Natural Sciences Division

Roughly 215 million years ago, an unusual-looking reptile traipsed around what is now Arizona. About the size of a poodle, the creature had large eye sockets, a toothless beak and short arms. During the early part of its life, the animal seems to have walked around on all fours. But as it grew, it stood upright and began striding around on two legs instead. Elliott Armour Smith, graduate student of biology at the UW, and Christian Sidor, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Burke Museum and professor of biology at the UW, are quoted.

Scientists have unearthed a "peculiar" ancient crocodile that walked on two legs after beginning its life on four. Named Sonselasuchus cedrus, the creature roamed the Earth during the Late Triassic period, approximately 225 to 201 million years ago. Elliott Armour Smith, graduate student of biology at the UW, is quoted.

An oddly-behaving star led two UW astronomers to capture rare evidence of a collision between two planets in a distant solar system. The discovery could aid scientists in their search for worlds similar to our own.

A "peculiar" ancient relative of the crocodile started life on four legs before it began walking on two, according to new research. Elliott Armour Smith, graduate student of biology at the UW, and Christian Sidor, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Burke Museum and professor of biology at the UW, are quoted. Multiple outlets ran this story.

Its a scene from a nightmare: Youre shopping at the supermarket on a normal fall evening, and suddenly a hungry bear walks in and starts smashing things. This scene has become a reality in parts of Japan. Briana Abrahms, associate professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

When ice and snow begin to melt in California's high-elevation waters, male frogs hop into action. Emerging from hibernation, they head to lakes and ponds scattered throughout the area and begin calling to females. They have limited time to mate before the water freezes again. Adam Leach, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

A "peculiar" ancient relative of the crocodile started life on four legs before it began walking on two, according to new research. Elliott Armour Smith, lead author on the research and a UW biology graduate student, and Christian Sidor, UW professor of biology and curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Burke Museum, are quoted.

Arts & Sciences alumnus Spencer Kraisler (BA, Mathematics, 2021), currently a doctoral student in aeronautics & astronautics (A&A) in the College of Engineering, is A&A's 2026 Condit Fellow. His research is informed in part by his undergraduate mathematics training in manifold theory, the study of smooth, curved spaces.

Arts & Sciences alumnus Spencer Kraisler (BA, Mathematics, 2021), currently a doctoral student in aeronautics & astronautics (A&A) in the College of Engineering, is A&A's 2026 Condit Fellow. His research is informed in part by his undergraduate mathematics training in manifold theory, the study of smooth, curved spaces.

Dozens of people across Western Washington and British Columbia reported a bright streak across the sky a little after 9 p.m. Most called it a fireball.Chris Laws, teaching professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

After creating popular social media content analyzing basketball statistics, UW Mathematics doctoral student Maddy Brown created a course to help students present data through storytelling. 

"The events of this past year have both instigated and brought to light seismic changes in higher education that will affect us for decades to come. Among the most dramatic is the changing landscape for graduate and professional education, which have long bolstered our countrys competitiveness by serving as a magnet for top international talent," writes Ana Mari Cauce, professor of psychology and UW president emerita.

An astronomical alert system developed at the UW started off with a bang this week, sending out 800,000 notifications about moving asteroids, exploding stars and other celestial changes detected by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Eric Bellm, research associate professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

If you happened to spot a honey bee buzzing around Spokane this February, you would be forgiven for thinking it too early in the year for their forage. Rather than waiting for a time of year, honey bees rely on temperature cues to determine when they should begin their flights. Takato Imaizumi, a professor of biology at the UW, is mentioned.

Seabirds are among the indicator species that provide rich insight into the health of their ecosystems. In a new book, Eric Wagner, a research scientist in biology at the UW, follows a team of scientists as they seek to understand how climate change is affecting our region.