November 2007

mekong river boat
Features

Sold Down the River

Freshwater habitats around the world are becoming less and less hospitable to wildlife

aqueduct lizards
Samplings

Animal Aqueduct

An unusual plumbing system in their skin lets two lizards collect water from rain and puddles.

dragonfly
Samplings

A Grave Mistake

Dragonflies mistake black, horizontal gravestones for water.

arctic fox
Samplings

When Life Gives You Lemmings

Arctic foxes keep their larders full of goose eggs for up to a year.

bee in amber
Samplings

One for the Record

The first fossil evidence of orchids pushes back the plants' origin.

squirrel
Samplings

Tell Tail

California ground squirrels heat up their tails to ward off rattlesnakes.

constellation
Samplings

Nothing Much

Astronomers discovered an enormous void in the universe.

Apollo butterfly
Samplings

Losing Contact

Rising alpine tree lines divide populations of Apollo butterflies.

news bias
Samplings

Bias or Balance?

Nightly TV news reports gave equal play to doubters and believers that humans cause global warming.

cattle
Samplings

Change on the Range

Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide encourages shrubs to encroach on grasslands.

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Recent Stories

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The brain doesn't much care whether an experience is real.

Humans will never win a sprint against your average quadruped. But our species is well-adapted for the marathon.

Recent Interview

Xiaoming Wang

Hear author Xiaoming Wang interviewed by Vittorio Maestro, Editor in Chief of Natural History. (MP3, 17 minutes)