Scientists have confirmed a pattern that many inveterate racing fans may have suspected for years: British horses are getting faster. But whether that is down to breeding techniques or other factors is less certain. The researchers suggest that one way...

The evolutionary history of turtles has always been a source of controversy in vertebrate palaeontology. When we give anatomy lectures at my university, we often tell students that “turtles might as well have come from outer space”. This is because a lack of...

Images of distressed, caged puppies on their way to be slaughtered at Yulin dog meat festival in China have caused outrage around the world. Angry Facebook posts, tweets and online petitions supported by the likes of Ricky Gervais and Simon Cowell direct us to gruesome photos of dead dogs, skinned and boiled and hung up on...