A blast from the past has left tantalising hints that volcanic eruptions could be predicted decades in advance. Volcanoes can signal their intent to erupt days or months ahead of time, giving authorities a chance to evacuate the area. Now evidence of the events leading up to a Bronze Age eruption suggests it might be possible to extend that warning period. Image: miriam.mollerus
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Nice fangs, shame about the bite. The oversize fangs of some dragonfish may help them to snap their weak jaws shut around prey, improving their odds of bagging a meal. Dragonfish go after large prey, and so have jaws that open wide. Closing them quickly is not easy, since drag increases exponentially with jaw length, and rises even more if bulky prey are sticking out the front. Image: Citron
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Manta and mobula rays are ecotourism gold, but fishing to feed the traditional Chinese medicine trade is threatening both groups, according to a new report published jointly by conservation organisations Shark Savers and WildAid. Image: istolethetv
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Budgies agree: a yawn is a difficult thing to resist. The highly social birds are the latest animals to join the contagious yawning club. Many animals yawn, but only humans and a few other primates are known to trigger cascades of yawns around a group. Image: satosphere
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Trauma sometimes experienced during childbirth has been a problem faced by our ancestors for almost 4 million years. New evidence of pelvic damage in an ancient female skeleton shows we might be able to find signs of such injuries in the fossil record. Image: bixentro
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