Bugs use their own defecation to defend their young, locate their homes and increase mating opportunities. For humans, insect faeces may even have untapped medicinal properties.
Thomas Cronin, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
We’re used to thinking of our eyes detecting light as the foundation of our visual system. But what’s going on in other cells throughout the body that can detect light, too?
There’s a terrifying species that spreads rapidly, breeds prolifically and eats hundreds of plants. But the first research into the actual harm caused by giant African land snails found … not much.
A four-year puzzle has ended with the discovery of a new species of sunfish. These famously strange-looking animals are the largest bony fish in the oceans.
As much as one-third of animal species in the tropics could be eradicated if their habitats continue to be converted for monoculture farming. We can all do something to make a difference.
Must the money raised to save wildlife always aid the most popular animals? New research suggests that marketing can persuade donors that northern hairy-nosed wombat lives matter too.
For over a century Australia’s venomous snakes have been counted amongst the world’s deadliest, yet human fatalities remain strikingly rare. How did our snakes develop such a fearsome reputation?
A bill has been proposed to ban testing cosmetics on animals in Australia. It will only affect a small number of animals, but it’s an important step towards a global ban.
David Hu, Georgia Institute of Technology et Patricia Yang, Georgia Institute of Technology
New parenthood got our fluid dynamics experts thinking about what ends up in the diaper. They headed to the zoo and the lab to come up with a cohesive physics story for how defecation works.