sumsung submitted, created time 9 months 2 weeks (sciencenow.sciencemag.org)

Despite their famous sticky toes, geckos sometimes take a tumble--and that's when a tail comes in handy. A new biomechanical study shows how geckos use their tails for extra control when they slip or fall. It even helps them glide through the air.

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sumsung submitted, created time 10 months 1 week (www.nature.com)

Bats have a clever aerodynamic trick to make flying easier, researchers have found: the sharp edge at the front of their wings cuts through the air in such a way as to create a vortex on top of the wing, producing up to 40% of the lift needed to stay aloft.

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sumsung submitted, created time 10 months 3 weeks (www.nature.com)

Among those who study the evolution of bats, the question of whether the bats developed echolocation and then flight, flight and then echolocation or developed both traits in tandem is a matter of great debate. A discovery in Wyoming not long ago has tossed some more gas on that fire.

The 52.5-million-year-old bat unusually had a claw on all five digits of each limb, earning it the nickname "20-clawed bat." Its anatomy shows that it captured its prey without the use of echolocation. The echo-first campers have yet to respond.

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