Babies' Brains, Bizarre Frogs, and Evolution

Three headlines from the world of science jumped out at us recently. They involve babies' brains, bizarre frogs, and new information about the theory of evolution. Guiding us through these stories is science writer Clara Moscowitz, who reported on all of them for Live Science.

Scientists have discovered that there’s a link between large animals and their evolutionary survival. Bigger animals can cover a wider range geographically, are better at retaining heat, and they can store more reserves. But they also need more food, water, and land - and so are also more likely to go extinct. A new computer model shows just how this is happening.

Also, new research shows that at a very early age, we already think like adults. After giving tests to babies, researchers found that babies can remember more things by grouping objects together.

And scientists have discovered that an unusual Chinese frog can tune its ears to certain frequencies, like a radio. The frogs were found to have selective hearing, enabling them to tune out the low frequency background noise of rushing water and pick out the high-frequency calls of potential mates or rivals.

(Photo by Margaret Kowalczyk)