It’s not easy being a rodent in the U.S. Great Plains. Animals like black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are under constant threat of being preyed upon from land and air by predators that include hawks, eagles, and coyotes. To cope with this danger, the social animals are in constant communication, including via so-called “contagious” displays, in which…
Every week, embark with host Boyd Matson on an exploration of the latest discoveries and interviews with some of the most fascinating people on the planet, on National Geographic Weekend. Please check listings near you to find the best way to listen to National Geographic Weekend on radio, or listen below! Hour 1 – A dozen years ago, Pete Athans, nicknamed “Mr….
More than 400 shiny new species, ones completely unknown to science, have turned up in the Amazon rain forest, according to the latest report from the WWF. The list of novelties includes 45 orchids, a thumbnail-size frog (already highly endangered, with a Latin name that means “that may be lost”), an elusive lizard with a…
More than 400 shiny new species, ones completely unknown to science, have turned up in the Amazon rain forest, according to the latest report from the WWF. The list of novelties includes 45 orchids, a thumbnail-size frog (already highly endangered, with a Latin name that means “that may be lost”), an elusive lizard with a…
By systematically combing through 90 years of breeding records from the San Diego Zoo, scientists discovered mammals can “choose” the sex of their offspring, a new study says. Tracing zoo birth records through three generations, the researchers found evidence for a decades-old theory of evolutionary biology: Mammals rely on some unknown physiological mechanism to manipulate the…
When I mention the word “organismal” to college-aged or graduate students in biological disciplines, many look at me crazier than fellow graduate students in non-science disciplines did several years ago. When I was applying to graduate school I was pretty naive, but I knew that I, at least, wanted to attend a program offering coursework…
When I mention the word “organismal” to college-aged or graduate students in biological disciplines, many look at me crazier than fellow graduate students in non-science disciplines did several years ago. When I was applying to graduate school I was pretty naive, but I knew that I, at least, wanted to attend a program offering coursework…