Are Birds Dinosaurs?

Source: Are Birds Dinosaurs?

What do sparrows, geese and owls have in common with a velociraptor or the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex? All can trace their origins to a bipedal, mostly meat-eating group of dinosaurs called theropods (“beast-footed”) that first appeared around 231 million years ago, during the late Triassic Period. 

Adorable Tardigrades Have a Surprising, Fatal Weakness

Source: Adorable Tardigrades Have a Surprising, Fatal Weakness

These microanimals, which live in both fresh and salt water, are famous for their ability to survive extremes that would kill other organisms. But new research finds that the creatures rapidly wilt under heat. Water temperatures of less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) can kill tardigrades in only a day. As global temperatures rise, that could become a problem for these animals, the authors of the new study said.

 

8 Healthy Swaps for Everyday Food and Drinks

Source: 8 Healthy Swaps for Everyday Food and Drinks

Nutria: The Invasive Rodents of Unusual Size

Source: Nutria: The Invasive Rodents of Unusual Size

Nutria, also known as coypu or swamp rats, are large rodents that live in areas with lots of freshwater.

These mammals are native to South America and were introduced into the United States between 1899 and 1930 through the fur industry, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Nutria are now considered a nuisance in the U.S. and other parts of the world where their populations have grown and their presence has disrupted the native ecosystem.

 

Mystery of Orb in a Record-Breaking Leonardo Da Vinci Painting Deepens

Source: Mystery of Orb in a Record-Breaking Leonardo Da Vinci Painting Deepens

Dying Fish Revealed Congo Is World’s Deepest River

Source: Dying Fish Revealed Congo Is World’s Deepest River

SAN FRANCISCO — A mysterious case of dying fish in the lower Congo River helped scientists discover that this body is the deepest river on the planet. It’s also a place where raging rapids, powerful currents and even submerged “waterfalls” divide the water, much as mountain ranges can separate habitats on land.

Incredible ‘Heslington Brain’ Resists Rotting for 2,600 Years. Here’s How.

Source: Incredible ‘Heslington Brain’ Resists Rotting for 2,600 Years. Here’s How.

Australian Hunters to Kill 10,000 Feral Camels from Helicopters Amid Worsening Drought

Source: Australian Hunters to Kill 10,000 Feral Camels from Helicopters Amid Worsening Drought

A lot of camels are going to die this week, as Australian hunters mow them down from the air.

More than 1 million of the humped creatures wander Australia. They aren’t from the continent, but arrived in the 1840s on ships — brought in as an ideal means of transport for the country’s vast deserts. Nearly 200 years later, they’re mostly feral pests, destroying habitats and competing with humans and native species for resources, according to Earther. And amid the worst drought and fire season in national memory, Australia wants to kill 10,000 of them from helicopters.

 

You’re Not Seeing Things, These Spider Butts Look Like Faces

Source: You’re Not Seeing Things, These Spider Butts Look Like Faces

Some Pandas Use Their Head to Climb. Others Just … Can’t. And It’s So Unbearably Cute.

Source: Some Pandas Use Their Head to Climb. Others Just … Can’t. And It’s So Unbearably Cute.AUSTIN, Texas — Pandas are bears, and bears climb trees, so it’s logical to assume that all pandas probably know how to climb trees, right? Wrong. New research shows that some pandas just aren’t capable clamberers (and the video evidence is adorable).