Animal science

A new study has examined the diets of the earliest dinosaurs and found them to be carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. But surprisingly, the ancestors of many of the most famous herbivores – like Triceratops and Brachiosaurus – originally ate meat.

Famous video of a thylacine in captivity may not depict the last member of the species after all, according to new research. Australian scientists have rediscovered the preserved remains of a later thylacine in the collection of a museum in Tasmania.

Paleontologists have discovered the fossil remains of one of the largest turtles that ever lived. Measuring about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, it roamed the seas of Europe during the age of the dinosaurs.

Scientists studying the behavior of wild octopuses off the coast of Australia have made a strange discovery, with the creatures caught hurling silt, algae and even shells at one another in a rare example of animal throwing behavior.

The next time an inquisitive four-year-old asks how many ants there are on Earth, you can be ready to fire back a specific number. Researchers in Germany now have an answer to that question, as well as a follow-up: how much do they all weigh combined?

A new study has shed light on why elephants, one of the biggest animals on the planet, paradoxically experience unusually low rates of cancer. The research found these remarkable mammals carry unique genetic variants that reduce their risk of tumors.

A new review article suggests insects have the capacity to experience pain. The research summarizes the latest behavioral and molecular science and concludes pain states in insects could have ethical implications for current farming practices.

Two new studies collected air samples from zoos and demonstrated the ability to identify a range of animals living there from their airborne DNA. This could eventually be used as a non-invasive way to track biodiversity.

Scientists have discovered fossils of a new species of aquatic reptile that may be the first giant animal that ever lived on Earth. Cymbospondylus youngorum is a new type of ichthyosaur dating back to the early stages of the Age of Dinosaurs.

It's been 3.5 billion years since life kicked off on this planet, but the animal kingdom continues to amaze. This year we've been treated to tool making cockatoos, self-decapitating sea slugs and a chameleon not much bigger than a fingernail.

Galapagos giant tortoises are some of the longest-living animals on Earth, but how do they pull off the feat? A new study has examined the genome of the species and found duplicate genes that may protect them from aging-related diseases like cancer.

Our mental images of the extinct thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, are tinged in greyscale, since that’s the main way we’re used to seeing them. But now, one of the most famous videos of the animal, shot in 1933, has been professionally colorized in 4K.