My picks from ScienceDaily

In The Animal World, Bigger Isn't Necessarily Better:

Shocking new research shows size isn't always an advantage in the animal world, shattering a widely-held belief that bigger is better. Michael Kasumovic, a former University of Toronto Scarborough PhD student, examined Australian Redback male spiders to determine whether the larger ones had an edge in achieving mating success and producing offspring. Surprisingly, Kasumovic found the large spiders didn't always have an advantage. Instead, because the larger males experienced a much longer maturation process, they were unable to search for and mate with females and produce offspring at the same rate as the smaller Redback spiders.

Orangutan's Spontaneous Whistling Opens New Chapter In Study Of Evolution Of Speech:

Throughout history, human beings have used the whistle for everything from hailing a cab to carrying a tune. Now, an orangutan's spontaneous whistling is providing scientists at Great Ape Trust of Iowa new insights into the evolution of speech and learning.

2,000 Elephants Missing, Poaching Likely To Blame:

Elephants in Zakouma National Park, the last stronghold for the savanna elephants of Central Africa's Sahel region, now hover at about 1,000 animals, down from an estimated 3,000 in 2006. Ivory poachers using automatic weapons have decimated elephant populations - particularly when herds venture seasonally outside of the park.

Dwarf Crocodiles Split Into Three Species:

You'd think that if scientists were to discover a new species, it would be in some remote, uncharted tropical forest, not a laboratory in New York. But a team from the Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics at the American Museum of Natural History has done the unexpected. Looking at the genes of the African dwarf crocodile, researchers found that the group -- genetically speaking -- comprises three distinct species rather than one.

Climate Change: A Dark Future For Migratory Fish:

In Europe, most migratory fish species completing their cycle between the sea and the river are currently in danger. Although restoration programmes have been set up, the future distribution of these species may be modified because of climate change. At the Bordeaux Cemagref, scientists have developed biogeographical models to predict their distribution on the 2100 horizon.

The European Eel: To Migrate Or Not To Migrate In Freshwaters?:

The European eel's biology and ecology never cease to amaze us. At the elver stage, certain individuals swim up estuaries to grow in rivers, whereas others spend their entire life cycle at sea. In Bordeaux, researchers have looked into the origin of this divergence in migratory behaviour. What if it was only a question of energy reserves and feeding behaviour?

Massive Jellyfish Swarming Hawaii, Gulf Of Mexico And Other Locations:

Massive swarms of stinging jellyfish and jellyfish-like animals are transforming many world-class fisheries and tourist destinations into veritable jellytoriums that are intermittently jammed with pulsating, gelatinous creatures. Areas that are currently particularly hard-hit by these squishy animals include Hawaii, the Gulf of Mexico, the east coast of the U.S., the Bering Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, Australia, the Black Sea and other European seas, the Sea of Japan, the North Sea and Namibia.