Many dog owners have found themselves unable to resist treating a pet that makes "puppy dog eyes" and now scientists have discovered the cute expression taps into our subconscious.

Good news for dog owners everywhere – your canine friend does recognise your face, according to new research.

Auckland University team heads first research on giant mammals' ability to sense sound waves of prey.

Auckland biotechnology firm Living Cell Technologies has got the green light to continue human trials of its regenerative cell therapy for Parkinson's disease.

If you are ever irritated by the sound of your spouse crinkling a packet of chips or rustling a newspaper, then spare a thought for your cat.

New Zealand's cute pukeko, known for its colour both in plumage and personality, has been shown to have a power-hungry, aggressive streak - quite literally.

Dogs may be man's best friend but, on many New Zealand farms, they are also often their best employees.

For years, scientists have been dogged by this evolution question: Just where did man's best friend first appear?

They call him Blinky - a tiny freshwater crab fished out of the Hoteo River on the Kaipara Coast that's made a splash around the world this week, thanks to its three eyes.

Shark finning will be banned in New Zealand waters under a government proposal announced today.

Scientists studying North Island robins, bowel bacteria and condensed matter physics are among the winners of prestigious research fellowships announced this morning.

Forget all that creaking and groaning of stressed metal as the pressure of millions of tonnes of water comes to bear. That's pure Hollywood. It's actually dead quiet.

Solving problems isn't exclusively human but working out how animals do it is tricky, writes Clint J. Perry.

A bid to bring back kiwis to a Northland forest has delivered something to celebrate just in time for a national fundraising campaign.

Shipping companies have agreed to slow down and alter course in the Hauraki Gulf in an effort to save an endangered resident whale.

In an emotion-charged ceremony, Rochelle Constantine was one of three inaugural recipients of the Holdaway Awards at the Hauraki Gulf Forum's annual seminar this month.

'Next generation' DNA extraction techniques found no viable material even in samples less than a century old.

Scientists are preparing to test a potential therapy for Huntington's disease in sheep that have been genetically modified to carry the mutation that causes the disease.

Trying to swat a fly is like trying to shoot Keanu Reeves in The Matrix because time appears to move more slowly in the minds of smaller animals.

One of the rarest dinosaur fossils could be lost to science when it is auctioned for private sale in November, scientists warned yesterday.

Black labrador puppy Amani will have a tough job keeping up with his foster brothers - cheetah cubs Winspear and Kamau.

They're little, they're fluffy and, for the first time, they're all ours.

A deep-sea search for giant squid has captured the world's first video footage of the mysterious creature in its habitat.

Two major New Zealand retailers have moved to stop stocking a controversial group of insecticides over claims they harm bees.

There's mounting evidence that the pesticide bombardment of our crops and farms is having a devastating effect on wildlife, writes Sue Kedgley.