Bringing out the DeadArticle 10.28.2021By sinking a wide array of carcasses into the deep ocean and studying what turns up when they fall, scientists are learning about some of the world’s most exotic scavengers and the roles they play in the darkness.
Signs of the TimesArticle 07.08.2021Despite their perceived abundance, the periodical cicadas that emerged across the eastern United States this summer point to a growing set of threats facing both the insects themselves and the ecosystems they help support.
The Big Picture 2021Photo Gallery 05.27.2021From the beautiful to the bizarre, this photographic showcase of life on Earth shines a light on some of our planet’s most amazing species and places.
Antarctica’s Upside Down WorldArticle 05.12.2021Clinging to the underside of ice hundreds of meters thick, strange communities of sea life eke out a living in perpetual darkness. Now, researchers are racing to find and study these creatures before they—and their ice sheets—disappear.
Convenient ConveyanceSpotlight 12.24.2020For a jellyfish, there are few hitchhikers more harmful than this juvenile brown paper nautilus, and for the nautilus, few rides could be more handy.
Northern Lights from the DeepSpotlight 10.28.2020What could easily be an atmospheric apparition is in fact a formidable predator, and a critical member of its strange, open-ocean ecosystem
The Gibbon’s TailArticle 10.14.2020For the world’s rarest ape, survival may depend on stories passed down for centuries among the people of its Chinese island home.
A Novel DemiseSpotlight 09.22.2020Although we’ve marveled over carnivorous plants for centuries, the plants’ penchant for vertebrate flesh has been largely overlooked.
The Big Picture 2020Photo Gallery 05.05.2020From the beautiful to the bizarre, this photographic showcase of life on Earth shines a light on some of our planet’s most amazing species and places.
The Scent of WaterSpotlight 12.10.2019Most mammals can’t smell underwater, but Eurasian otters may have a way of sniffing out prey even while swimming.
Unexpected PlaymateSpotlight 08.27.2019A young humpback whale is spotted off the coast of Sri Lanka. Is it a sign of a promising trend, or just a fluke?
Enemy of My EnemySpotlight 08.14.2019An Amazonian frog finds refuge under the watchful compound gaze of a surprising guardian.
Lens of Time: Jaw JumpersVideo 07.30.2019Sometimes the best solution to a sticky situation is a quick escape, and few escapes are faster than a trap-jaw ant’s.
Sucker DeceptionSpotlight 07.30.2019Mesmerizing bioluminescence is a rare trait—and a clever lure—for this deep-sea drifter.
Ghosts of the EvergladesImmersive 07.11.2019Clinging to survival in shrinking swamps, ghost orchids are so elusive that their pollinators have remained unknown—until now. One team’s findings may help to save both the flower and its threatened home.
The Big Picture 2019Photo Gallery 04.30.2019From the beautiful to the bizarre, this photographic showcase of life on Earth shines a light on some of our planet’s most amazing species and places.
Deathly BeautifulSpotlight 04.18.2019This picturesque battle between a blue dragon sea slug and a Portuguese man o’ war is a matter of life or death—for both parties.
Plight of the PlatypusPhoto Essay 04.18.2019The more scientists learn more about this strange, elusive species, the more concerned they become about its future. But these new insights may ultimately help to save it.
Mighty MomSpotlight 03.17.2019One of the most attentive of all insect parents, this tiny treehopper fiercely defends her offspring until they’re fully grown, using her thorn-shaped headdress as both shield and intimidation tool.
Allure of the Flower HatSpotlight 02.27.2019What looks like a flamboyant fashion accessory is actually this jelly’s brilliant evolutionary strategy for attracting prey.
