This is the first demonstration of how impressive leaf mimicry can also be used to enhance the attractiveness of a sexual signal. Katydids create songs by rubbing specialised structures on their wings together but in many tropical species, the leaf-mimicking portion makes up the majority of the wing surface. The researchers found that males are able to use the acoustic properties of these structures to their reproductive advantage.  

Bowerbirds in an Australian city use a range of human items – from glass and plastic to banknotes and even a pair of handcuffs – to impress females, new research shows.

Researchers have developed a fish-like robot that shows how some species of modern fish are able to walk on land, and could help unravel how early vertebrates evolved similar abilities hundreds of millions of years ago.