News
The funniest wildlife photos of 2026
A water buffalo wearing a plant hat, a praying mantis posing provocatively, and a clumsy bird: the finalists of the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2026 have been announced. Bionieuws selected twelve photographs and two videos from the shortlist.
Wing patterns leave birds confused
The colourful patterns on butterfly wings create optical illusions during flight, making it harder for birds to judge the speed and direction of a flying butterfly.
Bats originated in Europe after all
A new phylogenetic tree based on the genomes of 103 bat species and data from 44 fossils points to Europe as the cradle of bats. Echolocation, too, appears to have arisen early in their evolution.
Fluctuating body weight matters when fitting animals with trackers
Trackers used to follow animals are often permitted to weigh no more than 5 per cent of the animal's total body weight. Researchers show how body weight can fluctuate throughout the day – and how this affects both the animal and the research.
Big beak, loud call
From a modest chirp to an ear-splitting call: in 123 bird species, body size and bill width together prove to be the main factors associated with how loud they can be.
Orangutans learn to eat by watching and experimenting
Young orang-utans acquire their knowledge of food and foraging skills through both social and individual learning.
Sea reptiles swam to shore to vomit
To regurgitate shells and other indigestible components of their seafood meals, plesiosaurs swam into river deltas.
Human brain organoid grows inside a mouse brain riddled with holes
Researchers have created a mouse brain riddled with holes and allowed it to fill with human brain cells. The goal: brain organoids for research into congenital brain disorders.
Phage-producing gut bacterium protects mice against Salmonella
A genetically modified, bacteriophage-producing E. coli bacterium protects mice against Salmonella infections, provided it has already established itself in the gut before infection occurs.
Rare DNA mutation dramatically raises lung cancer risk in non-smokers
A very rare hereditary mutation substantially raises the risk of lung cancer, particularly in non-smokers. European colonists are thought to have brought the mutation variant to the Americas.