Biology

Emus might look ungainly when they pick up pace, but they’re actually very efficient runners, a new study suggests.

Researchers and local Indigenous people say a beautifully preserved metre-wide and 40-centimetres-high tree stump may be a thousand-year-old messenger with a story to share about climate change.

A $21 million philanthropic investment in a new medical research centre in Melbourne will see "spatial biology" technologies used to better diagnose diseases.

Japanese researchers have captured a surprising escape tactic used by juvenile eels, and they aren't the only animal that can escape digestion.

The permafrost is melting and scientists are racing to collect ancient viruses trapped in the ice to understand how they’ve adapted to shifting climate over millennia.

The staggering array of penis shapes and sizes in nature can tell scientists a surprising amount about the evolution of animal biology and behaviour. Heads up: you might get a few questions if you're reading this on your commute or at work.

The number of little penguins on Kangaroo Island has dropped by more than 70 per cent since 2011, but there's hope that work to rid the island of cats will help their fortunes.

Scientists are piecing together a picture of how Australia's extinct giant kangaroos moved.

More than 3,400 southern corroboree frog eggs have been released into their natural habitat in the NSW Snowy Mountains in the hope of bringing the iconic species back from the brink of extinction.

What is a baby platypus called? Where is Planet Nine? Are you an uber geek? There's only one way to find out — take this quiz.

A video shared online shows the scale of these reptiles as one of the researchers swims alongside a 200-kilogram specimen.

Researchers say they have found dangerous chemicals in little penguin habitat and populations around Tasmania.

Scientists report cloning a monkey using a technique that most famously gave us Dolly the sheep in 1996. So what's new about this study, and what does it mean for humans?

For two million years, Gigantopithecus blacki roamed the forests of what is now southern China. A new study claims to discover when — and why — it went extinct.

Rats have a reputation for being disease-carrying vermin. But some experts say this is overshadowing the intelligence and potential of some rat species.

The cicada's distinctive courtship call is the soundtrack to an Australian summer and in parts of the country it's the most penetrating it's been in years. Just look out for "cicada rain".

The endemic White's seahorse has been in decline for decades, but now hundreds have been raised in captivity and released around Sydney Harbour, the latest in Clontarf tidal pool.

Conservationists say it was "incredible" to find that a Manning River turtle had laid a dozen precious eggs as part of a breeding program aimed at saving the critically endangered species.

In eastern Australia, the arrival of the summer holidays has traditionally been heralded by big iridescent beetles known as Christmas beetles. How many are there this year?

Thousands of visitors have travelled to see a lane lined with glowing fungi in an isolated SA forest, but there is concern the rare mushrooms have stopped growing.