Sharks seen hunting and killing a whale for the first time
They usually eat fish, but a group of dusky sharks have been seen ganging up on a baby humpback whale, suggesting attacks may be more common than we thought
3 billion-year-old fossils show early microbes lived in cavities
Fossil bacteria found in South Africa suggest that spaces covered by tidal sediments provided a sanctuary from heavy UV radiation on Mars-like early Earth
Penguins filmed in epic underwater fight stealing a large squid
To get an easy meal, gentoo penguins opt to steal each other's unwieldy prey – a behaviour revealed for the first time by cameras strapped to their backs
Parrots use pebble tools to grind up own mineral supplements
For the first time non-human animals have been seen using grinding tools and passing them around in what seem to be an attempt to get calcium out of seashells
Public vote renames exoplanets for gods, monsters and scientists
The International Astronomical Union has announced the results of a contest to name far-off planets, and Copernicus, Veritate and Sancho are among the winners
Raft made of dust carries water droplets across a sea of oil
An unlikely vessel could shuttle drops of water around microfluidic devices, giving fine control over chemical reactions
Pandas don’t lack sex drive, they just need to fancy each other
Giant pandas have a reputation for sexual apathy, but it turns out they are as frisky as any other animal - provided they find the other panda attractive
Deep sea sharks pig out on beef, lamb and veg we throw away
Meat and fruit jettisoned from ships is ending up in the guts of fish in the Mediterranean, showing that human activity is affecting deep-sea food webs
One Per Cent
Socks with pee power, wearbables with solar power
Two missions face off to seek life in icy seas of Enceladus
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has been sampling the plumes on Saturn's moon for a decade, with no sign of microbes. Two proposed missions hope to change that
