Love, Sex, and Cyanide—The Private Life of a Toxic Butterfly
Heliconian butterflies choose mates with similar wing patterns. Their genes make them do it.
Protecting Food’s Wild Relatives
The wild ancestors of coffee and other vital crops are at risk, leaving much of the world's food supply vulnerable to catastrophe.
Buzzing In at the “Bee & Bee”
City gardens and hotel rooftops can serve as refuges—and food corridors—for the troubled species.
When Endangered Wildlife Gets Inbred
The endangered eastern lowland gorilla populations are now so small that the species is facing a new threat: loss of genetic diversity.
Give These Adorable Seals More Privacy!
When viewing boats come too close, seals and their pups stampede into the water. Scientists say it exhausts the animals.
When a Cultivated Tree Goes Rogue
The Callery pear was meant to help prevent fire blight from destroying the commercial pear industry. Then it became invasive.
The Accidental Invention of Terrariums
Victorian London became obsessed with Ward’s cases, which protected plants from the city’s toxic pollution—and piqued peoples’ imaginations.
Why Ancient Egyptians Loved Cats So Much
Ancient Egyptians' love of cats developed from an appreciation of their rodent-catching skills to revering them as sacred creatures.
