Deep in the ice caves of the Shawangunk Ridge in New York state lives a tiny crustacean with unique abilities. Despite being eyeless, it can still detect some wavelengths of visible light. And it has no problem with being frozen solid during the frigid winters. Read more in New Scientist.
animals
Male scent stimulates female goats’ fertility
Single pheromone found to induce ovulation. The distinctive aroma of goats does more than just make barnyards extra fragrant. Male goats can use their heady scent to make female goats ovulate simply by being near them. Researchers had ascribed this ‘male effect’ to chemicals known as primer pheromones — a chemical signal that can cause […]
Discovery of organ explains koalas’ super-bass notes
Throat structure explains why male mating calls are bizarrely deeper than expected for the animal’s size. For such diminutive animals, male koalas have an uncannily deep voice. The pitch of their bellowing mating call is 20 times lower than would be anticipated for their size, and more like something you would hear from an elephant, […]