Author Archives: agnieszka

A study by biologists at Tufts University has found that female fireflies prefer males with longer-lasting flashes. It seems that a longer flash is related to the quality of the “nuptial gift” he can give to his mate, report Sara … Continue reading →

According to meteorologists, typhoons never occur near the equator. Why? Because the Coriolis effect, which gives spin to the wind due to the rotation of the Earth, is weakest there. That spin helps form the violent, swirling, circular wind-driven thunderstorms … Continue reading →

Our prehistoric ancestors may well have eaten human flesh regularly, John Collinge of University College London and his colleagues state in the April 11 Science. They say cannibalism is the most likely explanation for their discovery that genes protecting against … Continue reading →

What becomes a legend most? How about getting stuffed and placed in a museum? Dolly, the poster-sheep of cloning, has found a final resting place at the Royal Museum in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dolly, the most famous sheep since Mary’s little … Continue reading →

In the animal kingdom, females usually prefer to mate with the most elaborately ornamented males — the peacock with the showiest tail or the songbird with the most complex song. It’s long been speculated that these showy sexual displays give … Continue reading →

As if smog, endless traffic, and Joan Rivers weren’t bad enough, you’ve got major earthquakes to worry about in LA, too. Researchers from the University of California have found a new fault buried under Los Angeles that may have been … Continue reading →

Egyptian archeologists discovered human remains covered in resin and fragments of linen at Sakkara near Cairo last week, and claim the bones provide the oldest evidence of purposeful mummification in Egypt yet found. The remains, thought to be some 5000 … Continue reading →

The coot, a common water bird, can recognize and “count” its own eggs, according to a study published in the April 3 Nature by biologist Bruce E. Lyon of the University of California at Santa Cruz. Coots often lay their … Continue reading →

As a not particularly attractive job description, evolutionary faecologist would probably rank right up there with, oh, just regular old faecologist. But the often-ignored study of excrement can lead to strange discoveries. For example, the skipper caterpillar can shoot its … Continue reading →