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Scientists in Japan have discovered Physalia mikazuki, a previously unknown species of Portuguese man-of-war, in northern waters for the first time. DNA and anatomical analysis confirmed it as distinct from tropical relatives. Ocean simulations suggest warming currents transported it northward, offering new clues about changing ecosystems. The find underscores both marine adaptation and safety concerns…

For nearly 100 years, scientists have been intrigued by the fossils of Paranthropus robustus, a sturdy, distant cousin of early humans. This upright-walking hominin was built for chewing tough foods, equipped with powerful jaws and large teeth coated in thick enamel. Researchers believe it lived in southern Africa between 2.25 million and 1.7 million years…

Where you live could have a powerful influence on how your brain functions and your chances of developing dementia, according to new research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The study, recently featured in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging (a journal of the Alzheimer’s Association), found that people residing in neighborhoods…

The coelacanth is often called a “living fossil,” once believed to have vanished millions of years ago before a live specimen was unexpectedly caught in the Indian Ocean in 1938. Since that surprise discovery, more individuals have been found, yet their ancient fossil record remains incomplete. In a new paper published in the Journal of…

Right in time for Halloween, astronomers have spotted what looks like a flying bat soaring above the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO’s) Paranal site in Chile. Using its wide field of view, the VLT Survey Telescope (VST) captured a vast cloud of cosmic gas and dust whose ghostly shape mirrors a bat’s silhouette. Located about 10,000…

Researchers from Aarhus University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) have found that small bats can rival lions in hunting efficiency, and sometimes even surpass them. To observe how fringe-lipped bats (Trachops cirrhosus), tiny meat-eaters native to Panama’s forests, hunt in their natural environment, scientists fitted 20 individuals with miniature “backpacks.” These biologging devices…