The Myth of the Noble Racehorse
Despite all the whips and spurs involved, nineteenth-century Americans believed racehorses loved a little manly competition.
Are Insects Capable of Moral Behavior?
Some 19th-century naturalists believed that bugs could think and should therefore definitely know that biting is out of line.
Plant of the Month: The Sensitive Plant
This plant’s animal-like behavior and alleged love-provoking abilities have sparked the imagination of everyone from early modern yogis to today’s scientists.
Puffins Seen Using Tools, Breaking Dumb-Puffin Stereotypes
Reputed to be a less intelligent bird species, puffins have been observed scratching themselves with sticks.
The 1876 Map of the World’s Ecozones That Still Holds Up
The 19th-century naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace created a visualization that tied different species to specific regions of the world.
Take These Teenage Dinosaurs Seriously!
Paleontologists recently solved the riddle of whether two fossil specimens were young T. rexes or a whole different species.
Bulldozers Versus Biodiversity, Then and Now
Trump's border wall threatens habitats in Arizona's Sonoran Desert. What happened when the area was bulldozed in the 1950s?
The Thick-Billed Parrot Is Not Extinct–Not Yet
But one hasn't been seen in the U.S. since 1995, not long after the end of the last reintroduction program.
Plant of the Month: Agave
The international popularity of tequila threatens the quantity, health, and biodiversity of all species of agave.
Stuck in the Midden with You
A midden is, among other things, a refuse site outside an octopus' home. (Release the Køkkenmødding!)