Clues to the rapid rise of birds

"There was no moment in time when a dinosaur became a bird, and there is no single missing link between them," said Steve Brusatte, who led the study.

The water in your bottle might be older than the sun

Up to half of the water on Earth and throughout our solar system likely originated as ices that formed in interstellar space.

Why is Antarctic sea ice increasing as Arctic sea ice declines?

Arctic sea ice continued its long-term decline in 2014. Meanwhile, sea ice on the other side of the planet was headed in the opposite direction. Why?

Ice crystals don’t melt inside these fish

Antifreeze blood helps fish called notothenioids survive in icy Antarctic waters. The down side is that the ice crystals in their blood don't melt as temperatures warm.

History of storm surge in Florida strongly underestimated

Northwestern Florida was thought to get hit by a hurricane with a five-meter (16-foot) storm surge every 400 years. In fact, the frequency may be every 40 years.

Newfound dino had huge nose, but why?

This dinosaur probably didn't have a keen sense of smell. Its big nose might have been used to attract mates, smash plants or recognize others of its species.

2014 Arctic sea ice minimum sixth-lowest on record

Sea ice in the Arctic continued its below-average trend this year as ice declined to its annual minimum. Meanwhile, in Antarctica, sea ice was at a record high.

Time-lapse video of Meadow Fire in Yosemite

The Meadow fire in Yosemite National Park is still burning, but nearly 100 percent contained now. This video by QT Luong shows the beauty and terror of wildfire.

June through August 2014 hottest ever recorded globally

June through August 2014 is the warmest period recorded since record keeping began in 1880, NOAA says. Also, the warmest August since 1880.

Chimpanzee wars not due to human influence, says study

Lethal aggression is something that chimpanzees naturally do, the study says, regardless of whether human impacts are high or low

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