Nature : Science World Report

May 12, 2015 10:45 AM EDT

Lifeguard Rats Will Save Another Rat from Drowning

Rats may be more compassionate toward their fellows than you might have thought. Scientists have discovered that a rat will stick out a paw for another rat to hold onto if it's drowning. Not only that, but this is especially true for rats that have previously had a near-drowning experience.

May 12, 2015 09:57 AM EDT

Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Caused Marine Mollusk Extinction--But Not from Ocean Acidification

A massive asteroid slammed into Earth about 66 million years ago, causing the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. But dinosaurs weren't the only ones to disappear. Scientists have found that mollusks may have also vanished after this catastrophic event.

May 12, 2015 09:40 AM EDT

Wine Grape Vineyards May Help Butterfly Conservation

There may be more incentives to create wine. It turns out that wine grape vineyards are causing an increase in butterflies in Washington.

May 12, 2015 09:29 AM EDT

How Bird Beaks Evolved from Dinosaur Snouts

Where did the bird's beak come from? In order to answer that question, you need to take a look back at dinosaurs--and that's exactly what a team of scientists did.

May 12, 2015 09:10 AM EDT

Massive Bird Invasions from the North Linked to Climate Shifts

It sounds more like something out of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds than something that's actually occurring: bird invasions. Scientists have found that vast numbers birds are migrating hundreds of thousands of miles south from their usual winter range.

May 11, 2015 02:56 PM EDT

Increased Carbon Dioxide Causes European Forests to Increase Water-Use Efficiency

Scientists have found that increased CO2 actually increases the water-use efficiency of European broadleaf and coniferous trees.

May 11, 2015 02:07 PM EDT

The Cousin of the Velociraptor Had a Keen Nose to Sniff Out and Hunt Prey

A certain dinosaur that was closely related to Velociraptor may have had a keen sense of smell that caused it to be a formidable predator.

May 11, 2015 06:56 AM EDT

Hidden Waves Beneath the World's Oceans Mapped to Reveal Heat and Nutrient Cycling

Scientists are taking a closer look at the ocean in order to better understand the rolling, internal waves beneath its surface that displace massive amounts of water and push heat and vital nutrients up from the deep ocean.

May 11, 2015 06:34 AM EDT

Ancient 500-Million-Year-Old Brain Reveals Insights into the Evolution of Early Heads

An ancient brain is telling scientists a bit more about the origins of early heads. Researchers have found a fossil brain more than 500 million years old that reveals a bit more about the process of evolution.

May 08, 2015 09:56 AM EDT

Hormones in Animal Agriculture May Persist in the Environment Far Longer Than Expected

Most people are aware that hormones are used in animal agriculture. Now, though, scientists have found that the environmental exposure to these hormones may be greater than anyone realized.

May 08, 2015 09:21 AM EDT

Threats to Soil Productivity Risks Food Supplies

It turns out that we need to save our soil if we want to save our food supply. Scientists have taken a closer look at the world's soil resources and the possible ramifications for human food security in a new study.

May 07, 2015 05:51 PM EDT

Record Global Carbon Dioxide Levels Surpass 400 Ppm

Carbon dioxide concentrations are skyrocketing. Scientists have found that for the first time since tracking, monthly global average concentrations of this greenhouse gas has surpassed 400 parts per million in March 2015.