Animals

Photography social network Agora’s latest contest focused on animals in wild natural environments. Indonesian photographer Wibowo Rahardjo took out the top prize with a rare look at an orangutan risking attack from predators to grab a quick drink.

Most fossils are just bones, but occasionally striking specimens turn up bearing skin or feathers, encased in gemstones, and even preserving traces of DNA against all odds. Here's a look at some of the most incredible fossil finds of recent years.

It's already a well-known fact that on average, women live longer than men. A European study now indicates that the difference between male and female lifespans is even more pronounced in other types of mammals.

Scientists have already observed that rats will readily share food with other rats who are hungry. A new study now suggests that they do so not just based on what the other rat does, but also on how it smells.

The fossilized remains of the oldest known ancestor of almost every animal have been discovered. The creature, named Ikaria wariootia, is a wormlike animal about the size of a grain of rice, and it's the earliest example of the bilaterian body shape.

Photographer Roger Cox has won the top prize in the Mammal Society’s annual photo contest. The extraordinary image of an urban fox staring down the lens is just one of several superb shots in this small but impressive animal photography competition.

We've already seen quite a number of skin-adhered sensors that track people's vital signs. That's all very well and good if you're human, but what if you're a fur-covered animal? Well, there's now a sensor that works on them, too.

Researchers have resurrected woolly mammoth genes, from one of the last known mammoth populations, in the lab. These mammoths were believed to have suffered genetic defects, and in tests the team found that the genes did not function normally.

In 2012 Lonesome George passed away, and the Pinta Island tortoise was declared extinct. But now, genetic studies have revealed that tortoises on neighboring islands carry on the lineage – and hint that surviving members may be hiding somewhere.

A new book celebrating the science illustrations of Ernst Haeckel has launched on Kickstarter. The book features numerous drawings of microorganisms by the German zoologist and naturalist who identified thousands of new species during his career.

Coming home to see your cat still lying in the same spot it was when you left that morning, it’s easy to assume they’re pretty happy with nothing to do. But they do get bored and need exercise. Enter Ebo, a new cat companion robot now on Kickstarter.

Scientists have now re-discovered a species that has long been missing. The silver-backed chevrotain, a tiny deer-like creature that hasn’t been seen in the wild in almost 30 years, has been captured alive and well on camera traps in Vietnam.