The discovery of Typhlichthys styx shows that cave-adapted species can continue evolving and splitting into new species, with underground aquifers playing a crucial role in that process. Researchers at Yale have identified a previously unknown species of eyeless cavefish, a finding that challenges the long-standing view that caves and other underground habitats are evolutionary dead [...]

Scientists have discovered a new spider species in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest that uses an unprecedented form of mimicry. Deep in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, researchers encountered what appeared to be an ordinary mushroom clinging to the underside of a leaf. On closer inspection, however, the strange growth revealed itself to be something far more unexpected: a [...]

A newly discovered crocodile relative from the Triassic had a beak, tiny arms, and walked on two legs, making it look more like an ostrich-like dinosaur than a crocodile. During the Triassic Period, the ancestors of many modern animal groups were branching into an astonishing variety of shapes and lifestyles. Evolution was experimenting with body [...]

Scientists have uncovered a fish-hunting raptor from Patagonia that may have stalked prey like a giant prehistoric heron. A newly identified dinosaur from Patagonia is giving scientists fresh insight into how some raptor relatives lived during the final chapter of the age of dinosaurs. The species, named Kank australis, appears to have spent much of [...]

A sesame-seed-sized sea slug discovered in Taiwan is revealing a hidden world of tiny ocean life. A newly identified species of sea slug, so small that it is barely larger than a sesame seed, has been discovered in the coastal waters of Keelung, Taiwan. The tiny marine animal, named Thecacera sesama, features a translucent body [...]

A tiny worm discovered in the Great Salt Lake could help scientists better understand the origins and resilience of life in extreme environments. Its story remains largely a mystery. The Great Salt Lake is famous for brine shrimp, brine flies, and water so salty that few animals can survive in it. Now scientists have added [...]

A newly discovered tiny blue octopus from the Galápagos is a striking reminder that the deep ocean still holds countless secrets. The Galápagos Islands, located off the coast of Ecuador, are famous for their remarkable wildlife. More than a thousand species of plants and animals found there exist nowhere else on Earth, including giant tortoises [...]

A new green pitviper species discovered in Sichuan, China, was confirmed through genetic analysis and named after the philosopher Laozi. A newly identified pitviper with bright grass-green scales and amber-colored eyes has been discovered in the misty mountains of western Sichuan, China. Researchers from the Chengdu Institute of Biology and the Giant Panda National Park [...]

Scientists discovered a tiny wall-dwelling spider that preys on common urban pests and may aid natural pest control. Its resemblance to a distant Galapagos species suggests a possible evolutionary link. Researchers from several South American institutions have expanded understanding of the Pikelinia spider genus with the discovery of a new crevice weaver species, Pikelinia floydmuraria. [...]

A newly discovered beetle on campus has led to the first major update in Japanese ladybird classification in 50 years. A routine look at a campus pine tree has led to an unexpected scientific discovery. At Kyushu University in Japan, researchers have identified a previously unknown species of ladybird beetle living in plain sight, underscoring [...]

A frog species known since 1838 may actually be several different species, according to a new genetic study of Southeast Asia’s “fanged frogs.” When people hear about the discovery of a new species, they often picture something straight out of an adventure story, according to Chan Kin Onn of Michigan State University. “Most people have [...]

A blade-crested Spinosaurus discovered in the Sahara is rewriting the final chapter of dinosaur evolution. A study published in Science reports the discovery of Spinosaurus mirabilis, a newly identified spinosaurid species from Niger. The fossils were uncovered in a remote part of the central Sahara by a 20-member team led by Paul Sereno, PhD, Professor [...]