National Geographic estimates there are between 50 billion and 430 billion birds populating the planet, outnumbering humans by up to approximately 50 times. Spread across 9,700 species, according to ...

DURHAM, N.C. -- Classifying kangaroos and platypuses together on the evolutionary family tree is as absurd as adding your neighbors to your own family ancestral line simply because they share your ...

Taxonomy, or the naming of species, is surprisingly complicated – and contentious. It doesn't take much scientific expertise to divide lions from tigers, or pigeons from flamingos, but details count ...

The question of what defines a species has vexed scientists across the ages, particularly in conservation, where decisions require a firm understanding of biodiversity. When you purchase through links ...

No, birds are not mammals. Rather, they are avians. Mammals are characterized by their milk glands, hair, vertebrae and their birthing of live young (being viviparous), according to Britannica.