Carl Zimmer

The Loom

Why Dodos (and Lions and Tortoises) Matter

Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba). (Image Credit: Nicole Hellessey)

Antarctic krill

Learn more about how the smell of penguin poo causes krill to stop eating and move frantically. 

The Scent of Penguin Poo Causes Krill to Zigzag Away

Ferruaspis brocksi is the first fossil freshwater Australian Smelt to be found in Australia. (Image Courtesy of: Laura Martin)

Well preserved fish fossil shows stomach content

An unusually well-preserved Australian fossil reveals details about the diet, behavior, and appearance of a 15-million-year-old aquatic species.

Stunning New Fossil Find Shows Stomach Contents and Color of Ancient Fish

Mount Spurr in Alaska erupting in August 1992. Credit: R.G. McGimsey, Alaska Volcano Observatory / U.S. Geological Survey

Spurr Erupting in 1992

With Spurr rumbling near Anchorage, let's look at some of the largest eruptions in the most volcanically active state of the U.S.

Alaska's Largest Eruptions in the Past 10,000 Years

Birds-of-paradise

Learn why scientists say it’s a rare case of animals exploiting their glow for visual signaling.

Birds-of-Paradise Use Biofluorescence to Attract Mates

(Image Credit: Paul Schenk Photography/Shutterstock) 

Mount Spurr Alaska

Learn more about the likelihood of an explosive Mount Spurr eruption, which would spew clouds of ash into the air above southcentral Alaska. 

Activity at Alaska’s Mount Spurr Suggests That The Volcano Is About To Erupt

A Fijian crested iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis) resting on a coconut palm on the island of Fiji in the South Pacific. The four species of iguanas that inhabit Fiji and Tonga today are descended from ancestors that colonized the island within the past 34 million years, probably by rafting 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean from western North America. (Image Credit: Nicholas Hess)

The Fiji iguana Brachylophus vitiensis

Learn more about Fiji’s iguana species and how they likely used natural rafts to float to Fiji some 34 million years ago. 

Iguanas Floated 5,000 Miles to Colonize Fiji Millions of Years Ago

Why Dodos (and Lions and Tortoises) Matter

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