All Stories by Jake Buehler
-
LifeAround 13,000 years ago, humans and fire changed LA’s ecosystem forever
Rapid drying combined with human-made fires changed Southern California forever, killing off ancient bison, dire wolves and five other megafauna species there.
-
LifeMany frogs glow in blue light, and it may be a secret, eerie language
Biofluorescence is far more common across frog species than previously thought. The faint twilight glow could have a role in communication or mating.
-
AnimalsExplore the past, present and future of ‘Eight Bears’
The book invites readers to meet the eight species of bears left on Earth and looks at how humans are shaping their future, for better or for worse.
-
LifeRats sense the wind with antennae-like whiskers above their eyes
Long, thin whiskers above rats’ eyes appear to sense faint air movement, which may be helpful for detecting moving threats in dark, narrow corridors.
-
LifeNew fossils from Patagonia may rewrite the history of duck-billed dinosaurs
New findings are adding a wrinkle to researchers’ understanding of how duck-billed dinosaurs conquered the Cretaceous world.
-
LifeSpiny mice have armadillo-like armor in their tails
CT scans revealed the bony plates in the rodents’ tails. The hidden armor may protect against attacking predators or other spiny mice.
-
AnimalsA 2,200-year-old poop time capsule reveals secrets of the Andean condor
Guano that has accumulated in a cliffside Andean condor nest for 2,200 years reveals how the now-vulnerable birds responded to a changing environment.
-
LifeComb jellies have a bizarre nervous system unlike any other animal
A 3-D map of the comb jelly “nerve net” reveals fused neurons that lack the space, or synapses, most neurons use to communicate. Did it evolve independently?
-
LifeT. rex may have had lips like a modern lizard’s
Dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus have long been portrayed as lipless, but new research suggests this wasn’t so.
-
AnimalsVolcanic sulfur may make barn owls grow redder feathers
Barn owls on volcanic islands tend to have redder plumage than those on nonvolcanic islands, possibly due to an influx of sulfur in the environment.
-
AnimalsThe fastest claw in the sea belongs to young snapping shrimp
When juveniles snap their claws shut to create imploding bubbles, they create the fastest accelerating underwater movements of any reusable body part.
-
LifeMammals that live in groups may live longer, longevity research suggests
An analysis of nearly 1,000 mammal species reveals that the evolution of mammals’ social lives and life spans could be linked.