Animals with long limbs and lots of muscle should be faster than other animals. In reality, even though a giraffe has much longer legs than a cheetah, it runs only about half as fast. This is because there are other factors involved in acceleration and speed of animals, such as how much energy they have to burn. Listen to learn about how new research on animal speeds can give scientists clues about the lives of prehistoric animals.
Story Length: 2:30
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December 23, 2015
7:18
Elephants roar and stomp and make loud sounds. They also make other sounds too low for humans to hear. Researchers are studying the secret signals of elephants by living among them in Africa. The audible calls are just a fraction of the elephants’ conversation. They have a longer ear canal, bigger eardrums and can hear much lower frequencies than people can. Researchers have matched the rumbling sounds with specific behaviors, such as looking for a baby elephant or greeting each other. Listen to hear more about the hidden language of elephants.
Read MoreNovember 5, 2015
4:29
If you have looked closely at the eyes of different animals, you will notice their pupils come in various shapes: round, vertical or horizontal ovals or crescents. Scientists now think they know the reason behind the shape of some animals’ pupils. There is diversity in shape because it depends on how big the animal is and whether it’s a predator or prey. It also relates to their view of the horizon. Listen to hear more about the new discovery and what it can tell us about animals and evolution.
Read MoreJanuary 29, 2015
3:39
Great apes such as orangutans, chimpanzees and gorillas have long been known for their intelligence and have been thought to be early ancestors of humans. Orangutans who could whistle led scientists to discover even more fascinating orangutan vocalizations. Listen to learn more about this discovery and what it may mean for the origin of human speech.
Read MoreJuly 8, 2014
7:54
Fire ants are known as nature's "engineers" for their ability to morph, heal, and flow through continuous team work. They can build bridges as well as self-sustaining water rafts that can float for weeks. Listen to this public radio story to learn how they do it.
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