Animals

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.

Millipedes are frauds – despite their name being Latin for “thousand feet,” they usually only have a few hundred. But a newly discovered species is the first to earn its name with well over 1,000 legs, far more than any other creature on the planet.

Teeth, claws and horns – the ancient arsenal of dinosaur warfare was varied, and now a brand new weapon has been added to the collection. Paleontologists have discovered a new type of ankylosaur with a tail like a battle axe.

Although a great number of wild animals were killed by Australia's recent bushfires, many more now have nowhere to hide from predators. New biodegradable "habitat pods," however, could give smaller creatures such hiding places.

From a lioness racing after her prey, to a pack of wild dogs herding a bear, this year's Nature inFocus Photography Contest delivers a spectacular assortment of wonderful wildlife imagery celebrating the best of the nature photography in 2021.

An animal welfare bill in the UK will now include crabs, octopus, and lobsters after a review concluded they should be considered sentient beings. The review found strong evidence these invertebrates are capable of feelings such as pain and distress.

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.

Scientists in Australia have made intriguing discoveries in the genomes of a range of animals. What was initially mistaken for dust on the slides turned out to be “microchromosomes” from an ancient ancestor, present in birds, reptiles and mammals.

The California condor is one of the rarest birds in the world, but nature may be giving the species a leg-up. Scientists have found two condor chicks born from unfertilized eggs, in a form of asexual reproduction that’s extremely uncommon in birds.

Lizards can regrow their tails, but the new tail isn't quite perfect. Scientists have now used stem cell therapy to let lizards grow better tails – bones, nerves and all – in an advance that could have implications for better wound healing in humans.