Animals

Abundance Of Elephants Strains South African Game Reserves

12:36pm July 09, 2013

by Willow Belden

While most of the news about elephants out of Africa concerns poaching and falling numbers, South Africa has the opposite problem. Its elephant populations have grown greater than the country can manage.

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Artistic reconstruction of Archicebus achilles in its natural habitat of trees.

Science

Tiny, Ancient Tree-Dweller Was One Of Earth's Earliest Primates

10:26pm July 03, 2013

by Christopher Joyce

About 55 million years ago, a teacup-sized critter in China was helping to pave the way for apes and humans. This insect eater had fingernails and stereo vision, a newly published analysis of a fossil suggests. And it weighed just 1 ounce.

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Detection Dogs And The Law: The Right To Sniff And Seize

3:31pm June 28, 2013

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on two cases involving detector dogs and the limits of reasonable search and seizure. Surrounding the cases are larger questions about the effectiveness of detector dogs and the legal questions that arise when they are used for law enforcement.

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Seattle Moves Fireworks Display Out Of Respect For Eaglets

7:13am June 28, 2013

A couple of eaglets are in a nest in a Seattle suburb, near the spot where the city launches its Independence Day fireworks. The local Audubon Society worried fireworks would startle the baby birds which are still too young to fly. So organizers moved the launch site.

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Harry Kaplan practices pitching during Home Run Baseball Camp at Friendship Recreation Center in June. Kaplan's arm is stretched long and toward the ground as his hips are faced away from the catcher. A chimp, in contrast, could never throw a fastball.

Science

Pitch Perfect: Why Our Shoulders Are Key To Throwing

5:01pm June 27, 2013

by Rhitu Chatterjee

Being able to throw stones with power and precision must have been fun for humans' early ancestors. It was essential, too, since we lack the the fangs and claws of other predators. A recent study suggests the ability to fire rocket fastballs depends on shoulder anatomy that chimps don't share.

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In the current New Yorker, Michael Specter explores the conflict among some people who suffer from Lyme disease, and the doctors who study it.

'The Lyme Wars' That Tiny Ticks Have Wrought

4:50pm June 26, 2013

Since Lyme disease was first identified in the late 1970s, it has become the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the country. Journalist Michael Specter talks about his New Yorker article on the disease and its controversial history.

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A steamroller tries to flatten tusks, without much luck.

World News

Philippines Pulverizes Ivory To Discourage Traffickers

6:18pm June 22, 2013

The Philippines is a stopover for dealers trying to unload illegal ivory into the Asian black market. On Friday, the government destroyed 5 pounds of confiscated ivory.

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Tawny Crazy Ants Invade Southern States

10:59am June 22, 2013

Tawny crazy ants are invading ecosystems and homes in states including Texas and Florida, wiping out other ant species and overwhelming homeowners. Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks to Texas A&M research scientist Robert Puckett, who says the ants are "ecological steamrollers" that reproduce so fast they are nearly impossible to get rid of.

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Chimpanzee Toni celebrated his 50th birthday at the Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich on Nov. 22, 2011.

Science

Rule Would List All Chimps As Endangered, Even Lab Animals

9:45am June 18, 2013

by Rhitu Chatterjee

Though the regulation proposed by the Fish and Wildlife Service would make it more difficult to use chimpanzees for research purposes, that may not be a problem, some scientists say. Scientific advances show the animals are less medically useful than previously thought.

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European Pet Passport Lets Animals Travel To EU States

5:07pm June 17, 2013

Until this week, there had been a limit: Travelers could only take up to five pets across the borders. Now, thanks to a pet-loving member of the EU Parliament, those who prefer to travel with herds of animals are free to roam — as long as they're heading for a competition or sporting event.

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