animals

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Meet &#39;Earth&#39;s First Animal&#39;
 Meet 'Earth's First Animal' 
NEW STUDY
Feb 28, 2016 9:07 AM CST

Meet 'Earth's First Animal'

Sea sponges have been around for 640M years, says MIT study

(Newser) - Way before humans, sharks, or dinosaurs, the sea sponge was very likely the first animal on Earth. That's according to a PNAS study out of MIT concluding that a molecule in 640 million-year-old rocks came from the simple creature. Assuming the researchers are right, that means the multi-celled organisms...

Sloth Tries to Cross Road, Gets Save From Cop

Ecuadorian adventurer was in the wrong place at the wrong time

(Newser) - We all feel a little sluggish on Mondays, but the struggle was real for this sloth trying to cross a newly opened highway in Ecuador. Per Jalopnik , a transit cop found the creature—referred to locally as an "oso perezoso," or "lazy bear," WLS-TV notes—terrified...

Petco Drops Small-Animal Supplier After PETA Video

PETA went undercover, documented what it says is evidence of awful conditions

(Newser) - Petco, one of the biggest pet retailers in the country, severed its relationship with a Pennsylvania small-animal dealer amid a federal investigation into conditions at the facility where it keeps thousands of hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, and other species. Petco said in a statement Tuesday that Holmes Chinchilla Ranch and...

Scientists Uncover Clues About Giraffe&#39;s Long Neck
Scientists Uncover Clues About Giraffe's Long Neck
NEW STUDY
Oct 7, 2015 10:24 AM CDT

Scientists Uncover Clues About Giraffe's Long Neck

Evolutionary bursts occurred 7M and 1M years ago

(Newser) - In further proof that size matters, the giraffe likely developed a long neck so males could battle each other for mates. If you've ever seen a male giraffe whip its foes , you'll know the neck can be an nasty weapon, with the added benefit that giraffes can reach...

Test Can Detect Every Virus to Afflict Humans, Animals

Even uncommon viruses and ones present in low levels: scientists

(Newser) - A new test developed by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis may prove an invaluable aid to doctors who can't figure out what's wrong with their patients. The test, described in a study in the Genome Research journal, is able to detect, all at...

What the Dust in Your House Says About You

Our dust contains, on average, 9K unique species of microbes

(Newser) - Last year, volunteers mailed in dust samples taken from above interior and exterior door frames in 1,200 homes across the US as part of a citizen science project called Wild Life of Our Homes . Now, scientists are reporting in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B that our...

Chicago Zoo Accidentally Kills 54 Stingrays

Animals in shallow pool died from low oxygen levels

(Newser) - Officials say all 54 stingrays in a popular exhibit at a suburban Chicago zoo died because the oxygen levels in their tank dropped too low. The Chicago Zoological Society says the four southern stingrays and 50 cow-nose rays in the Brookfield Zoo exhibit were in a shallow pool that allows...

Why Seahorses Have 'Square' Tails

They help them grip coral and seaweed and protect from predator bites

(Newser) - A seahorse's tail is a bizarre one in the animal kingdom because it's square—or more precisely, it's made up of about three dozen "square plates," explains Gizmodo . Why? Researchers set out to discover just that with a method that sounds, well, pretty fun: They...

How This Bird Communicates Like Humans

Its calls show 'a very basic form of word generation': researcher

(Newser) - Scientists have discovered a talent never seen outside of humans in a small Australian bird: the ability to string sounds together to convey different meanings. Essentially, "it's a very basic form of word generation," researcher Andy Russell tells the BBC . The team started out by listening to...

The Surprising Animal Most Likely to Kill You

 The Surprising Animal 
 Most Likely to Kill You 
in case you missed it
Jun 21, 2015 7:59 AM CDT

The Surprising Animal Most Likely to Kill You

Give sharks a break: Bees are the real killers

(Newser) - Sharks are often considered one of humans' deadliest predators, partly because shark attacks like those this week in North Carolina and Florida are so well-publicized. As Christopher Ingraham at the Washington Post points out, it's all just a bunch of baloney. Data on animal-caused deaths in the US from...

'Killing Machine' Rebuilt After 1.5K Years

Ancient elevator raised animals into the Colosseum

(Newser) - Imagine seeing wild animals roar onto the field of your favorite stadium to maul prisoners or battle gladiators. Well, that was considered entertainment in ancient Rome—and now experts have reconstructed a wooden machine like ones that once raised leopards, bears, lions, and elephants into Rome's Colosseum, the Telegraph...

New Marsupial Mates to the Point of Death
 This Animal Mates 
 to the Point of Death 
in case you missed it
Jun 6, 2015 7:00 PM CDT

This Animal Mates to the Point of Death

It's actually a real threat to the species

(Newser) - The good news: Scientists have discovered two new species of dusky antechinus to add to the three others found in the last few years for a 50% boost in diversity among the Australian mammals. The bad news: Three of the new species are already threatened by climate change, feral animals,...

Rats Will Rescue Friends in Distress
 Rats Will Rescue 
 Friends in Distress 
study says
May 16, 2015 11:26 AM CDT

Rats Will Rescue Friends in Distress

One rat will open the door for another stuck in water

(Newser) - Rats may not have the best reputation, but a new study suggests that they're actually pretty good citizens. Researchers found that if a rat is in distress in water, another will save it, according to a post in Science Daily . Researchers put one rat in a pool of water...

Scientists Find Planet's Most Polluted Bird

Cooper's hawk found with higher levels of flame retardants than any other

(Newser) - The Vancouver area is home to what is thus far known to be our planet's most polluted wild bird. Researchers studying the livers of local birds of prey found that the Cooper's hawk was tainted with polybrominated diphenyl ethers, chemicals that function as flame retardants. Of the 13...

New Frog Species Looks Oddly Familiar
 New Frog 
 Species Looks 
 Oddly Familiar 
in case you missed it
Apr 25, 2015 7:29 AM CDT

New Frog Species Looks Oddly Familiar

Is that you, Kermit?

(Newser) - If a new frog species discovered in Costa Rica looks familiar to you, you're not alone. The Hyalinobatrachium dianae is causing quite a stir because of its resemblance to a certain Muppet, Mashable reports. Yes, Kermit has found a twin in this frog with bright green skin and bulging...

How Mozart Could Make Your Kitty's Spaying Safer

Research suggests classical music can ease feline stress on the operating table

(Newser) - Surgery isn't a calming experience—so it only makes sense that your cat would rather hear soothing strings than distorted guitars. In what has to be one of science's odder recent experiments, researchers in Portugal decided to pop a pair of headphones on a dozen cats while they...

Your Dog Forgot the Hug You Just Gave Him
 Your Dog Forgot the 
 Hug You Just Gave Him 
new study
Feb 27, 2015 8:42 AM CST

Your Dog Forgot the Hug You Just Gave Him

Study finds animals have short short-term memory spans

(Newser) - When it comes to short-term memory, animals have very short ones indeed. A new meta-analysis examined more than 90 memory experiments carried out on 25 species encompassing birds, mammals, and bees. Researchers at Stockholm University and Brooklyn College found that for dogs, events are forgotten after about two minutes—and...

Why It&#39;s Better to Eat Older Animals
Why It's Better
to Eat Older Animals
OPINION
Jan 21, 2015 12:09 PM CST

Why It's Better to Eat Older Animals

Advocate: They get to lead full lives, and the bonus for humans is better flavor

(Newser) - If you eat meat, it's a safe bet that you're eating young animals—those whose lives are measured in months rather than years, writes Eve Fox at Modern Farmer . That's because the meat is more tender, and tender is what sells. But Fox talks to author Adam...

At Meat Research Center, a Litany of Death, Suffering

'NY Times' investigation into center's activities yields disturbing results

(Newser) - For 50 years, a facility in Nebraska has focused on meat-industry improvements, from the eater's perspective: more meat, less fat, safer food. But at the same time, reports the New York Times in a lengthy investigation, the center has provided a site for minimally overseen and sometimes brutal experimentation...

Temperature Might Explain Zebras' Stripes

Researchers investigate continuing mystery

(Newser) - There are all kinds of explanations out there for why zebras have stripes, ranging from tricking lions to putting off bugs . A new study helps clarify the situation: Zebras' stripes appear to be linked to temperature, National Geographic reports. Zebras living in warmer temperatures have more stripes than their cousins...

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