Tag: animals

Do robotic lawn mowers hurt hedgehogs? Dr Hedgehog has the answer

Are robotic lawn mowers really dangerous to hedgehogs? An important question I decided to investigate, and the answer depends entirely on which model of robotic lawn mower that runs in your garden.

Spurs, furs, and vampires: The science of venomous mammals

The platypus, the slow loris and the vampire bats are all unique and fascinating creatures with one curious thing in common. Venom.

Daily life of the Dodo – tales from a 12,000 year old swamp full of bones

Excavations in Mauritius has led researchers to a closer understanding of the mythical extinct Dodo.

Fences are disrupting African wildlife on an unprecedented scale

An ecological tragedy is unfolding in Kenya, as fences go up and prevent migrating animals from accessing water and food.

Islands make large animals shrink and small animals grow

Mammals change size when they become isolated on islands. The phenomenon has been discussed for many years but is now confirmed by a new study.

Tick sequencing may eradicate Lyme disease

Scientists have mapped the tick genome. They now hope to eradicate the animal that infects humans with deadly Lyme disease.

Lack of oxygen did not hold back evolution of complex life

There was much more oxygen on Earth 1.4 billion years ago than scientists have previously thought. Rules out conventional theories as to what kick-started complex life on Earth.

Wild horses lost their camouflage because of humans

Scientists find the genetic mechanism that determines the colour patterns of wild horses.

When and where did wolves become dogs?

Did dogs become domesticated in Southeast Asia or Europe? New study challenges recent research.

Deadly virus discovered in Scandinavian geese

A virus that plagues wild geese in North America has now been detected in Scandinavia.

Large animals have removed 80 per cent of forests

Without large animals such as elephants, deer, and bison, much of the world would quickly return to forest, shows new research.

Loss of large animals has reduced global circulation of vital nutrients

Decline of large animals such as whales, sea birds, and salmon has led to a loss of 94 per cent of the transportation of nutrients on the planet.

The enamel on your teeth came from prehistoric fish

A new study combining genes and 420 million year old fossils reveals that our tooth enamel developed from fish scales.

Discovery of new whale species fills evolutionary gap

Scientists discover a previously unknown ancient whale species--helping them understand how whales evolved into the many species that exist today.

Underground animal world crucial for life above ground

New study shows that subterranean bacteria, worms, and beetles play a critical role in climate and plant life above ground.

Udzungwa! Photos of a forgotten rainforest

In the past 35 years, scientists have discovered several new species in one of Africa's forgotten rainforests.

First Scandinavian farmers were far more advanced than we thought

The first farmers in Denmark and Sweden knew how to rear cattle – suggesting they knew much more about farming than previously thought, shows new research.

Scientists solve the riddle of eel evolution

European and American eels emerged as separate species 3.5 million years ago -- yet they can still breed with each other. Scientists can now tell us how.

New type of infection by ticks leaves no visible symptoms

Scientists warn GPs to be aware of a new strain of bacterial infection from tick bites that leave no characteristic red rash and results in an intermittent fever.

Inbreeding among mountain gorillas has no consequences

Scientists map entire genome of mountain gorillas and are surprised by what it reveals about inbreeding.

Only half of the land needed to secure wildlife biodiversity is protected: study

Thirty-four per cent of all land need to be protected if we are to maintain the Earth's biodiversity.

New method to detect toxin can replace animal testing

A chemical analysis can effectively detect botulism types, thus avoiding the need to sacrifice mice as part of the diagnostic process.

Denmark moves to ban bestiality -- but is sex with animals really so bad?

Is bestiality harmful to the animals? Not always, say Danish researchers and point to the fact that animals seem to enjoy sex and orgasms.

Fat makes pigs more social and less aggressive

A high-fat diet changes social behaviour, reveals new study. This should be considered when advising the public on nutrition, say researchers.

World’s fastest fish continues to impress

The sailfish is not only the world’s fastest swimmer. A new video reveals that its movements during hunting are the quickest ever seen in a marine animal.

Sperm whale language under scrutiny

A new project aims to decode the sperm whale’s communication system using the latest animal-borne acoustic technology.

Humans alone killed off the giant moa bird

New research reveals that the moa population were fit and healthy before humans started hunting the bird. In spite of this, it took less than 200 years before the gigantic bird had died out.

Map outlines global hotpots of bycatch intensity

Fishery bycatch poses a great threat to various endangered species, and to ecosystems in general. Scientists have now mapped out the problem.

Metabolism works differently than we thought

Kleiber’s law of metabolism, which states that the metabolic rate of an animal scales to the 3/4 power of the mass, has a flaw in it, argues Danish scientist.

How spiders weave their webs

Scientists have at last figured out what goes on when spiders spin their webs.

Animal origin theory challenged: Early animals needed almost no oxygen

The first animals on Earth could get by with much less oxygen than previously thought, new study reveals.

The brain does not control all body movements. Some movements are to a great extent controlled by neural networks in the spinal cord. This is why a chicken can run away after you chop its head off. A new study takes a closer look at this strange phenomenon.

Marius the giraffe: He died so that others could live

The Copenhagen Zoo sparked public outrage when they put to death the healthy 18-month-old giraffe Marius. Here is why they killed him.

Photos: Eye contact with Savannah animals

A new photo exhibition looks deep into the eyes of Africa’s wild animals.

Even tiny oil spills may break Arctic food chain

Drilling for oil in the Arctic may have catastrophic consequences, new study suggests.

Can we avoid animal testing entirely?

Scientists are working flat out to find alternatives to animal testing. QSAR computer models are looking promising.

Sex accessory led to surprising skin discovery

Lab mice covered in liquid latex from a sex shop have shown hitherto unseen communication between the skin and the liver. Researchers believe this discovery will be important for understanding how skin diseases affect the body’s organs.

Ageing: Theory needs to be revised

The existing evolutionary theories of ageing need to be revised, according to a new study, which shows that many of Earth’s plants and animals grow old in surprising ways.

Hummingbirds can fly with almost no oxygen

The hummingbird’s super-fast wing beats are among the most energy-intensive movements in the animal kingdom. Still, the birds can fly 4,000 metres above sea level, where there is very little oxygen. Scientists have now figured out how this is possible.

Wolves became domesticated dogs much earlier than thought

Finnish researchers have discovered that wolves were domesticated by European hunter-gatherers between 19,000 and 32,000 years ago. The analysis cannot, however, be used to determine the origin of the dog, argues Danish DNA scientist.

Spiders exchange gifts for sex

Female spiders like being courted with gifts from their male counterparts. New research shows that the females store more sperm from males if they bring a gift prior to mating.

Chimpanzees catch yawns from humans

Chimpanzees yawn when they see a human yawn, but not until they reach a certain age, shows study, which hints at a new explanations of the development of empathy.

Climate change fills polar bears with toxins

The melting ice around Greenland has changed the polar bear’s diet. This means that they are being filled with large quantities of environmental poisons, and that forms a threat to the polar bear’s existence.

Ants in gladiatorial combat reveal unique collaboration

Defenceless ‘farmer ants’ receive help from heavily armed venomous ants when their colony is attacked. This unique collaboration has now been documented through gladiatorial combat between the ants.

Why insects always hide in the dark

It is no coincidence that insect larvae always hide away in dark corners. Scientists have now discovered how the larvae know where it’s best to hide away.

Bison may boost Danish vegetation

A new study sets out to clarify what effect the reintroduction of bison will have on the Danish countryside. The bison may open up for a more diverse flora, says researcher.

Apes can relive their past through ’mental time travel’

Humans are no longer the only primate capable of recalling their own experiences from the past, claim scientists.

Pregnant women with pets have more vaginal E. coli

Intestinal bacteria from dogs and cats appear to colonise pregnant women’s vagina, which can increase the risk of e.g. urinary tract infections. This may be caused by the bacteria travelling from the animal via the woman’s hands to her vagina.

Malaria's deadly grip explained

Scientists have identified the protein that the deadliest malaria parasites bind to in humans. Now the way is paved for a malaria vaccine.

Fungi and rust can stifle smell of slurry

New study shows how fungal spores and rust can help reduce the stench of slurry in biofilters, which help prevent harmful substances from being released into the atmosphere.

Wolves with mange can heal themselves

Mange parasites can force humans, foxes and even wolves to scratch their skin into pieces. For foxes this can be fatal, but wolves are hardier.

Singing bowhead whales give new insight into behaviour

Of the estimated 12 species of baleen whale, only the song of the humpback and bowhead whale covers both low and high frequency areas. A researcher has looked into this mystery.

Sea snakes break rules of evolution

Evolutionarily speaking, sea snakes are some pretty weird creatures. They have evolved both large and small heads very quickly and apparently without being separated geographically.

MRSA: scientists on trail of antibiotic resistance

Whole genome sequencing allows researchers to monitor how resistant bacteria travel from humans to humans, animals to humans and from humans to animals.

Three in four chimpanzee species live in European zoos

Danish researchers have found three out of the four existing subspecies of chimpanzees in the European zoo population. The chimpanzees can be used to consolidate existing breeding programmes and launch new ones.

Anus-mouthed worm looks like our earliest ancestor

Scientists have finally succeeded in studying the development of a tiny Swedish worm. Its mouth and its anus are in the same spot and the worm is a primitive form of man.

Butterflies fly 3,500 km by compass

Monarch butterflies fly from Canada to Mexico using only an internal compass and the landscape to guide them. Now researchers can explain how.

Ancient horse DNA can help us understand evolution

Researchers are using ancient horse DNA to study how humans and the environment affect an animal species, genetically and in terms of appearance.

DNA test rewrites history of Greenland cod

The fish in Greenland’s great cod boom in the 1960s did not come from Iceland, as previously thought. They were ‘made in Greenland’

Critically endangered Javan leopard caught on camera

Camera traps in a remote Indonesian national park have captured photos of the extremely rare Javan leopard.

Fish migrate to avoid predators

Tagged fish reveal that animals migrate to avoid being eaten by predators.

Melting sea ice makes deep-sea animals grow

Scientists are now able to film and observe how life at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean is affected by global warming.

Does the perfect clone exist?

OPINION: Research has shown that cloned pigs are often as varied as naturally bred pigs. Therefore, it could be problematic to experiment with clones thinking that they are identical. A Danish professor explains why the clones can vary so much.

Cheese waste can replace antibiotics in pig feed

Farmers are feeding their pigs with so many antibiotics that we are becoming increasingly resistant to them. Now a Danish researcher has discovered that cheese waste with added bacteria can replace some of the antibiotics used by farmers.

Cloned pigs help fight human killer disease

Scientists have created a genetically modified pig that can develop human-like atherosclerosis. This may lead to completely new possibilities for diagnostics and treatment of this deadly disease.

Greenland’s beautiful wildlife in pictures

The extreme conditions in Greenland have created a unique wildlife. See some of the stunning pictures here.

Protein can cause lifestyle diseases in fat pigs

A special obesity-related protein has been found in an American wild hog, which bears a striking resemblance to humans. The discovery represents a great step forward in international obesity research.

Prehistoric fossil preserved in a leech cocoon

For the first time ever, scientists can see the nucleus of an animal that lived at the same time as the dinosaurs.

Tiger dating: can tigers find love in faeces?

Tigers don’t always get along well in zoos. A new project aims to find out if urine and faeces can reveal whether the tigers have the right chemistry to be paired. It’s called tiger dating.

A sex life with rape and pepper spray

Bed bugs have some rather special sexual habits involving rape and pepper spray.

Europe’s smallest beetle found in Denmark

Researchers have just found the first Danish specimens of Europe’s smallest beetle. It’s not much wider than a human hair.

Parrots use sounds like people use names

Parrots use their ability to mimic sounds to address specific individuals in a dynamic communication network.

Tree-jumping taught dinosaurs to fly

The earliest dino-birds had wings that could only be used for passive flight between treetops, new fossil analysis reveals.

Humans have added new bones to the pig

A mapping of the pig genome sheds light on how pig farming has changed the animal over time. The new findings could be of great benefit to medical research.

Bizarre penis shaved by scientists

The most terrifying penis in the animal kingdom has now been under the laser. Here, scientists found the answer to an evolutionary mystery.

Climate debate is based on religion

Religion plays a major part in the climate debate, for instance in our fight to preserve endangered species that have no practical use to humans, argues theologian in a new book.

Mysterious bear figurines baffle archaeologists

Small bear figurines have led researchers on the trail of hitherto unknown pre-Inuit rituals, indicating that these people practiced a bear cult.

Getting Arctic raw materials requires a gentle hand

We must be very careful if we want to preserve the Arctic region’s special natural environment and culture while ensuring that the coming raw materials boom doesn’t turn into a disaster.