Chimps and Bonobos Form Friend Circles Like Humans Do
Our closest animal relatives organize their social lives just like we do, with best friends and wider networks of acquaintances. New research reveals how evolution shaped the way we all connect.
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98 results for "animal behavior"
Scientists Unlock Secret of Pigeons' Magnetic Navigation
Scientists discovered that pigeons use iron-rich immune cells in their livers to navigate home across hundreds of miles, even when clouds hide the sun. This breakthrough solves a century-old mystery about how these remarkable birds find their way.
Scientists Solve Bird Navigation Mystery Using Liver Cells
German researchers discovered that pigeons use iron-rich immune cells in their livers to sense Earth's magnetic field, finally solving a decades-old puzzle about how birds navigate thousands of miles with pinpoint accuracy.
Wasp Colonies Survive Leadership Chaos With Hidden Heroes
When queen wasps vanish, their colonies explode into violent power struggles that should spell disaster. But scientists discovered some wasps quietly become heroes, feeding the young and keeping society alive while others battle for the throne.
Disabled Parrot Invents Jousting to Become Undefeated Alpha
Bruce, a kea parrot missing his upper beak, invented a unique jousting technique using his exposed lower beak as a sword. The disabled bird became the undefeated alpha male of his group, marking what may be the first case of a disabled animal maintaining top status through behavioral innovation alone.
Deaf Scientist Builds Robot to Decode Frog Family Talk
A hard-of-hearing researcher used her unique understanding of touch-based communication to create a robot that mimics how tadpoles talk to their parents. Her invention is unlocking the secret language of poison frog families.
Satellite Tracks Animals to Stop Poachers in Real Time
A new satellite system reads animal panic signals from space to catch poachers before they strike. GPS-tagged wildlife now act as sentinels, warning rangers when threats approach endangered rhinos and elephants.
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Crabs' Sideways Walk Evolved Once 200 Million Years Ago
Scientists traced the iconic sideways shuffle of crabs to a single ancestor that lived 200 million years ago, solving a mystery about one of nature's most recognizable movements. This unique trait may explain why true crabs became one of the most successful animal groups on Earth.
Rare Seals Find Secret Underwater Caves to Escape Tourists
Mediterranean monk seals, one of the world's most endangered marine mammals, are hiding in underwater bubble caves to escape summer crowds. Scientists discovered these intelligent animals spending four times more days in hidden air-filled chambers than on traditional beaches.
Bull Ants Navigate at Night Using the Moon as Their GPS
Scientists discovered a species of bull ant that uses the moon to navigate in complete darkness, compensating for its movement across the sky like ancient sailors used the North Star. The finding reveals nature has even more clever navigation tricks than we realized.
New Zealand Parrot With No Beak Dominates His Flock
A kea parrot missing his entire upper beak has become the alpha male of his group, winning every fight using innovative jousting tactics. Scientists say Bruce's story shows how smart animals can overcome disabilities through behavioral creativity.
9 Animal Moms Who Show Motherhood Looks Different for All
From crocodiles listening to eggs to whales helping deliver babies, the animal kingdom proves motherhood comes in countless amazing forms. These nine species show that protecting the next generation takes creativity, cooperation, and sometimes very unusual strategies.
Coyote Swam 2 Miles to Alcatraz, DNA Test Reveals
A coyote that captured hearts by swimming to Alcatraz Island in January actually traveled twice as far as scientists first thought. New DNA evidence shows the adventurous canid swam two miles from Angel Island, not from nearby San Francisco.
Humpback Whales Keep Their Mouths Open for Unknown Reasons
Scientists discovered humpback whales sometimes leave their mouths hanging wide open when they're not eating, and nobody knows why. Researchers used social media videos to study this mysterious "gaping" behavior, opening new doors for citizen science.
Arizona Ants May Run 'Cleaning Stations' Like Reef Fish
Scientists spotted tiny ants grooming larger harvester ants in Arizona, mirroring the famous "cleaning stations" where fish help each other on coral reefs. This surprising behavior could reveal a whole new way ants cooperate in nature.
Bull Sharks Form Lasting Friendships, 6-Year Study Finds
Bull sharks, long thought to be solitary hunters, actually form lasting social bonds with specific partners, choosing the same companions year after year. The discovery reveals a surprisingly complex social world beneath the waves.
Dutch Eagle Owl Juggles Two Families in Rare Mating Event
A male eagle owl in a Dutch quarry has become a father twice over in one night, fertilizing two females an hour apart in a rare case of bigamy for this normally monogamous species. The discovery offers new insights into owl behavior while highlighting the remarkable comeback of a species once extinct in the Netherlands.
European Birds Fear Women More Than Men, Scientists Puzzled
City birds across Europe flee from women sooner than men, and researchers can't explain why. The mysterious behavior appeared in 37 species, suggesting birds can somehow tell humans apart by sex.
Scientists Decode What Octopuses Are Really Throwing
Viral videos showed female octopuses hurling objects at males, but the real science tells a sweeter story. Researchers studying Australia's gloomy octopus discovered these intelligent creatures might just be tidying up their homes.
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Gibraltar's Monkeys Learn to Eat Dirt After Tourist Snacks
Wild macaques in Gibraltar have discovered an unusual remedy for junk food stomachaches: eating soil. Scientists say it's a clever survival trick in our human-dominated world.
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