biology

Following age-related complications, Sudan—the last male northern white rhinoceros alive—was euthanized by a team of vets in Kenya in March 2018. But his genetic material could still be used to help save the species.

Have you ever noticed that your fingers and toes get wrinkled when you’ve been soaking in water for a while?

The people of Maine fought hard for this emoji, and they want designers to get it right.

It sounds like science fiction, but it’s already happening.

Singing is woven into their DNA.

NOAA, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

They sport those floppy ears from the moment they hatch.

As biology has developed, some of our common plant and animal names have turned out to be pretty far off the mark.

The camera allows us a whale's-eye view of the life of a poorly understood species.

Some species stretch their tongues more than twice their body length.

Get to know the real-life researcher behind "Gorillas in the Mist," who was born on this day in 1932.

This self-soothing behavior is actually a pretty effective technique for temporarily calming pain signals to the brain. Here's how it works.

NOAA Fisheries Service scientists disentangle a young North Atlantic right whale off the coast Florida.

Getting tangled in lines and nets can be deadly for whales—and it's a global problem.

Diamonds aren't called "ice" because of their appearance.

Spiders do a lot more than spin webs.

You hear the term tossed about, but what does it really mean?

They get two meals in one.

It's the thinnest part of the skull … which is why Maori warriors crafted a special weapon to crush it.

The Cytomass Monitor can track the differences in a cell's weight on a second-to-second basis.

It's all part of the "oral size illusion."

The better question is, are you sure you really want to know the answer?

Remembering Sudan, the World's Last Male Northern White Rhino

Why Does My Skin Wrinkle in Water?

New Lobster Emoji Gets Updated After Mainers Noticed It Was Missing a Set of Legs

How Scientists Are Using Plant-Based DNA Barcodes to Bust Counterfeiters

Where Do Birds Get Their Songs?

Watch the First-Ever Footage of a Baby Dumbo Octopus

15 Confusing Plant and Animal Misnomers

Watch an Antarctic Minke Whale Feed in a First-of-Its-Kind Video

Slow Motion Is the Only Way to Appreciate a Chameleon’s Lightning-Fast Tongue

11 Primal Facts About Dian Fossey

Scientists May Have Found a Cure for Deadly White-Nose Syndrome in Bats

15 Dramatic Nature Illustrations by 19th-Century Scientist Ernst Haeckel

People Listen (and Remember) Better With Their Right Ears, Study Finds

Pigeons Are Secretly Brilliant Birds That Understand Space and Time, Study Finds

Why Is Your First Instinct After Hurting Your Finger to Put It in Your Mouth?

Meet the Biologists Who Rescue Whales Trapped in Fishing Gear

9 Essential Facts About Carbon

8 Ways Spiders Are Creepily Clever

What Is a GMO?

Nudibranchs, the Butterflies of the Sea, May Also Be Ruthless 'Kleptopredators'

8 Little Known Facts About the Temple

A New Scale Can Measure the Weight of a Single Cell

Why Do Holes Feel Larger With Your Tongue Than With Your Finger?

Why Do Female Spotted Hyenas Give Birth Through Their Pseudo-Penises?