Many animals get their external marking—like, feathers, hair or scales-from genetics. But it turns out, the crocodile gets its head patterns differently. Scientists normally explain the spectacular ...

How did the crocodile get its smile? The functions that give the reptile its signature wrinkled snout aren't quite the same as those responsible for the rest of its scales, with precise mechanical ...

In the damp warmth of a crocodile’s egg, something extraordinary unfolds. The tiny embryo’s face begins to ripple and fold in a pattern that will become the fearsome array of scales we recognize on a ...

Scientists normally explain the spectacular diversity of animal patterns by pointing to genetics. But a study in Nature suggests that, at least for crocodile heads, different forces might be at play.

We pursue one of the mysteries of the incredible variety of animals that you find in nature. NPR's Jonathan Lambert reports on a study in the journal Nature. JONATHAN LAMBERT, BYLINE: Biologist Michel ...