Sperm and male sex organ extremes are revealed in a new study of more than 100 mammal species. The study also answers a question that has baffled scientists for years: Which is favored more during evolution, sperm size or sperm count? Quantity is key for mammals such as this roaring male lion, which can mate up to 60 times per day. The findings are published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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From a Maine man delivering a baby porcupine on the road to Indian villagers pulling up a 400-pound lion that had stumbled down a well, many humans came through for wildlife in 2014. (Bless the Internet for making these heroic actions available for our viewing pleasure.) But besides the awe-inspiring videos also came dire reports about the state of animals. Bees continued to die by the millions, thanks to decades of pesticide use. The number of poachers targeting giraffes—not just elephants—climbed. The World Wildlife Fund reported in September that the planet has lost 53 percent of its mammals, reptiles, birds, amphibians, and fish since 1970.
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There she blows! A humpback whale, dubbed Jerry by researchers, showed that some summer tourists come by sea, as the magnificent creature surfaced off the coast of the Big Apple. Jerry got a gorgeous glimpse of the Empire State Building, and surely must be heading to Broadway to take in a performance of “The Little Mermaid.” Scientists describe Jerry’s behavior as spyhopping, a move that’s much like humans treading water and allows the massive marine mammals to take a look at their surroundings.
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Rats are capable of feeling regret about their own actions, an emotion that has never previously been found in any other mammals apart from humans. Researchers set up a test called Restaurant Row in which the rats had to decide how long to wait for food. “It's like waiting in line at the restaurant,” Professor David Redish, of Minnesota University, told BBC Nature News. "If the line is too long at the Chinese restaurant, then you give up and go to the Indian restaurant across the street."
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