mammals

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Humans Became Monogamous to Stop Infanticide
 Humans Became 
 Monogamous to 
 Stop Infanticide 
in case you missed it
Aug 3, 2013 7:00 PM CDT

Humans Became Monogamous to Stop Infanticide

Study finds the origins of monogamy are not so romantic

(Newser) - Scientists believe they may have discovered the reason most humans, at least in theory, are so wedded to the idea of monogamy, and the answer ain't "true love." As a species, we became predominantly monogamous so other humans wouldn't kill our babies, according to a new...

Mammal Moms Can Choose Baby&#39;s Sex
 Mammal Moms Can 
 Choose Baby's Sex 
STUDY SAYS
Jul 11, 2013 4:35 PM CDT

Mammal Moms Can Choose Baby's Sex

They subconsciously produce boys or girls, based on a slew of factors

(Newser) - Call it "sneaky Machiavellian girl power," as the lead researcher does in the Washington Post . His study in PloS One concludes that female mammals have the innate ability to determine the sex of their offspring. It's not a conscious decision—the expectant moms somehow factor in a...

Discovered: How Whales Can Hold Their Breath Underwater

And why you can't

(Newser) - How come some mammals—like whales—can hold their breath underwater for up to an hour, while others—like you—can't? British biologists have figured it out. Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that deep sea diving mammals have more electrically charged proteins in their blood. The...

Meet the 66M-Year-Old Ancestor of Mammals

Scientists come up with theoretical creature

(Newser) - Say hello to your great-great-great-great-great-grandparents (times a few million or so)—Protungulatum donnae, a rat-sized insect eater believed to have lived 66 million years ago. A new six-year study of the mammalian family tree, looking at DNA and anatomical evidence in greater detail than ever before, has identified Protungulatum donnae...

Dinosaurs Were Felled by ... Their Eggs?
 Dinosaurs Were Felled 
 by ... Their Eggs? 
new theory
Apr 18, 2012 1:56 PM CDT

Dinosaurs Were Felled by ... Their Eggs?

Scientists think it doomed them in ecosystem

(Newser) - Why did mammals manage to survive the apocalyptic event that killed off the dinosaurs, while the terrible lizards disappeared from the face of the earth? Thanks to a mathematical model, a group of researchers think they've figured out the culprit: Eggs. Because dinosaurs laid eggs, their young were born...

Animals Face Obesity Epidemic, Too
Animals
Face Obesity Epidemic, Too
Nov 28, 2010 2:27 PM CST

Animals Face Obesity Epidemic, Too

Pets, wild animals, even research animals gaining weight

(Newser) - America is suffering from an obesity epidemic —and not just among the humans. A new study of more than 20,000 animals shows that even family pets, wild critters that live close to humans, and research animals are getting fatter, Scientific American reports. The biostatistician who published the study...

Mammals Grew Huge After Dino Die-Off

With less competition for vegetation, they 'exploded' in size

(Newser) - Mammals were a lot smaller before the dinosaurs went extinct—but got really, really, really big once dinos were gone, scientists say. New research published in the journal Science shows that, over the course of 25 million years, the largest mammals increased in size 1,000-fold from the time of...

Half Zebra, Half Donkey, All Adorable

Baby 'zedonk' scores off the charts on the cute scale

(Newser) - Zebras and donkeys and zedonks, oh my! A wildlife reserve in Georgia is home to the United States' first known zedonk, the offspring of a female donkey and a male zebra. The preserve’s general manager said, “The animals have been running together for more than 40 years, but...

Pandas Freed to Give Birth in the Wild

Experts will monitor captive-born animals in forest

(Newser) - Four pregnant giant pandas are on the loose in a forest near the reserve where the captive-bred animals normally live, and they'll be allowed to give birth and raise their offspring there, the Xinhua News Agency reports. "We hope the mothers can teach their cubs life skills to help...

Why Na'vi Have Breasts
 Why Na'vi Have Breasts 
Feb 25, 2010 5:12 AM CST

Why Na'vi Have Breasts

Because director James Cameron milks audience lust

(Newser) - OK, they're small, but Na'vi women definitely have them: Breasts. But why? They're extraterrestrials, not mammals, who don't need them to nurse their babies. So why are they there? Simple. "Because this is a movie for human people," director James Cameron explained in an Inside the Actors Studio...

Footloose Llama Safe After Odyssey in Rockies
Footloose
Llama Safe
After Odyssey
in Rockies
happy ending
Oct 4, 2009 4:38 PM CDT

Footloose Llama Safe After Odyssey in Rockies

'Homer' spent about a month on the lam

(Newser) - A llama who went on the lam in the Rocky Mountains is safe and sound after a month on his own. Christened "Homer" by a volunteer rescuer "because of his little odyssey," the 6-month-old has frostbitten ears but is otherwise in decent shape. Theories about the...

Tai Shan Turns 4
 Tai Shan Turns 4  
birthday slideshow
Jul 9, 2009 4:05 PM CDT

Tai Shan Turns 4

(Newser) - Tai Shan, the giant panda who captivated the world as a cub, turned 4 today and celebrated with a huge birthday cake only an animal could love. The three-tiered concoction was a frozen medley of water, beet juice, shredded beets, and bamboo, WTOP reports. Tai Shan, who is now considered...

Mammals Evolve Faster in Hot Weather: Study

Faster metabolism thought to be why

(Newser) - Evolution happens faster in warmer climates, a new study finds. Researchers found that DNA changes more frequently among mammals in the species-rich tropics than among comparable species elsewhere, the BBC reports. Scientists believe the germ cells that become sperm and eggs divide more often in hotter weather, perhaps because those...

BBC Film Crew Captures 'Arctic Unicorns'

Elusive narwhals tracked on icy migration

(Newser) - A BBC crew has captured on film a hauntingly majestic pod of narwhals, their unicorn-like tusks slicing through Arctic waters. It's believed to be the first such film of the mysterious, elusive mammals, reports the BBC. The aerial team spotted the animals last summer as they negotiated their way through...

Long-Living Whales Shed Light on Menopause

Females see offspring through to maturity

(Newser) - Stumped scientists finally have a clue about the evolutionary purpose of post-menopausal women. Female killer whales—who outlive males by decades—stick around to nurture their kin through maturity, the Los Angeles Times reports. Similarly, human mamas may stick around to ensure their kids really, truly, don't need them anymore....

One-Quarter of Mammal Species Imperiled: Survey

Deforestation, climate change among culprits threatening 1,141 types of beasts

(Newser) - Nearly 25% of the world’s mammal species face extinction, the Guardian reports, and 3% are critically endangered. The stark conclusion, based on research conducted over 5 years in 130 countries, paints an especially bleak picture for marine mammals, the highly regarded Red List says. "We are threatening the...

Bucki the Whale Escapes Baltic for Open Ocean

The humpback strayed into the small sea in July

(Newser) - Bucki's going home, a little thinner but seemingly none the worse for wear. The humpback whale, which strayed into the Baltic Sea in July, has finally made his way back into the Atlantic Ocean, Der Spiegel reports. The whale is only the third in modern history spotted in German waters...

Here's Why Platypus Look So Goofy
Here's Why Platypus Look So Goofy
May 7, 2008 7:00 PM CDT

Here's Why Platypus Look So Goofy

Scientist decode its DNA, see part mammal, part reptile

(Newser) - Scientists have decoded the genome of the duck-billed platypus, National Geographic reports, with their findings as interesting as they expected. Research, published in Nature, confirms that the platypus is the earliest living offshoot of mammalian evolution, yet retains many genetic throwbacks to reptilian ancestors thought to have lived 300 million...

New Moms Use Natural Remedy for Depression

Placenta thought to help regulate volatile hormones

(Newser) - People think it's weird, and there's no research to prove it works, but new mothers  who've suffered from postpartum depression swear by it. The placenta that nourished the baby is injested by the new mom—dried and put into gelatin capsules, or just plain cooked and eaten. The placenta is...

Iraqis Go on Alert as Mammoth Badgers Stalk City

Locals blame British troops for badger invasion

(Newser) - Badgers have invaded Basra, Iraq, spurring fears of a man-eating monster on the loose in the port city. Despite Iraqi scientists' assurances that the creatures are not dangerous to humans, locals demonize the oversized carnivores and blame British troops for for unleashing them. The badgers "don't stalk humans and...

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