Field: Animals

Researchers have discovered a new organelle in the guts of fruit flies.

The FDA has given Washington State University researchers the green light to feed five gene-edited pigs to people.

Costa Rica’s famed sloths harbor bacteria in their fur which can create antibiotic compounds — a potential source of future therapies.

Tardigrades have been frozen, boiled, exposed to extreme doses of radiation, and remarkably still survive. How?

Ants were just as accurate as cancer-sniffing dogs. Better yet, they could be trained in minutes rather than months.

Macaque monkeys reduce their social networks as they get older – research suggests evolutionary roots of the same pattern in elderly people.

An AI-based app that identifies dogs and cats based on their unique nose prints could help reunite lost pets and their owners.

As avian influenza continues to devastate the bird population and jump into mammals, scientists are preparing to protect two important groups.

The discovery of a new type of stem cell in deer antlers could lead to breakthroughs in human regeneration.

Many virologists are concerned that the latest bird flu outbreak could spill over to humans and cause a new human pandemic.

A handful of animals make a pared-down version of our own antibodies. Scientists hope to harness them as treatments for human illnesses.

A new study of hair cell regeneration in mice could help researchers figure out how to reverse hearing loss in people.

Scientists have found diverse life forms dwelling in an abandoned, flooded uranium mine in Germany, creating an "alien" ecosystem.

Bioprinted skin can now look and act so much like real skin that it could one day replace some animal testing.

Verily, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, believes it can eliminate Singapore’s dengue problem.

A dog's breed has a big impact on their personality, but whether they fit your lifestyle is also down to good training.

Rewilding organisations in Europe are reintroducing lost species including the Eurasian lynx and Marsican brown bear.

A newly discovered species of bacteria is so large that it can be seen with the naked eye. It also contains a DNA-containing nucleus.

To save the northern white rhino species from extinction, researchers are turning stored rhino tissue samples into sperm and egg cells.

M. leprae-infected armadillos develop enlarged, healthy livers with gene expression patterns similar to human fetal livers.

Australian researchers have developed a gene drive that renders female mice infertile, opening the door to a new type of pest control.

A new, one-dose treatment for lethal sleeping sickness was 95% effective at clearing the parasite from patients.

Researchers amplified the natural sounds of the sea through underwater speakers to draw baby oysters to swim to the location.

These bizarre mollusks have the ability to regenerate their bodies and to absorb other organisms' attributes.

Many large mammals in Europe were close to extinction. New data shows us that the continent’s mammal populations are flourishing again.

Scientists observed two species of sea slug that were able to self-decapitate, survive for weeks without organs, and regenerate new bodies.

A physicist explains the molecular-level processes behind crystals, stripes, and basalt columns in nature.

The green turtles of Seychelles – once almost hunted to extinction – are now thriving again thanks to conservation efforts.

Researchers identified a “building plan” that holds true for every species they looked at — except for humans.

The parasite infects salmon and lives within the fish muscle, though scientists aren't quite sure how it breaks down nutrients for survival.

Axolotls are a model organism researchers use to study a variety of topics in biology because of their regenerative abilities.

After two years of effort, China's Sinogene Biotechnology has created the world’s first cloned arctic wolf.

Bottlenose dolphins are extremely social animals that communicate constantly, and consistently use signature whistles for one another.

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have developed mouse embryos, complete with organ structures, purely from stem cells.

Think sharks are always solitary? New research sheds light on social behavior of these mysterious predators.

Using over a million data points and a machine learning algorithm, a team of researchers has mapped all of the ant species currently known.

Using collagen from pig skin, Swedish researchers created an artificial cornea that reversed blindness in 14 people.

Pfizer and French biotech Valneva have announced a phase 3 clinical trial testing the human Lyme vaccine.

Yale’s OrganEx technology has been used to partially revive the organs of dead pigs an hour after their hearts stopped beating.

Crows and the rest of the corvid family keep turning out to be smarter and smarter. A corvid's pallium has more neurons than a great ape's.

Most U.S. adults aren’t ready to put insects on their plates but are much more willing to consume meat from livestock that are fed bugs.

Mars Petcare has announced the opening of a massive biobank to study aging and pet diseases.

Two pig-to-human heart transplants performed by surgeons at NYU Langone Health showed all the signs of success.

With pig transplantation looking increasingly viable, the FDA may soon allow clinical trials of the technique to begin.

Entomologist Naoki Yamanaka has an idea for how to handle mosquitoes: What if we just stop them from growing up?

A team of scientists used gene editing to create what they thought would be a calmer rodent. Instead, the gene-edited rodents were angrier.

Dutch researchers have created a dog vaccine which may pave the way for similar human therapies.

Researchers discovered that the way fungi independently gained the ability to produce psilocybin is because of horizontal gene transfer.

Sleeping sickness is a horrifying disease mainly impacting the rural poor. But three more African nations have succeeded in curtailing its threat.

Inspired by the ancient compound eyes of the trilobite, researchers have created a record-breaking camera with a depth of field of just over a mile.

Researchers have discovered that common soft corals are the source of a sought-after anti-cancer compound.

Mixing silk protein with a gel matrix allowed for better cell growth and healing in rat models.

On the mountainsides of Nepal and Turkey, bees sometimes produce a strange and dangerous concoction: mad honey.

A pig virus — and not organ rejection — appears to be the reason a man who lived for two months after a pig heart transplant ultimately died.

The global tiger population is finally increasing after more than a century of gradual decline, a new study from WWF reveals.

Animal behavior researchers can now turn the task of analyzing footage over to an open-source algorithm that can spot even subtle actions.

The results of a recent study found that genetically engineering cats could be a solution to eliminating cat allergies.

A census of the one-horned rhino population at Kaziranga National Park found that the vulnerable species is on the rise.

The giant bee was first discovered in 1859, but since has only officially sighted once. Now, researchers have found a specimen alive and well.

Inspired by squid skin, UC Irvine engineers have created a cheap, easy-to-recycle material that can be “tuned” to regulate heat.

After removing part of a great hornbill bird’s casque, Florida veterinarians replaced it with a 3D-printed prosthetic.

Inspired by birds' perching abilities, researchers developed a drone with a bird-like structure that can land on a wide array of objects.

The Dog Aging Project is studying tens of thousands of dogs in the hope of helping pets and people live longer, healthier lives.

Internet-connected rat traps are bringing rodent control into the 21st century, helping cities leverage data in the battle against rats.

Rather than turning to rodenticides to deter pests, a new study is testing the effectiveness of owls to manage the problem.

A study finds that baby mammals dream about the world they are about to experience to prepare their senses.

Researchers using cell phone records, shipment logs, and elephant DNA have solved poaching mysteries and identified trafficking networks across the continent.

A newly described fossil may be the oldest relative yet found of octopuses and vampire squids — although if it is a new species at all is disputed.

Malaria can hide in the liver, causing relapse months or years later. Now, public health officials have a new treatment to prevent relapse for children under 16.

Sound recordings remind us that these beings are invaluable, and that humans have a duty to preserve them.

Using drone photography, University of Aberdeen researchers have been able to identify pregnant dolphins for the first time.

German researchers are breeding a new type of pig that’s been genetically modified to have organs ideal for human transplantation.

Astronauts lose muscle mass in space. The secret to how ground squirrels keep mass in hibernation may help future space travelers keep their own.

A new limb regeneration treatment allowed adult African clawed frogs to regrow near-complete functional legs following amputation.

Adding green LEDs to gillnets can reduce bycatch of sharks, turtles, and other animals without affecting the catch of desired species.

A brain-dead man was the recipient of two pig kidneys — a groundbreaking transplant that could help bring the organ shortage to an end.

Molecular Attraction plans to kill mosquitoes transmitting malaria by tricking them into drinking beet juice “blood” laced with toxins.

A pig heart is now beating in the chest of a man in Maryland, marking a huge step forward for xenotransplantation research.

To fight an invasive fish threatening Australia’s critically endangered freshwater natives, researchers are looking to robotic predators — and the “ecology of fear” they create.

The jellyfish nervous system, revealed by glowing genes, may help unlock the secrets of how our own brain evolved.

There are fewer than 80 ocelots known to exist in the wild in the U.S. Can artificial insemination save the species?

The large marsh grasshopper risks extinction. But volunteer citizen keepers are raising the insect for rewilding to newly restored wetlands.

To combat the negative environmental impact of cow urine, researchers have proven it's possible to potty-train calves.

Kelp is a superfood that’s grown totally sustainable. But will people be willing to replace burgers with seaweed?

Biotech startup Because, Animals is creating cultured meat for pets, using mouse cells to grow the meat found in its new cat treat.

Researchers have reconstructed the life of a woolly mammoth that lived more than 17,000 years ago by deciphering clues hidden in his tusk.

Before the eyes of baby mice open, their brains appear to use retinal waves to prep their vision systems to detect objects and motion.

The FDA has approved a medication specifically designed to treat lymphoma in dogs, potentially helping extend the lives of thousands of pets.

Gourmey is developing lab-grown foie gras, using stem cells to produce the delicacy without subjecting birds to the practice of gavage.

CRISPR technology has been used to create gene-edited opossums, a breakthrough that could have huge implications for medical research.

Could robotic dolphins help marine parks become more humane spaces where people can learn about and connect with nature?

An underwater robot has recorded stunning footage of a glass octopus, an almost completely transparent cephalopod rarely caught on film.

By having goats eat the dry vegetation that fuels wildfires, Californians can prevent the blazes from spreading into populated areas.

A study measuring biological age in castrated sheep has yielded a discovery that could inform anti-aging research for people.

Animal conservationists plan to attempt the largest elephant rewilding ever, flying an entire herd from a U.K. zoo to Kenya to be released.

A study into the movement of hippos led to new research on anthrax outbreaks when some of the animals wearing GPS trackers contracted the disease.

The world’s smallest computer was used to figure out why one species of snail survived a situation that pushed more than 50 others into extinction.

Underwater microphones used to listen for signs of nuclear bomb testing have captured the singing of a population of rare pygmy blue whales.

A multicellular animal called the bdelloid rotifer has used cryptobiosis to survive in the Siberian permafrost for at least 24,000 years.

Some fish, such as the threespine stickleback, can respond to dramatic seasonal changes very quickly — genome sequencing reveals why.