A new study found that female giraffes prefer to associate with other females that have similar spot shapes. Together with previous research, the finding suggests that individual differences in spot patterns may allow giraffes to recognize one another and potentially signal relatedness, thereby mediating social interactions.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Spot Shape Is Meaningful in Giraffe Social Circles.

Whale song is largely considered to be a display of reproductive fitness, akin to the melodies produced by songbirds. But psychologist Eduardo Mercado III of the University at Buffalo thinks the dynamic nature of whale songs might signify a different function.

In their courtship displays, songbirds rely on the repetition of the same sounds sung in the same way. Mercado says whales are more like jazz musicians, constantly varying the acoustic qualities of their songs. In a new study, Mercado and his colleagues suggest the flexibility and sophistication of whale songs suggest the animals aren’t singing to attract mates but to actively explore their environments.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Why Do Humpback Whales Sing?

The skin is the human body’s largest organ and the first barrier between the body and the outside world. It is also home to billions of microorganisms. While some of these microorganisms can promote immunity or fight invaders, other, disease-causing microbes sometimes invade the skin surface, causing damage, disease, and slow healing. Researchers are beginning to reveal the complexity of the microbial communities living on our bodies and establish the basis for new microbiome-targeting treatments to maintain healthy skin.

Read more at IEEE Pulse: The Role of the Skin Microbiome in Health and Disease.

In my first article for Science Journal for Kids, I take on a paper about the brains of solitary bees. Scientists wondered if the brains of solitary bees grow larger as they age, like the brains of honeybees, so they measured the brains of solitary bees at different ages to see if experience affects the size of certain brain structures.

Check out the whole article here: What happens to mother bees’ brains as they age?

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s recently published the largest U.S. study to date of pediatric patients with following COVID-19 infection. The authors note the persistence of symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue and highlight at least three clinical phenotypes to help guide further diagnosis and treatment of these patients.

Read the whole story here: Long-Term Symptoms Following COVID-19 Infection in Children.