Stiff clubmoss (Lycopodium annotinum) in summer

The Many Unexpected Jobs of the Clubmoss Spore

The first working internal combustion machine debuted in 1807, powered by lycopodium powder, which is made of explosive plant spores.
Cheetah and cubs

Where Have All the Cheetahs Gone?

Disturbing news for cheetahs: a recent census reveals that populations have plummeted.
Wine corks

The Cork Oak Forests Want You to Drink More Wine

Corks come from a tree that is part of a unique ecosystem dependent on cork harvest for its survival.
Giant Squid attack

Giant Squid, Giant Secrets

Very little is known about the giant squid, which surely has added to the strange creature's mystique.
crab-eating macaque monkey

What Makes a Brain “Speech Ready?”

Can monkeys talk? According to new research, they could, if their brains would let them.
coconut crabs

The Curious Case of the Coconut Crab

Meet the coconut crab, the largest terrestrial invertebrate on Earth.
Blackfoot Albatross chick

The Strange Tale of the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program

In the 1960s, over seventy scientists and graduate students traveled to U.S. outlying islands as part of the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program.
Sumatran Tiger

Do Wildlife Corridors Work?

In Sumatra, a network of corridors linking endangered populations of orangutans, tigers, and other wildlife is under development.
A colorful map measures gravity anomalies around the Chicxulub crater

How We Know What Killed the Dinosaurs

How do we know that a meteor caused the extinction of the dinosaurs?
Iguanodons, Megalosaurus and Heliosaurus

Dinosaur Brains And Other Unusual Fossil Finds

How can anything besides bones remain from so many millions of years ago?