PBS
How the Starfish Got Its Arms
The story of how the starfish got its arms reminds us that even animals that might be familiar to us today can have incredibly deep histories - ones that stretch back almost half a billion years.
PBS
How the Egg Came First
The story of the egg spans millions of years, from the first vertebrates that dared to venture onto land to today’s mammals, including the platypus, and of course birds. Like chickens? We’re here to tell you: The egg came first.
PBS
When Dinosaur Look-Alikes Ruled the Earth
There were a huge number of croc-like animals that flourished during the Triassic Period. Dinosaurs had just arrived on the scene but it was these animals that truly ruled the Earth, becoming both abundant and diverse.
PBS
The Real Story Of The Dodo Bird's (Current) Extinction
What’s the real story of the dodo? How did such a unique bird even evolve in the first place? And are we really responsible for its extinction?
PBS
The Creature That Stumped Darwin
Toxodon was one of the last members of a lineage that vanished 11,000 years ago after thriving in isolation for millions of years. And its fossils would inspire a revolutionary thinker to tackle a bigger mystery than Toxodon itself:...
PBS
Our Bizarre, Possibly Venomous, Relative
This video contains images and video of snakes and spiders. It's possible Euchambersia possessed venom about 20 million years before the first lizards and over 150 million years before the first snakes evolved. We’ve teamed up Sarah Suta...
PBS
How the Smallest Animal Got So Simple
We tend to think that evolution only goes in one direction— toward getting bigger and more advanced. But that’s not always the case. This tiny, simple animal, the Myxozoans, (yes, animal!) evolved from something bigger and more complex.
SciShow
Does the Food Chain Stop At Jellyfish?
Jellyfish aren't the most nutritious animals in the ocean. Yet sea turtles and many other organisms get their nutrition from almost nothing else. Here's why they don't totally starve to death.
SciShow
Why These Animals Eat Sh*t
Of all the food options in the world, you'd think that feces would be low on anyone's preference list. But for these animals, eating poop can be anything from a delicacy to a health food - and yes, humans are on the list too.
SciShow
Can Sponges “Think” Using Light?
Sponges might not look like particularly complex animals, but they've had billions of years to evolve their own special systems. And one of those systems might involve sending messages through their body in the form of light.
SciShow
What Do Parrots Think They’re Saying?
You ever see a parrot mimicking humans words, and wonder if they really get what they're talking about? They're smarter than they look - there's a lot of meaning in every squawk and chirp that parrots make. Not bad for a bird brain.
SciShow
Why Flies Die When They See Dead Flies
You're lucky you don't literally age faster and drop dead when you see a dead person... because fruit flies do. Here's what researchers are learning about the connection between perception, aging, and mood disorders like depression.
SciShow
5 Animals That Have Bone Skin
From the long extinct Stegosaurus, to tiny modern mice, all sorts of animals grow bits of bones inside their skin. These structures are called osteoderms, and they're often more than just a suit of armor.
SciShow
Animals Have Grammar Too - A Little Birdie Told Us
If you hear birds chirping in the trees, you might not think much of the different sounds you're hearing. But as it turns out, those tweets and chirps have a lot more in common with some of our complicated rules of grammar than you might...
SciShow
The New Addiction Treatment We Found By Mistake
It's no secret that substance use disorders can wreak havoc on peoples' lives, so anything that we could do to mitigate those cravings and addictions is really important. Which is why it's such good news that research into drugs like...
MinuteEarth
We Have No Idea Why
Most animals on earth are bioluminescent, but almost all of them live in the ocean - and scientists aren’t sure why.
Amoeba Sisters
Animals: Tour of 9 Phyla
Join the Amoeba Sisters in exploring some general animal characteristics, major vocabulary used in classifying animals (such as symmetry, protostome vs deuterostome, cephalization, and coelom), and take a general tour of 9 major animal...
SciShow
These Birds Smell Like Tangerines
On remote, rocky North Pacific islands, you may find a cute little bird that just so happens to smell like tangerines.
SciShow
These Beetles Are Bright and Shiny… For Camouflage
Jewel beetles are pretty eye-catching with their glossy, bright coloration. But if you were a small creature that needed to avoid predators, you might think that eye-catching is the last thing you'd want to be. But it turns out that...
SciShow
The Unique Reason Reindeer Change Their Eye Color
Plenty of animal eyes "glow" in the dark, but only one species has eyes that change color with the seasons.
SciShow
The Strange Life of a Giant Cell | The Xenophyophore
What on earth is a xenophyophore? It's a single-celled organism that unlike what you might think is NOT microscopically small. In fact, these ocean dwellers are a little heftier than that! Learn all about them in this new episode of...
SciShow
The Real Reason Dogs Kick When You Scratch Them
If you’ve ever been scratching a dog and seen them do the kicky leg thing, it’s truly adorable. But it might not necessarily be a feel-good thing.