Cormorants on a Guano Island

Are We Entering a New Golden Age of Guano?

A history of civilization could be written in fertilizers. And the history of guano—bird poop—tells us a lot about slavery, imperialism, and U.S. expansion.
Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton (the specimen AMNH 5027) at American Museum of Natural History.

An Asteroid Killed the Dinosaurs. Right?

What killed the dinosaurs? An asteroid wiped them out, right? New research suggests that even before that cataclysm, dinosaurs weren't doing so well.
Wildlife cams

Why We Can’t Turn Away from Wildlife Cams

Wildlife cams have steadily gained popularity among both scientists and casual observers. But viewers aren't always prepared for wildlife unscripted.
APOPO HeroRAT rat getting food reward

Dr. Nose: Disease-Detecting Animals

Belgian scientists are training rats to detect diseases. Other animals, including dogs, have a history of disease-detection.
Myanmar Mangroves

Why Myanmar Jailed Mangrove Activists

Activists in Myanmar took action against Mangrove deforestation. Why were they jailed?
Elk in Yellowstone National Park

National Parks Are Like Islands for Wildlife

There’s no doubt that national parks are good at getting people in touch with the natural world. But how good are they at conserving wildlife?
Fossil of Tullymonstrum gregarium, an extinct animal

The Tully Monster, Monstrous No More

The identity of the Tully monster, a 50-year-old paleontological mystery, has been solved.
Secretarybird with a snake, Masai Mara, Kenya

Meet the Secretary Bird, Snake Nemesis

If snakes have nightmares, they most likely include secretary birds (or secretarybirds)—so-called because the birds’ crests, when flattened against the head, ...
A young Carcinus maenas showing the common green colour

Invasive Species: Pro And Con

Are invasive species always bad? Maybe they aren’t, according to an increasingly common point of view among ecologists.
Honeybees pollenating pumpkin flower.

What’s In Your Honeybees?

Honeybees contribute an estimated $15 billion annually to the U.S. economy, but continue to be in very bad shape.