A common trend in size differences between males and females is a long-standing puzzle. A study of shorebirds shows that the type and strength of competition for mates may explain much of the pattern.

Unlock the full InfoQ experience by logging in! Stay updated with your favorite authors and topics, engage with content, and download exclusive resources. Vivek Yadav, an engineering manager from ...

Animal intelligence varies widely. Some have cognitive abilities that were once thought to be limited to humans, while others seem to act purely on instinct. It’s not simply a matter of having large ...

Body size in mammals ranges from tiny bumblebee bats weighing in at less than two grams right up to the largest animal that has ever lived, the several-tonne blue whale. So we need to understand how ...

Behavior that we’d consider intelligent is oddly widespread in the animal kingdom. Animals with very different brains from ours—a species of octopus and various birds—engage with tools, to give just ...