A new species of vampire bat has started to feed on human blood
Hairy-legged bat was thought to feed only on bird blood, but human disruption of its habitat made it change tack.
A tropical peatland the size of England has just been discovered after hiding in plain sight
The enormous Cuvette Centrale peatland holds about 30 billion tonnes of carbon.
People notice black actors are black, but struggle to see that white actors are white
Why is it so hard to guess what three white people have in common?
Mysterious nodules on 800-year-old skeleton from Troy contain intact DNA of deadly bacteria
The unprecedented discovery reveals details of the history of maternal health in the Byzantine era.
Bird species are slowly disappearing from England because of climate change and habitat loss
Cold-loving birds are losing their habitats, but some butterflies are thriving.
What do puppies and babies have in common? Baby talk works on both
Speaking at a higher pitch and clearly articulating words is particularly exciting for puppies, but not older dogs.
Dire wolves vs sabre-tooth tigers: When the megafauna died, who went first?
New research overturns the idea that more ecologically unique species are the most vulnerable.
Don't blame weather for your aches and pains – scientists claim to bust a myth dating from Roman times
A pair of studies suggests weather pain is imaginary, going against widespread anecdotal reports.
Potentially deadly toxic shellfish outbreaks to become more common as climate change warms our oceans
El Niño and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation also lead to a build-up of toxins in shellfish.
Here are the top moments in modern British history according to artificial intelligence
What happens when computers take a look at the historical trends that are too big to see?
What are the biggest environmental disappointments of Obama's time in office?
Barack Obama has a good reputation when it comes to the environment, but he left quite a few loose ends.
Police set up smog squad to crack down on causes of choking Beijing air pollution
Industry, weather and geography conspire to make Beijing a hotspot for toxic smog.
A stressful past makes a male more attractive as a sex partner, but only if he's coped well
Under the right conditions, a male's stressful past can be a turn on for females.
Majestic beluga whales respond erratically to summer sea ice loss in the Arctic
Some beluga whales are delaying their return to more southerly seas for winter for more than a month.
Nasa reveals deep-space 'treasure trove' of supermassive black holes
X-rays and data from the Hubble Telescope show the densest cluster of black holes ever observed.
'Rare and exquisite' 52-million-year-old fossil fruits discovered with papery skins still intact
Tomatillo fruit fossils show family evolved tens of millions of years earlier than thought.
Humans lived on the Tibetan Plateau during the last ice age - 7,000 years earlier than previously thought
A new analysis puts the estimated date of permanent occupation of Chusang, Tibet, back by thousands of years.
Arctic coastlines turn to mudslides as they collapse at a rate of more than 20m a year
Traditional ways of life in the Arctic and marine life at risk as the coasts collapse.
Living near busy roads linked to increased risk of developing dementia
Pollution is thought to be the main cause for the link, but factors such as noise could play a role too.
Polar bear cubs are 1,000 times over the limit for toxic pollutants in the Arctic
Chemicals banned decades ago are still present in the Arctic, while levels of new toxic pollutants are rising.
The famous 'global warming hiatus' of the early 21st Century never existed, new data confirm
NOAA's scientists weren't cooking the books, the independent data suggests.
Miniature wild cats get on well with their larger cousins in well protected forests
Adult oncillas can weigh as little as 1.5kg, and are sensitive to the nature conservancy status of their habitat.
The Day After Tomorrow? Atlantic current that keeps Europe warm at risk of collapse
Faltering activity of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current has been linked to colder winters.
Inside of ancient shark skull reveals evolutionary origins of eerie ghost sharks
Mysterious ghost sharks share features with prehistoric symmoriiform sharks
A new organ has been identified in the human body – here's how doctors missed it for centuries
Leonardo da Vinci first noticed the body part in the 1500s, but its true structure has only just been officially recognised.
A common vitamin supplement has been banned in France after a 10-day-old baby's death
Uvesterol D is being investigated by French health authorities.
Extremely rare galaxy with blue and red concentric rings of stars discovered
Scientists say they have never seen anything quite like it before.
10 times Obama fought to preserve the natural world and save the environment
He didn't come into office as a climate crusader, but Obama has made strides in tackling climate change.
'A big moment for women's health' – genetic basis found for premenstrual mood disorder
The discovery could lead to evidence-based treatments for a disorder that has a profound effect on women's lives.
Why did dinosaurs go extinct but birds survived? Answer revealed - in eggs
Dinosaurs were lumbered with an evolutionary 'dead man's hand' that birds escaped.
