megalodon shark

The Real-Life Meg

One of the many misconceptions about the ancient megalodon is that it was an extinct, larger ancestor of the great white shark.
Geranium

Why Victorian Gardeners Loathed Magenta

For decades, British and American gardeners avoided magenta flowers. The color had associations with the unnatural and the poisonous.
Crown shyness

The Mysteries of Crown Shyness

In some forests, trees grow in a manner that keeps their branches from touching one another. Despite decades of study, scientists aren't exactly sure why.
Close-Up Of Bees In Hive

Bees and the World-Wide Farming Web

Connections between beekeepers in the 17th and 18th centuries created the early “world-wide farming web”—a way to share information across long distances.
During late twilight in the Baobab trees

Africa’s Mighty Baobabs

Sub-Saharan Africa's iconic baobab trees are experiencing die-offs at an alarming rate. What makes these distinctive trees so unique?
Koko the Gorilla and mother Jackie

The Legacy of Koko the Gorilla

The jury is still out on whether or not Koko's signing skills proved that apes can learn language. But we certainly learned a lot from the famous gorilla.
A phasmid stick insect with egg

The Incredible Phasmid Egg

Stick insects have eggs that look exactly like seeds. Scientists can't figure out why these masters of camouflage would lay eggs that resemble bird snacks.
A pod of orcas swimming in the ocean

Do Dolphins and Orcas Really Kill Their Young?

Stunned marine biologists watched a young mother orca desperately trying to save her baby.
Busy beaver

The Busy, Beneficial Beaver

Americans have long viewed beavers as nuisances. But their dams are important for water management, helping to store and recharge depleted groundwater.
Glyptodon

Megafauna Memories?

Some folklorists have hypothesized that the mythical beasts and monsters of legend were actually inspired by shadowy collective memories of megafauna.