Mammals are a vertebrate class (Mammalia) characterized by endothermy, hair or fur, and the presence of mammary glands that produce milk to nourish offspring. They possess a neocortex, three middle ear ossicles, and a single-boned lower jaw articulating with the squamosal bone. Most exhibit viviparity with complex placentation (except monotremes, which are oviparous) and show determinate growth with advanced parental care and social behaviors. Mammalian physiology includes high metabolic rates, a four-chambered heart, and differentiated dentition, supporting ecological diversification into terrestrial, aerial, and aquatic niches across nearly all biomes.
Cells have evolved careful checks to ensure DNA is copied only once, but how they switch on replication at the right moment has been the focus of a 30-year research question. New work from the Crick has recorded the missing ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 18, 2026
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There is evidence that nonhuman animals perceive the world, and how it unfolds in time, differently from humans and from each other. For example, certain beetles can see flickering in lights up to around 500 Hz, while in ...
For decades, biologists have known that hermit crabs forced to live in shells that are too small slow their growth. What wasn't clear was how they did it. New research suggests the answer isn't simply that the crabs eat less. ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 18, 2026
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Orangutans seek out plants with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties, new research shows. Based on 20 years of observations of orangutans in Indonesian Borneo, scientists assessed how often the animals ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 18, 2026
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143
For decades, scientists have been studying the cognition of great apes to understand how our own complex cognitive abilities evolved. Much of the research is based on the idea that if a particular ability—like using gestures ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2026
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69
If you've noticed more whales visiting local waters, you're not imagining it: Vancouver's gargantuan guests are here thanks to the season, great grub and conservation successes, researchers say.
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2026
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From sea lettuce adorning tidal pools and bull kelp left in windrows at the high tide line to towering underwater forests of giant kelp providing refuge and food for countless species, British Columbia's seaweeds are both ...
Ecology
Jun 17, 2026
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10
Husker scientists have developed a new swine influenza vaccination technique whose low cost and adaptability can greatly strengthen disease protection.
Biotechnology
Jun 17, 2026
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7
Fifteen countries signed a global declaration Wednesday aimed at combating illegal and destructive fishing with better data.
Ecology
Jun 17, 2026
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11
New Oxford University-led research reveals that bees can regulate their feeding to avoid overconsuming certain essential nutrients, and that honey bees make a specialist "baby food" that gives their larvae a better-balanced ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2026
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