Do Animals Have a Sixth Sense? Science Says Yes - A-Z Animals

When we think of rivers, we imagine water flowing freely from source to sea. But for some of the world's great waterways, their natural state is to be blocked or dammed by fallen trees – on a massive scale. Today, the world's largest tree-blockages or logjams can be found in the delta of Canada's mighty Mackenzie River. . While the word 'logjam' is a byword for life's annoying obstacles, recent studies have shown that river logjams are vital for wildlife and human communities, and are crucial stores of carbon.

An artist's illustration of the new theropod dinosaur, Invictibellatrix amberina (center of the image), in its ecosystem on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom, in the Early Cretaceous (around 120 million years ago). It lived in what was likely a seasonally wet-to-dry floodplain environment and is surrounded by other dinosaurs including large long-necked rebbachisaurid sauropods (directly behind Invictibellatrix, center) and relatives of Iguanodon (right). A spinosaurid theropod, potentially the apex predator of the time, fishes (left). Invictibellatrix has just caught and is consuming two small mammals. Gymnosperms dominate the environment as flowering plants (angiosperms) were not common at this time. Other reptiles including relatives of modern lizards, crocodiles and turtles enjoy the warm Early Cretaceous weather of the U. K. Credit: Sergey Krasovskiy and Pedro Salas The fossilized skull of a new species of mysterious meat-eating dinosaur from the Isle of Wight has been rediscovered in the collections of the Natural History Museum after over 100 years in storage.

Scientists have identified a remarkable protein switch that influences whether cells burn fat or store it. Disabling this protein increases fat consumption and interferes with the formation of new fat cells, raising the possibility of a different approach to treating obesity. Subsequent research has strengthened the discovery, revealing that the same protein helps regulate how much energy the body burns. What if one of the keys to fighting obesity lies not in suppressing appetite, but in changing how the body's cells use energy?

The tiny remains of the Laurentide Ice Sheet began getting somewhat less tiny. Baffin Island is a good location for ice sheets to spend their retirement.

New aquabot offers a way to design small, efficient “biohybrid” robots. Continue reading MIT’s paper-thin robot swims with power from living cells on Tech Explorist .

Five spooky skywatching targets perfect for naked eye stargazing this Halloween!