Duck penises grow bigger when there are more males around
The lesser scaup rises to the challenge of competition by growing a larger penis.
Cannabis and rough sex gave a woman spontaneous orgasms for weeks
It was the weed - not the sex - that led to the recurring orgasms.
The crime gene: Should bad genetics mean a shorter sentence for criminals?
Lawyers are increasingly arguing that 'violent' genes mean people aren't always responsible for their actions.
How the Earth filled with oxygen 2.4 billion years ago, allowing life to take off
The amount of free oxygen on the planet skyrocketed, making the planet ideal for complex life.
Long-lost Rongorongo inscriptions revisited – what were the people of Easter Island saying?
Rongorongo system of writing emerged independently of all others in the world.
The Scythians of ancient Siberia were terrifying warriors – their only weaknesses were booze and weed
Scythians were fond of horses, fighting, gold and getting high on hemp seeds.
Men's faces are more attractive to women after they listen to music
Listening to complex music really can make a man's face look more appealing.
Two parents' fight to set up the largest ever magic mushroom trial for depression is nearly over
Their son developed treatment-resistant depression at university.
Strange 430-million-year-old starfish ancestor that uses legs to breathe and eat discovered
No other creature has ever had legs quite like this one.
New species of ferocious 20ft crocodile discovered in 95-million-year-old fossil
The fearsome crocodile lived among the dinosaurs during the Cretaceous Period.
A gloomy octopus city made of shells has been discovered off Australia's east coast
But they're not necessarily very nice to each other.
Toxic tattoo ink nanoparticles pose long-term health risk by clogging lymph nodes
Lymph nodes deep below the skin turn the colour of tattoos.
Man survives despite taking 4g of cyanide in herbal remedy for 5 years
The man took an incredible 3.9g cyanide a day – and still swears by it.
Strict rape laws could make a country less likely to descend into civil war
Longer sentences for rapists contribute to a more egalitarian, peaceful society.
Antarctica: Secret volcanic caves under the ice could be teeming with undiscovered animal species
There could be unique whole ecosystems of complex life to be uncovered.
Perfectionists at much greater risk of suicide than those who just do their best
Perfectionists struggle to accept themselves and their personal relationships can suffer as a result.
Mystery of the peculiar purple spots on 770-year-old Secret Vatican Archive scroll solved
A microbial war waged on the document's surface left purple stains from the loser.
Ancient settlements 'lost to the sea' discovered in Yorkshire
The landscape by the Humber River is one of constant change over millennia.
Listening to 'happy music' can make you more creative
Need to get creative? Scientists advise switching on some "happy classical music".
What happens to your body when you get the bends?
The story about a diver whose body doubled in size from decompression sickness is either fake or just wrong.
Vindija Cave wasn't where humans and Neanderthals had their fling after all
Where did the fateful rendezvous happen?
One dog, one sneeze – a unique democratic voting system used by African wild dogs has been discovered
The dogs' system of sneeze-voting is as democratic as our own elections.
A fat-heavy diet helps mice live a longer, healthier life
Mice powered through from middle to old age retaining good memory skills and brain function.
Mayan child sacrifices were buried with 'supernatural' jet black stones
All of the children interred were less than 4 years old.
How an Antarctic volcano single-handedly kicked the southern half of the world out of an ice age
Mount Takahe in Antarctica is a massive 35 kilometres in diameter.
Reindeer could save the Arctic tundra from vanishing
Reindeer are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, but they're doing a valuable job.
Is this the skull of Pliny the Elder, hero of Pompeii?
Italian scientists will put to rest at last the controversy over Pliny the Elder's remains.
We have vastly underestimated apes' intelligence because of our own sense of superiority
The idea that human babies are cleverer than Great Apes "is just ridiculous".
Americans are taking so many antidepressants they're accumulating in fish brains in the wild
Traces of Prozac and other medications are showing up in wild fish.
One-of-a-kind Roman mosaic depicts incredible battles between beasts and heroes of ancient mythology
Bellerophon, Pegasus, the Chimaera, Hercules, centaurs and Cupid all feature in this unprecedented discovery.
