Animals

Chimpanzees are humans' closest living relatives. But does much of their communication resembles ours? According to a new study published earlier this week in the journal Current Biology, chimpanzees gesture back-and-forth in a similar way to how humans take turns speaking. The research presents an intriguing possibility that this style of communication may have evolved before humans split off from great apes, and tells researchers more about how turn-taking evolved.

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On a rocky hillside in Colorado is a “mega den” of hundreds of rattlesnakes — along with cameras livestreaming the whole thing.

As a kid, Sabrina Imbler loved the ocean. They'd swim and snorkel, following around parrotfish in the water. Later, they tried to learn everything they could about the brightly-colored tropical fish – how some create a mucus cocoon at night to protect it from parasites, or how they help keep coral reefs healthy.

As they got older, their fascination with sea creatures only grew. Imbler released a collection of essays in 2022 called How Far The Light Reaches: A Life In Ten Sea Creatures. Each chapter focuses on a different marine species – from yeti crabs near hydrothermal vents in the deep sea to the morphing abilities of cuttlefish. Often, these creatures act as a mirror for Imbler to explore parts of their own identity.

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Illegal narcotics may be damaging marine wildlife. Sharks are swimming in drug tainted waters, ingesting cocaine according to scientists in Brazil.

In Canada, melting sea ice is forcing polar bears closer and closer to human populations, so scientists there are working on a program to track polar bears, tag them with GPS units and monitor their movement.

A researcher shares examples of deception in the animal kingdom.

Restoring the once plentiful oysters of New York City isn't an easy job. Scientists have been at it for more than a decade, but they’re still far from the goal of planting a billion of them.