Many animals engage in elaborate mating rituals. For flight-ready birds, these often involve complex dance moves and peacock-like displays of grandeur. For their land-bound cousins, like the Adélie ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world.

Photograph of an Adélie penguin breeding colony, Edmonson Point, Antarctica. Adélie penguin nests consist of a shallow scrape, pebbles, and bones. Credit: Carlo Baroni and Maria Cristina Salvatore, ...

The practice has been observed among Adélie penguins. For years, people have claimed that penguins trade sex acts for pebbles they use to build their nests: This rumor has spread online since at least ...

The ancient remains appeared fresh and new, biologist Steve Emslie said. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. On a dry, windy cape in ...