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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.
Multiple threats endanger the world’s rarest great ape, a new study on the Tapanuli orangutan reveals
Rachakonda Sreekar, The University of Queensland; Ardiantiono, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Lubabun Ni’am, University of Heidelberg Deep in…
We can help frogs beat a deadly disease. But can they still reproduce?
Rose Upton, University of Newcastle; Alex Callen, University of Newcastle, and Anne Ibbotson Many people are blissfully unaware…
Why you should think twice before rescuing a wild animal
Michelle Campbell-Ward, University of Sydney and Anne Quain, University of Sydney Imagine you’re driving down a windy road…
‘Like someone whacking a piñata’: orcas explode sunfish by ramming them at high speed
Vanessa Pirotta, Macquarie University An adult orca cruises near the surface of the clear, blue water, holding a…
‘Jimothy’ the raccoon has short spine syndrome – but this condition can affect dogs, too
Chris Tan, University of Sydney If you’ve been anywhere near the internet in recent days, you will likely…
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…