New Scientist

A comparison of the thylacine’s genome to other marsupials has revealed that the creatures lost genetic diversity long before humans and dingoes arrived in Australia

The rare sailback houndshark, which has an unusually large dorsal fin, was first described by scientists in 1973. That was the last record of its existence, until now

Microbes found buried deep in Siberian permafrost may be able to survive over extremely long timescales using protein repair genes

Scientists have long and studiously avoided claiming that other animals have language. Now, using the power of AI, they are on the verge of deciphering one

Robin Hammond's photographs show the conservation battle to eradicate three species introduced to New Zealand, in order to protect the island nation's birds

A dietary supplement made from engineered yeast could help honeybees thrive despite the declining availability of high-quality pollen in their environment

Nine species of fungi and bacteria have been found in cocoa beans that produce fine chocolate, and this knowledge could help producers develop better flavours

Connecting tubes between bacteria and a kind of microbe called archaea may reflect a symbiotic relationship that led to complex cells more than 2 billion years ago

As part of the exhibition Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, photographer M'hammed Kilito's images showcase the importance and fragility of humanity's relationship with fresh water

Typically, individuals work less effectively in bigger teams, but weaver ants buck this trend by increasing their power output when they pull together

The deformed wing and sacbrood viruses were thought to cause asymptomatic infections in adult bees. But the viruses make the insects fly slower and faster than normal, respectively

A proclivity for dancing seems to be found in at least 10 species of cockatoo, and the birds will even jive to white noise or a financial podcast

Social media influencers are convinced that the number of lobes on the base of a bell pepper give us information about its sex and taste. James Wong debunks this myth with some science

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

From squat toadstools to web-like mushrooms, images from Funga Obscura celebrate some of the most striking fungi on our planet

Differences in the skulls of carnivorous dinosaurs suggest some dinosaurs ripped flesh while others crushed bones

The recoded bacterium uses only 57 of the 64 possible genetic codes, freeing up seven to be used for different purposes

Around 8 million years ago, an ancestor of modern tomatoes in South America hydridised with a plant called Etuberosum, and this reshuffling of genes gave rise to the potato

Several researchers who have been critical of Colossal Biosciences’ plans to revive extinct animals say they have been targeted by online articles trying to discredit them

Marine biologist Helen Scales's latest book, Ocean Art: From the shore to the deep, celebrates humans' enduring obsession with creatures that live beneath the waves