The real “Lucy” skeleton, the famous 3.2-million-year-old specimen of Australopithecus afarensis, resides within a specially constructed safe at the National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. Sophisticated molds of the bones, however, can be found all over the world, in such places as Arizona State University’s Institute of Human Origins, where they are used for scientific study. Or you can buy your own from Bone Clones, Inc., for $7,495, assuming you want the articulated version that fil ...read more

What do a velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus rex and Spinosaurus all have in common? For starters, the carnivorous trio clawed their way to superstar status as antagonists in the first three films in the Jurassic Park franchise. But on a more basic level, these dinosaurs are all theropods. Put simply, this group of dinosaurs mostly walked on two legs, had three claws on their feet, and of course, ate meat.“Theropods are the most charismatic of the dinosaurs,” says Joseph Frederickson, museum direct ...read more

This story was originally published in our Jul/Aug 2023 issue as "Mind Games." Click here to subscribe to read more stories like this one.I’m slouching over my desk, smartphone in hand, furiously tapping at the screen. In a game that looks straight out of a 1980s Atari console, I’m trying to direct little multicolored trains to stations of the same color by selecting the tracks as fast as I can. This task is supposed to assess my attention skills. I don’t do well. Luckily for me, the app ...read more

When beluga whales communicate with one another, certain vocalization cues reveal their social structures. When meerkats face an approaching predator, they use a complicated set of alarm calls depending on how close and dangerous it is.And in the skies, birds also communicate danger — along with things like mating status — to others in their flock.  Now, scientists are harnessing the power of machine learning to build a program that can decipher all these forms of animal communication, and ...read more

In 1842, the term "Dinosauria" (which translates to "terrible lizard") was coined by British anatomist and paleontologist Sir Richard Owens. The Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur described in scientific literature based on a jaw fragment. In the almost 200 years since then, approximately 11,000 dinosaur fossils have been discovered. Dinosaurs existed during the Mesozoic Era, approximately 250 million years ago. This time included the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. With more ...read more

Earlier this week, family members of 76-year-old Bella Montoya gathered to mourn her at a funeral parlor in Ecuador. About five hours into the funeral, they heard a strange sound coming from the coffin. When family members opened the coffin, they found Montoya gasping for air. Paramedics returned her to the hospital where, only hours earlier, she had been declared “dead” by doctors due to complications with a stroke. Montoya remains in the hospital in intensive care.While we only hope th ...read more

Although they may not have nine lives, it’s not uncommon for cats to enjoy the one life they’ve got for many years, even decades. But as with humans, numerous factors play critical roles in lengthening or curtailing a cat’s lifespan, especially genetics, lifestyle and the kind of care their owners give them.What Is the Average Cat Lifespan?(Credit: Andrey Zheludev/Shutterstock)It’s hard to find a definitive answer to this question. Depending on which pet-expert source you favor, you’ll ...read more

A new study is challenging the longstanding theory that Earth formed in a pinball fashion, through random collisions of rocky stellar bodies that crushed together through gravity. The water we enjoy would have collided at random, too, when one or more comets smashed into the growing planet, the old theory says.“If that is how Earth was formed, then it is pretty lucky that we have water on Earth,” says Martin Schiller, an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, in a press release ...read more

When leaving my apartment, I make sure to leave the radio on for my cat. I like to think the songs are a satisfactory substitute for the voices that fill the apartment when people are home. Then again, perhaps the music is nothing more than a nuisance to my feline friend.“It’s something that people have wanted to know for a long time,” says Pralle Kriengwatana, an affiliate researcher at the University of Glasgow’s School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine. “And there ...read more

It sounds like an advertisement for bottled water: The flowing Colorado River emerges high in the Rocky Mountains, from snows untouched by man. It tumbles down through seven states and the two largest reservoirs in the country, lakes Powell and Mead, crossing some 1,450 miles. Along the way, it winds through the Grand Canyon, a project 6 million years in the making.But the storied river’s final flourish, to empty into the Gulf of California, doesn’t happen anymore. The once vibrant Colorado ...read more