Mental Floss

BIOLOGY

Robert Boessenecker

The animal lived off the coast of what is now Washington state about 10 million years ago and probably fished like seals do, relying on the power of its oversized eyes to track its prey.

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The brain is arguably the one organ that makes you who you are—and the largest part of the brain is the neocortex.

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Countless scientists, naturalists, conservationists, and support staff have died in the pursuit of knowledge that could protect vulnerable places and species, and enable people to live safer, healthier lives.

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They may just save your life.

BMC Ecology via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 2.0

Whether Columbus crabs choose "inclusive" mating or monogamy depends on where they shack up.

Evan Maclean via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Primatologists noticed older bonobos grooming their kin from a distance, like a person holding a restaurant menu at arm’s length.

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Plant stems act like fiber-optic cables running light down to underground roots.

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Your spit can tell you much more about your health than whether you should be flossing.

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"Thirst neurons" activate when you drink, even though the liquid won't enter the blood for 10 to 20 minutes.

Steven G. Johnson via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Commerical fish populations are under threat.

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Cats have been using humans for thousands of years.

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In the past 500 years, cats have played a role in the demise of 63 species.

Tanaka S, Sagara H, Kunieda.

A new study suggests we could someday borrow the tardigrade’s resilience to use in our own flimsy bodies.

Matthew Kolmann // YouTube

Watching them do it is weirdly unsettling.

Nope, that's not a snake. It's a glass lizard.

If a limbless reptile like the one above crosses your path, it’s obviously a snake, right? Maybe not.

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The fruit and its wasp have been evolving together for millions of years.

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In 1835, Charles Darwin arrived at the island chain that would shape his theory of natural selection.

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A good reminder that not every life form is a fan of oxygen.

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One species has the lowest field metabolic rate ever recorded in a mammal.

Richard Bartz via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-2.5

Scientists have identified a cellular pathway in workers that makes them susceptible to their queen’s fertility-destroying pheromones.

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The same type of antibodies that cause illnesses like multiple sclerosis and lupus may also lead to a longer life.

Researchers were ready to fight a crab over rights to the mysterious prize.

Michael Ocampo via Flickr Creative Commons // CC BY 2.0

This tomato plant can sense and defend itself against invading plants.

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Researchers say these gases “affect our brain, mind, and behavior.”