Sponges : Discovery News

Earth's Animals Face Grim Future

Posted by Jennifer Viegas Thu Sep 2, 2010 02:01 PM ET | 0

A major extinction event is taking place now, with many wondering what animals will disappear from the planet forever. Read more

Oldest Animal Life on Earth Found?

Posted by Jennifer Viegas Tue Aug 17, 2010 01:01 PM ET | 0

Dating to 650 million years ago, evidence of primitive sponges pushes the fossil record back by about 70 million years. Read more

Clever, Tiny Squid Roamed Pre-Dino Seas

Posted by Jennifer Viegas Wed May 26, 2010 01:00 PM ET | 0

The newly found animal, a relative of squids, octopuses and cuttlefish, shows how successful cephalopods are. Read more

Fossils Push Animal Life Back Millions of Years : Discovery News

Posted Tue Jun 30, 2009 09:24 PM ET

Animal life first appeared on Earth tens of millions of years earlier than thought, say scientists. Read more

Ancestor For All Animals Identified : Discovery News

Posted Tue Jun 30, 2009 09:24 PM ET

A sperm-looking creature called monosiga is the closest living surrogate to the ancestor of all animals, according to new research that also determined animal evolution may not always follow a trajectory from simple to complex. Read more

Sponge-Like Peat Bogs Could Offset Sea Level Rise: Discovery News

Posted Thu May 28, 2009 04:15 AM ET

Like giant sponges draped across the land, peat bogs may soak up enough water to partially offset global sea level rise, according to a new study. Read more

Sea Creatures Inspire CO2 Sponge: Discovery News

Posted Wed May 20, 2009 05:55 AM ET

The porous structure of sea cucumbers could be the perfect model to create a sponge that absorbs C02 and boosts hydrogen fuel production, said an Australian researcher. Read more

Animals Just Like to Have Fun, Survey Finds: Discovery News

Posted Fri May 15, 2009 09:29 AM ET

From tickling to playing catch, animals engage in certain behaviors just for fun, even enjoying sensations that are unknown to humans, concludes an extensive new survey on pleasure in the animal kingdom. Read more

IM Interview: The Science of Superorganisms

Posted by Larry O'Hanlon Wed Feb 25, 2009 06:11 PM ET | 0

We tend to think of microbes as primitive and simple. But it's looking like they can act in concert as the Earth's largest organisms. Read more

Loner Dolphins Produce as Many Offspring: Discovery News

Posted Thu Dec 11, 2008 03:42 AM ET

Female dolphins that use marine sponges for foraging spend less time socializing but have as many calves. Read more

Hundreds of New Marine Species Found : Discovery News

Posted Wed Oct 8, 2008 07:09 AM ET

Deep in the Southern Ocean, scientists count 274 new species of fish, corals, mollusks and more. Read more

Tiny Plastic Bits Pose Marine Hazard : Discovery News

Posted Thu Oct 2, 2008 05:57 AM ET

Marine life is increasingly threatened by the accumulation of so-called microplastics in the environment, say scientists. Read more

Sponges Feel the Heat From Climate Change

Posted Thu Aug 28, 2008 05:25 AM ET

When the sea warms to a threshold temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, it's not just corals that suffer. Read more

Discovery News : Discovery Channel

Posted Thu Jan 24, 2008 03:34 AM ET

Want to produce a clone? If so, you would have the best chance if you were a rare, aquatic plant living in an undisturbed, geographically marginal habitat, according to a new study on asexual reproduction. Read more