Ancient Cat History
Humans and cats kept close company in a Chinese village 5,300 years ago.
Birds on Life Support
Hawaii’s birds face multiple threats, but one small thrush on the island of Kaua’i is a success story – so far.
Dead Ants & Wasp Nests
Bone house wasps place dead ants in their nests to ward off predators and parasites.
Moth Scent Detection
Odor pollution could impede moths’ abilities to pollinate flowers.
Fighting Counterfeit Eggs
Common cuckoos trick other birds into raising their young. But the hosts have evolved some defenses.
Fish-Eating Spiders
Some spider species fish go fishing for their dinner.
Komodo Dragon Housework
Housework may be killing female komodo dragons at an early age.
Baby Bird Passwords
An Australian bird thwarts nest invaders by requiring its young to sing a secret call to get fed.
Saving Monarchs
Scientists are looking into the causes of the monarch butterfly’s decline.
Wasp Drill Bits
Insects will go to great lengths to pass their genes down to the next generations, including resorting to “power tools” to bore deep into unripe fruit to lay their eggs.
Baby Birds & Dinosaurs
The way baby birds use their wings helps reveal how early winged dinosaurs used theirs.
Border Collies vs. Bacteria
Could border collies help clean up beaches?
Inside of a Whale
Scientists are just beginning to understand the specialized anatomical features that allow whale songs to propagate underwater.
Slinky Saber Cats
New research sheds light on physical adaptations that allowed saber-tooth cats to hunt prey.
Fish on Acid
Fish in acidified waters exhibit strange and often reckless behaviors.
Birds & Elephant Trees
Migratory gray vireos help elephant trees disperse their seeds in Baja, California.
Phylochip
A computer chip can test for a wide variety of microbes in the environment.
Robo-Clam
The Atlantic razor clam, famous for its digging prowess, is a model for potentially useful robots.
Deep Diving Whales
Beaked whales set the record for the deepest and longest dives of any marine mammals.
Harpy Eagles
Satellites and unmanned aircraft could help shed light on the lives of one of the world’s most elusive eagles.
EVOLUTION & EXTINCTION
EVOLUTION & EXTINCTION - (Encore Presentation) What really happened to Australia's missing megafauna, how carnivores lost their sweet tooth, why lovelorn fruit flies resort to alcohol, strategic miscarriages in monkeys, and a new frog species is discovered in plain sight.
Fisheries Bycatch
A global perspective is needed to cut down on the unintentional casualties of commercial fishing.
Saving Hawaiian Crows
The Hawaiian crow is recovering from a devastating population crash, with help from us.