Carnivores, in the context of the biological order Carnivora, comprise a diverse clade of mostly mammalian predators characterized by specialized dentition, particularly enlarged canines and carnassial teeth adapted for shearing flesh. Members of Carnivora include families such as Felidae, Canidae, Ursidae, Mustelidae, and others, exhibiting a wide range of dietary strategies from obligate carnivory to omnivory. They share morphological and physiological traits such as a generally well-developed sense of smell, often acute vision and hearing, and cranial and limb adaptations for hunting, scavenging, or opportunistic feeding, making the order ecologically pivotal as apex and mesopredators in many terrestrial and some aquatic ecosystems.
Humans trust dogs to help find missing people, and bees to pollinate their crops. But scientists still don't fully understand how these animals use their extraordinary sense of smell to locate the source of an odor.
Ecology
Aug 11, 2026
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How have selectively breeding dogs across decades and individual training shaped the way that dogs communicate? New from JNeurosci, researchers at Harvard University, led by Mélina Cordeau, sought to answer this question ...
Veterinary medicine
Aug 10, 2026
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A favorite toy or treat can become dangerous in an instant if it gets lodged in your pet's airway. Because choking is a terrifying emergency for pets and their owners, Dr. Christine Rutter, a clinical associate professor ...
Veterinary medicine
Aug 10, 2026
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Scientists—and dog lovers—have long known that dogs are remarkably good at interpreting our laughs, frowns and tears. But the biology behind this ability has remained largely unexplored until now. In a study published in ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 10, 2026
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We call them "man's best friend," and the evidence supports it. Dogs have been found buried alongside humans in graves dating back 14,000 years. They appear in ancient art from every continent, and they feature in the mythology, ...
Evolution
Aug 9, 2026
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Around 15 years ago, I created a Facebook page for my cat, Sandi. Friends thought it was weird. Today, social media accounts for cats attract millions of followers, cats travel in backpacks and strollers, and surveys consistently ...
Evolution
Aug 6, 2026
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Matt Walker couldn't pet a dog without sneezing—until he and other scientists used a gene editing technique to produce a hypoallergenic beagle named Bailey.
Biotechnology
Aug 5, 2026
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Living among large predatory carnivores could actually make you safer. A study published in the journal Current Biology found that pumas—wild cats also known as mountain lions, cougars or panthers—change deer behavior, leading ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 5, 2026
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28
Australia is now confronting an outbreak of a deadly bird flu strain. As of Monday, the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus had been detected in 78 wild birds across mainland Australia. Until now, there had been no evidence of a ...
Ecology
Aug 5, 2026
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11
The last time you had a cold sore, you might have fretted about how long it would hang around. Perhaps you avoided reflective surfaces. It's unlikely you worried about dying from it.
Plants & Animals
Aug 4, 2026
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