Mammoth Cave Was Once Home to Ancient Sharks — and the Evidence Is in the Walls

Learn more about the ancient life that used to inhabit Mammoth Cave, and how the cave conditions were just right to help preserve some of these remains. 

Ancient Roman Machine Gun-Like Weapon May Have Damaged Pompeii’s Walls During Siege

Learn how a Roman polybolos unleashed rapid-fire projectiles during the siege of Pompeii. 

11,000-Year-Old Volcanic Ash Layer Could Rewrite Early Human History in the Americas

Learn how new research challenges the age of Monte Verde and what it means for early human migration in South America. 

Shark Teeth Found in Whale Fossils Reveal How Sharks Fed 5 Million Years Ago

Learn how whale fossils and embedded shark teeth reveal feeding behavior and scavenging in the Early Pliocene North Sea ecosystem.

Humans Are Likely the Only Animals That Keep Pets — Here’s Why It’s So Rare in the Wild

Learn more about cross-species adoption and why there are so few recorded cases of it. 

Earth’s Rotation Is Speeding Up — Here’s What It Means for Timekeeping

Find out what’s speeding up Earth’s rotation and why it may force timekeepers to delete a second

Sea Turtle Shells Hold a Hidden Timeline of Ocean Change — and Reveal How the Seas Are Shifting

Learn how researchers use archaeological techniques to show how sea turtle shells grow in layers that capture chemical clues about diet, movement, and ocean change over time.

If the Menu Is Just Right, Seals Will Risk Danger From Polar Bears for a Better Meal

Learn how climate change is shifting the way seals hunt and how a lose of ice could create bigger risks even still. 

Baby Rattlesnakes Aren’t More Dangerous Than Adults — So Why Did This Myth Spread?

Learn how baby rattlesnakes actually control their venom, why adults pose a greater risk, and how misinformation spread through years of headlines.

Pythons’ Unique Eating Habits May Inspire the Next Generation of Weight Loss Drugs

By studying how snakes process large meals and long food breaks, scientists identified an overlooked compound in humans that could expand weight loss therapies.

This Newly Discovered Texas Bee Appears to Live on Just One Plant — and Nothing Else

Learn how a new mining bee species in Texas depends entirely on the cenizo (Texas Ranger) plant for survival.

Some Tattoo Ink May Cause Immune‑Triggered Eye Inflammation and In Rare Cases Lead to Vision Loss

Learn more about emerging cases of uveitis in Australia that researchers believe may be triggered by reactions to tattoo ink.

Meet Dooly, a Baby Dinosaur That May Have Been Fuzzy and Was Hidden in 113-Million-Year-Old Rock

Learn how a newly discovered baby dinosaur fossil from Aphae Island, South Korea, became the first find of its kind in 15 years.

JWST Identifies a New Class of Planet With Deep Magma Oceans ​— ​Which is Unlike ​Anything in our Solar System 

Learn more about L 98‑59 d, an exoplanet 35 light‑years away with a deep global magma ocean

Male Fireflies Flash as One Every May in Congaree National Park, Inspiring Future Robotics

Learn how fireflies synchronize their flashes — and how that natural coordination could inspire future small‑scale robotics.

Asteroid Bennu's Surface Contains Cracked Boulders Instead of Smooth Beaches, Making It Rapidly Lose Heat

Learn about the surprising surface of Asteroid Bennu, loaded with boulders and cracks that have caused it to experience rapid heat loss. 

Preeclampsia May Have Shaped the Fate of Neanderthals and Given Homo sapiens an Edge

Learn how a new theory suggests Neanderthals inability to survive pregnancy complications like preeclampsia may have helped cause their extinction.

Ice Age Neanderthals May Have Used Birch Tar as Early Medicine

Learn how researchers recreated birch tar and tested its antibacterial properties, revealing how Neanderthals may have used natural materials to manage wounds and infection.

15,000-Year-Old Clay Beads Preserve Children’s Fingerprints and Reveal Early Human Life

Learn how early humans in Israel’s Natufian period used clay ornaments to express identity, share skills, and build social connections before agriculture.

Like Humans, Bull Sharks Have Complex Social Circles That Include Forming Friendships and Avoiding Rivals

Learn more about the complexities of bull shark social behavior and how it can be rather similar to humans.