazine.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth

When an asteroid slammed into Earth 66 million years ago, it caused a mass extinction. Now, researchers have evidence that this catastrophe ushered in the invention of agriculture by ants. See the paper here.

Bottlenose dolphins do smile during play
3rd October 2024 cosmosmagazine.com | Animal Life, Humans

Humans use smiles and laughter to communicate playfulness. Now, the behaviour has been confirmed in a species of dolphin, too. The research is published in the journal iScience.

Evolution of mammal features started earlier than thought
30th September 2024 cosmosmagazine.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth

Fossils found in Brazil are leading palaeontologists to re-write the evolution of mammals…The findings are detailed in a paper published in Nature.

Pollen allergies drove woolly mammoths to extinction, study claims
26th September 2024 | livescience.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth

A boom in vegetation at the end of the last ice age may have created so much pollen, it blocked mammoths’ sense of smell. A new study suggests this drove the beasts to extinction, but not everyone agrees.

Octopus-fish hunting clubs: no despots, some punching
24th September 2024 cosmosmagazine.com | Animal Life, Weird

Despite being a solitary creature, the day octopus (Octopus cyanea) has sometimes been spotted hunting with inter-species groups of fish. Scientists assumed that the octopus is in charge of the hunting pack, but a new study finds that influence is actually shared around, depending on the situation.

Scientists explore origins of horseback riding through human skeletons
23rd September 2024 phys.org | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

In a new study, the team drew on a wide range of evidence—from medical studies of modern equestrians to records of human remains across thousands of years.

Obscure pre-dinosaur ecosystem in the US revealed in 320-million-year-old fossils
22nd September 2024 cosmosmagazine.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Earth

A newly discovered fossil site in the northeast US provides a glimpse into an ancient ecosystem nearly 100 million years older than the first dinosaurs. The exceptionally well-preserved find is described in Nature Communications.

People in Scandinavia may have used boats made of animal skins to hunt and trade 5,000 years ago
22nd September 2024 | livescience.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

Known as the Pitted Ware Culture (PWC), this waterfaring Neolithic group of hunter-gatherers lived in Scandinavia between 3500 and 2300 B.C., according to the study, published Aug. 26 in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology.

Fossils of an extinct animal may have inspired this cave art drawing
19th September 2024 | sciencenews.org | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

African rock art depicting a mythical tusked creature may mirror the look of fossils of real-life ancient mammal relatives called dicynodonts. See the study here.

Self-medicating gorillas may hold new drugs clues
12th September 2024 | bbc.co.uk | Animal Life, Earth, Humans

Researchers in Gabon studied tropical plants eaten by wild gorillas – and used also by local human healers – identifying four with medicinal effects. Laboratory studies revealed the plants were high in antioxidants and antimicrobials. One showed promise in fighting superbugs. The research is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Cannabis Revealed to Have Anti-Aging Effect in The Brains of Mice
10th September 2024 | sciencealert.com | Animal Life, Humans, Misc.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active ingredient in cannabis, has been shown to reverse conventional signs of brain aging in mice – a discovery that could help in finding ways to keep our brains healthier and sharper for longer as we get older. The research has been published in ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science.

How collagen survives for millions of years finally explained
5th September 2024 cosmosmagazine.com | Ancient, Animal Life

Fragments of the protein collagen have been found preserved in dinosaur fossils 80 million to 195 million years old. But this shouldn’t be possible…A new study in ACS Central Science has described the protective chemistry responsible for collagen’s extraordinary longevity.

‘Closer than people think’: Woolly mammoth ‘de-extinction’ is nearing reality — and we have no idea what happens next
2nd September 2024 | livescience.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans, Tech

Scientists are getting very close to bringing a few iconic species, like woolly mammoths and dodos, back from extinction. That may not be a good thing.

Humans can communicate with dogs using soundboards, study suggests
29th August 2024 | theguardian.com | Animal Life, Humans

Study described as ‘necessary first step’ in discovering whether dogs and humans can use push-button devices to communicate.

Environmental policy in Brazil leads to less violence, researchers find
29th August 2024 phys.org | Animal Life, Earth, Humans

A study by researchers from the Insper Research Institute in São Paulo and the University of Bonn now shows an interesting side effect: where the measures were implemented, not only did deforestation decrease, but so did the number of homicides.

Dodos were fast and powerful, not slow and inept, definitive preserved specimen suggests
20th August 2024 | livescience.com | Ancient, Animal Life, Humans

A new study has cleared up misconceptions about the extinct dodo, identifying the reference specimen for the species and showing they were fast and powerful.

News stories covering Animal Science, bacterial life, DNA.