Through their studies of bones, fossils, and geology, paleontologists have uncovered the prehistoric worlds of Earth's past. We watch movies and TV shows of computer generated versions of long-extinct ...

This article was originally featured on The Conversation. Patterns on animal skin, such as zebra stripes and poison frog color patches, serve various biological functions, including temperature ...

A team of researchers has discovered new insights into the evolution of color patterns in frogs and toads -- collectively known as anurans. Animal color patterns can help them camouflage with their ...

Why do leopards have spots and zebras have stripes? Many biologists have tried to answer these questions and have provided interesting hypotheses, including camouflage, thermoregulation, and insect ...

The poison dart frog has plenty of enemies in the wild, from birds and bats, to snakes and fish. It has many ways of protecting itself: its poison ooze, its speed. But equally as effective are its ...

While you may not frequently visit humid environments, such as rainforests, the animal life in damp locations may look a bit ...

More than 70 years ago, mathematician Alan Turing proposed a mechanism that explained how patterns could emerge from bland uniformity. Scientists are still using his model—and adding new twists—to ...

Scientists studying ancient fossils of a small feathered dinosaur have discovered that it had a bandit’s mask as well as a striped tail, rather like today’s raccoons. The eye-catching plumage of ...

In many animals, skin coloration and its patterns play a crucial role in camouflage, communication, or thermoregulation. In the corn snake, some morphs display red, yellow, or pink blotches, and their ...

Animals do all sorts of things to attract each other as potential mates. Many birds, for example, produce feathers with ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. GrrlScientist writes about evolution, ecology, behavior and health. The giant panda's black and white markings are unique in the ...

Scientists have shown for the first time that there is a strong correlation between the complex patterns on male darters and their highly-variable environments. The findings support and expand upon ...