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Nature
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As grandiose as we might think our civilizations have become, we are but the latest entry in the long chronicle detailing life on Earth. We humans share this planet with fellow organisms whose vast numbers completely tower over our own. We borrowed this planet from its previous inhabitants from eons ago and whose lives were written on the soil-turned-rock on which they were laid to rest. Modern Sciences urges its readers to contemplate our planetary co-inhabitants, both past and present.
Why some primates have even tougher births than humans
Lia Betti, UCL and Nicole Torres Tamayo, UCL; Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont Scientists have long thought…
How redefining one word strips the Endangered Species Act’s ability to protect vital habitat
Mariah Meek, Michigan State University and Karrigan Börk, University of California, Davis It wouldn’t make much sense to…
Seals have a unique superpower in their ears, and we finally know how it evolved
James Patrick Rule, Monash University; Ian G. Brennan, Australian National University, and Travis Park, Monash University Have you…
Cacti spines, snake fangs, snail love darts – oh my! How function drives the evolution of nature’s puncture tools
Philip Anderson, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Most people probably aren’t thinking about the complexity of nature when they…
The world agreed to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 – but marine protection can’t be judged by area alone
Kirsten Grorud-Colvert, Oregon State University and Ana K. Spalding, Smithsonian Institution The ocean is home to some of…
Upside‑down whales aren’t sick or hurt – they’re just resting
Kate Sprogis, The University of Western Australia; Fredrik Christiansen, Aarhus University, and Renae van Noort, The University of…
Sea turtles diving through the eye of the storm help develop better cyclone forecasts
Christopher Chapman, UNSW Sydney; Clive McMahon, Sydney Institute of Marine Science, and Rob Harcourt, Macquarie University Every summer,…
Two decades of research show Indonesia’s coral reefs are heat‑tolerant — but only up to a point
Tries Blandine Razak, IPB University Indonesia is home to the world’s largest and most biodiverse coral reef system,…
This tiny Australian spider uses a high‑powered web catapult to trap and eat aggressive ants
Ajay Narendra, Macquarie University There’s more than one way a spider can spin its web. Some construct large…
Great mysteries of archaeology: an ancient Amazonian world revealed from the sky
José Iriarte, University of Exeter From the air, you see it only through the constant jolt, tilt and…