National Geographic and Animal Planet

The extinct mammal Uintatherium , depicted here in a postage stamp from Cambodia, lived about 56 million years ago and resembled a rhino with six stubby horns—and long fangs. Photograph by DBI Studio, Alamy Stock Photo Science Not all saber-toothed animals were predators, fossils reveal Massive fangs weren't just for delivering ferocious blows. They were also used for courtship and other displays—even among herbivores. 4 Minute Read By Riley Black PUBLISHED July 27, 2020 No cat is quite like Smilodon . This Ice Age predator, which could exceed the size of the largest living tigers, relied on incredible limb strength to grapple prey to the ground before sinking seven-inch canines into an exposed belly or throat. In museums, pulp nov

Pets and People Mosquito Control and Preventing Diseases They Transmit Mosquitoes don’t have to be an unavoidable part of summer. Thinkstock With spring comes mosquitos. In addition to being a nuisance and causing severe reactions to bites in some people, mosquitos can also transmit diseases including malaria and St. Louis encephalitis in humans, equine encephalomyelitis in horses, heartworm disease in dogs and cats, and West Nile virus in many species. What are mosquitos? Mosquitos are insects, thus related to lice, fleas, and flies. Mosquitos have six legs, a pair of wings, compound

Moderna’s mRNA vaccine reaches its final phase. Here's how it works. The biotech firm's leading candidate has just entered phase three clinical trials in the U.S. Find out why this vaccine technology is promising—but not without its skeptics. 7 Minute Read By Nsikan Akpan PUBLISHED July 27, 2020 A promising coronavirus vaccine candidate hit another milestone this week, when Moderna Therapeutics began phase three of clinical trials. The move signals the biotech company and the National Institutes of Health, which are collaborating on the trial, are one step away from bringing the drug to the public and commercial markets. After nearly seven months of global deaths and economic shutdowns wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, people