Engineers and biologists join forces to reveal how seals evolved to swim
Seals and sea lions are fast swimming ocean predators that use their flippers to literally fly through the water. But not all seals are the same: some swim with their front flippers while others propel themselves with their back feet. Read more
Newly identified giant saber-toothed cat roamed North America 5-9 million years ago
A giant saber-toothed cat lived in North America between 5 million and 9 million years ago, weighing up to 900 pounds and hunting prey that likely weighed 1,000 to 2,000 pounds, scientists reported today in a new study. Read more
Tiny cat-sized stegosaur leaves its mark
A single footprint left by a cat-sized dinosaur around 100 million years ago has been discovered in China by an international team of palaeontologists. Read more
Milk prebiotics are the cat's meow
If you haven't been the parent or caregiver of an infant in recent years, you'd be forgiven for missing the human milk oligosaccharide trend in infant formulas. These complex carbohydrate supplements mimic human breast milk and act like prebiotics, boosting beneficial microbes in babies Read more
Could catnip become the new insect repellent?
New research may have people heading to their backyard instead of the store at the outset of this year's mosquito season. Read more
African leopard: A cat of all trades
The leopard stands out as an elusive, versatile, and adaptable animal. Researchers have just published the first genomic data for the African subspecies of the leopard. The results showed an exceptionally high genetic diversity compared to other top predators, transforming our understanding of popul Read more
Play and meaty food reduce hunting by cats
Domestic cats hunt wildlife less if owners play with them daily and feed them a meat-rich food, new research shows. Read more
Novel immunotherapy approach to treat cat allergy
Researchers brought forward the potential of high doses of a specific adjuvant molecule, namely CpG oligonucleotide, in successfully modulating the immune system's allergic response to the main cat allergen Fel d 1, thereby inducing a tolerance-promoting reaction and reverting the main hallmark Read more
Ocean toxin a heartbreaking threat for sea otters
Heart disease is a killer threat for southern sea otters feasting on domoic acid in their food web. Climate change projections indicate that toxic blooms and domoic acid exposure will continue to rise. Read more
Energy spent avoiding humans associated with smaller home ranges for male pumas
New research shows that fear of humans causes mountain lions to increase their energy expenditures as they move through the landscape, and this can ultimately limit the size of the home ranges they're able to maintain. Read more
Study identifies exposure to common food-borne pathogen linked to rare brain cancer
A new study suggests a link between toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection and the risk of glioma, a type of brain cancer, in adults. Read more
Tasmanian tiger pups found to be extraordinary similar to wolf pups
Researchers find more similarities between the thylacine and wolf. Read more
Mysterious family life of notorious saber-toothed tiger
New research indicates adolescent offspring of the menacing saber-toothed predator, Smilodon fatalis, were more momma's cubs than independent warriors. Read more
Rare footage captured of jaguar killing ocelot at waterhole
In what may be a sign of climate-change-induced conflict, researchers have captured rare photographic evidence of a jaguar killing another predatory wild cat at an isolated waterhole in Guatemala. Read more
Genetic engineering without unwanted side effects helps fight parasites
Modified CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing scissors are enabling researchers to make alterations to the genetic material of single-cell organisms that are indistinguishable from natural mutations. This method is making it possible to develop a (harmless) experimental live vaccine for the widespread parasite Read more
Ferrets, cats and civets most susceptible to coronavirus infection after humans
An analysis of ten different species finds that humans -- followed by ferrets and, to a lesser extent cats, civets and dogs -- are the most susceptible animals to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Read more
Jaguars robust to climate extremes but lack of food threatens species
Researchers lead a world-first investigation into the chances of wild jaguars surviving climate extremes with six scenarios modelling the behavior, mating, births of cubs, competition, illegal hunting, death from starvation and availability of prey. Read more
