Scientists find a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed kitten in the Siberian permafrost The kitten, which was found in Russia's northeastern Sakha Republic, still had fur and whiskers when it was discovered. Mansee Khurana
A colorful, camouflaged seahorse helped a scientist on a biological treasure hunt Chloe Fourreau, a Ph.D. student in Japan, went hunting for an elusive and overlooked marine worm, which lives in corals off the country's Pacific coast. She found much more than she was looking for. Scott Detrow
The dung beetle census is a window into their ecosystem Creating a census of the dung beetles of Massachusetts could help inform how to make sure dung beetles keep doing their important work in forests and farming fields. Ari Daniel
Small fossil has big implications for bird brain evolution Birds descended from the dinosaurs, but researchers have known relatively little about how the bird's brain took shape over millions of years. A new fossil sheds light on that mystery. Ari Daniel
Killer whales have returned to a cove in Washington's Puget Sound For the first time in half a century, a group of killer whales, or orcas, returned to a cove in Washington's Puget Sound. Penn Cove is known for a roundup by hunters that took place in the 1970s. Hosts
Wildlife experts looks for new ways to count wolves in Alaska On Prince of Wales Island in Alaska, wildlife managers are trying new techniques to count local wolves so they can determine how many can be hunted. Limiting the quota is controversial in the community. Jack Darrell
Baby black-footed ferrets born to cloned mom offer hope for species A cloned ferret has given birth to her own kits -- what could this mean for the future of endangered species? Megan Lim
Frail chimps headed from New Mexico to Louisiana sanctuary About two dozen chimpanzees deemed too feeble to be moved a few years ago will be going to Chimp Haven after all. The NIH said originally they'd be kept in New Mexico for their own safety. Nell Greenfieldboyce
Need a break from politics? Marvel at the 'Vanishing Treasures' of the natural world With 23 short essays on creatures ranging from the wombat to the spider, Katherine Rundell's new book is essential reading for anyone whose wonder could use a jumpstart. Maureen Corrigan
Anxious at the Portland airport? Beni the Llama is here for you, spreading joy The gentle animals are part of Portland International Airport's effort to counter travel stress with soothing elements from nature. Katia Riddle