In marine and freshwater sediments, certain bacteria line up by the thousands into filaments several centimeters long. These 'cable bacteria' conduct electrons from end to end: cells in the oxygen-free depths consume sulfide, while those near the surface pass the electrons on to oxygen. They breathe at a distance, like a living electrical circuit.
In 2022, a young tagged bar-tailed godwit flew from Alaska to Tasmania in about 11 days of nonstop flight, covering 13,560 km without eating, drinking or landing. Before departure, these birds pile on huge fat reserves and shrink their digestive organs, which are useless during the journey.
To escape rivals, a dung beetle rolls its ball of dung in a straight line. At night, it holds its course using the glowing band of the Milky Way. In a planetarium, researchers showed that beetles rolled straight under a starry sky but wandered aimlessly when the galaxy was switched off. It was the first animal known to navigate this way.