New findings are indicating a commonly used herbicide appears to weaken the immune systems of insects. One mosquito experiment suggests the chemical can amplify insect susceptibility to parasitic infection, possibly increasing malaria transmission.

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Ordinarily, if biologists wish to confirm that an animal specimen represents a new species, they have to perform a dissection – essentially destroying it. Now, though, the task has been accomplished non-invasively, using MRI and CT scan technologies.

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All walking animals have something in common – their preferred walking speed is largely determined by what's known as "resonance." Bearing this in mind, scientists have calculated what may have been the default walking speed of Tyrannosaurus rex.

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Although adult stegosaurs reached lengths of up to 9 m (30 ft) they still started out as small as a cat, if a recently-found footprint is anything to go by. And what's more, they may have walked differently as babies.

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In order to stay warm on frigid winter days, small birds may do more than just fluff up their feathers. According to new research, they're actually able to make their blood run hotter, creating a sort of central heating system.

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Although the chest-beating of male gorillas is a common behaviour, its purpose still isn't entirely understood. Now, however, scientists believe it may serve as a means of acoustically indicating the size of the apes' bodies.

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When we think of camouflage, it’s usually a visual pattern. But how do you hide from a predator that uses sound to find food, like a bat? If you’re a firefly, it turns out you might resort to a cacophony of ultrasound that acts like “musical armor.”

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Scientists have created a synthetic single-celled organism that can divide and grow like a regular living cell. This breakthrough could lead to designer cells that can produce useful chemicals on demand or treat disease from inside the body.

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The whale shark and the manta ray are perhaps two of the ocean's most fascinating large fishes. Well, scientists have now announced the discovery of a prehistoric ancestor of both, that looked like a cross between the two.

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Just like a tree trunk, the tusk of the narwhal acquires a new growth ring every year. Analyses of those rings have now revealed some interesting facts about the animals' diet, and about changes in their environment.

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