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Tuatara iconic New Zealand reptile shows chewing is not just for mammals

The tuatara, an iconic New Zealand reptile, chews its food in a way unlike any other animal on the planet – challenging the widespread perception that complex chewing ability is closely linked to high ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created May 29, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Seeing color traced back to genetic mutations

From the inside of our heads, it feels as if colors are intrinsic aspects of the outside world and our eyes are beautifully designed to see them. But we humans are merely sampling the possible ways of sensing the spectrum ...

Biology / Evolution

created May 21, 2012 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (11) | comments 4

Ancient sea reptile with gammy jaw suggests dinosaurs got arthritis too

Imagine having arthritis in your jaw bones... if they're over two meters long! A new study by scientists at the University of Bristol has found signs of a degenerative condition similar to human arthritis ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created May 15, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

First lizard genome sequenced

(PhysOrg.com) -- The green anole lizard is an agile and active creature, and so are elements of its genome. This genomic agility and other new clues have emerged from the full sequencing of the lizard's genome ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Aug 31, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Body temperatures of dinosaurs measured for the first time

(PhysOrg.com) -- Were dinosaurs slow and lumbering, or quick and agile? It depends largely on whether they were cold or warm blooded. When dinosaurs were first discovered in the mid-19th century, paleontologists ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Jun 23, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (14) | comments 8 | with audio podcast

First image of protein residue in 50 million year old reptile skin

(PhysOrg.com) -- The organic compounds surviving in fifty million year old fossilized reptile skin can be seen for the first time today, thanks to a stunning infra-red image produced by University of Manchester ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Mar 22, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 11 | with audio podcast

Squid and zebrafish cells inspire camouflaging smart materials

Researchers from the University of Bristol have created artificial muscles that can be transformed at the flick of a switch to mimic the remarkable camouflaging abilities of organisms such as squid and zebrafish.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created May 02, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Crocodiles ride ocean currents to travel the high seas

University of Queensland ecologists have unlocked the mystery of how salt-water crocodiles cross large stretches of the sea despite being poor swimmers - they like to surf.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Jun 04, 2010 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (10) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Dino-era sex riddle solved by new fossil find

(PhysOrg.com) -- The discovery of an ancient fossil, nicknamed 'Mrs T', has allowed scientists for the first time to sex pterodactyls – flying reptiles that lived alongside dinosaurs between 220-65 million ...

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Jan 20, 2011 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (14) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Giant snakes, fish among spectacular species found in Amazon

Spectacular species previously unknown to the outside world are being discovered in the Amazon rainforest at a rate of one every three days, environment group WWF said in a report published Tuesday.

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Oct 26, 2010 | popularity 5 / 5 (13) | comments 4

Secrets of the gecko foot help robot climb (w/ Video)

(PhysOrg.com) -- The science behind gecko toes holds the answer to a dry adhesive that provides an ideal grip for robot feet. Stanford mechanical engineer Mark Cutkosky is using the new material, based on ...

Technology / Engineering

created Aug 24, 2010 | popularity 4 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Mechanical engineers study snakes' sophisticated frictional properties to build more nimble rescue robots

Snakes! Love them or hate them, everyone can agree they are superb at sliding over complex terrain. Learning the slithery reptiles' tricks can provide valuable tips for designing rescue robots to help locate ...

Electronics / Robotics

created Feb 29, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Genetic sex determination let ancient species adapt to ocean life

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new analysis of extinct sea creatures suggests that the transition from egg-laying to live-born young opened up evolutionary pathways that allowed these ancient species to adapt to and thrive ...

Biology / Evolution

created Sep 16, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Ancient reptiles 'make tracks'

A new discovery of fossilized footprints reveals when reptiles first conquered dry land.

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Jul 29, 2010 | popularity 5 / 5 (9) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Oil sands digger uncovers dinosaur

A heavy equipment operator unearthed what appears to be a nearly complete plesiosaur while digging in Canada's oil sands, Syncrude announced Thursday.

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

created Nov 24, 2011 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (21) | comments 47