BBC News

From sweet oranges to bitter lemons, all citrus fruit came from the Himalayas millions of years ago, say scientists.

Plastic waste is building up in the supposedly pristine wilderness of the Norwegian Arctic, scientists say.

Here's why the Arctic is no longer what you see in the pictures.

Researchers find that the population has increased in the north east and stopped shrinking nationwide.

Scientists want to find out more about how very young children develop a sense of self.

Scientists put a face to Cheddar Man, Britain's oldest complete skeleton from 10,000 years ago.

As the scale of plastic pollution in the world's oceans becomes ever more apparent, could bottle deposit schemes help turn the tide?

The world's most powerful rocket successfully lifts clear of its pad on historic maiden flight.

A Scandinavian deposit-based system for recycling bottles is thought likely to be adopted in the UK.

The rocket's payload is Elon Musk's own Tesla, and two of the three rocket segments have landed.

Wild cheering greets the launch of the maiden flight of the new rocket.

The entrepreneur will attempt to fly the world's most powerful rocket with his own Tesla as payload.

A car, a golf ball, a pie... and other items items dispatched on cosmic journeys over the years.

A study modelling how dinosaurs spread worldwide shows they may have been a victim of their own success.

A fossil preserved in amber for 100 million years is shaking up ideas about the evolution of spiders.

Scientists call for monitoring of plastic pollution risks to whales, sharks and rays that strain water to feed.

Latest technology reveals a network of more than 60,000 structures under Guatemala's jungle.

New analysis suggests part of a nation-changing army of Vikings was buried in a town churchyard.

A leading maker of straws says greener alternatives are too costly and their development has stalled.

The ancient animal would have shared its home with dinosaurs, say Bristol researchers.

The lonely bird died beside a concrete bird replica he had courted - and nested with - for years.

Volcan de Fuego sent ash over a mile into the sky.

Controlling machines using thought can be used in medicine, gaming, transport and many other sectors.

High-tech tracking collars on polar bears reveal a growing Arctic struggle, say scientists.

Tracking collars on female polar bears measure the animals' struggle to find food on diminishing Arctic ice.

Researchers have discovered that salmon from the chalk streams of southern England are genetically unique.

It's 15 years since disaster struck as the Columbia returned to Earth following a research mission.

Xavier Bettel is at Cape Canaveral in Florida to see his nation's latest space project go into orbit.

The move by Hong Kong's lawmakers is hailed by campaigners as "a lifeline for elephants".

Eyes around the globe have been turning to the skies to view the lunar event.

A killer whale that can mimic words such as "hello" is thought to be the first of its kind to copy human speech.

A blue blood supermoon and lunar eclipse across Asia heralds a year of lunar science milestones, say scientists.

A killer whale is taught to mimic words such as "hello" and "bye bye" in a scientific experiment.

A very rare lunar event is due to occur on 31 January.

Lobsters and crabs are sentient organisms that feel pain and need more protection, say campaigners.

Jasmine Ahumada, from California, attaches spiders and bees to her face to create her distinctive looks.

Starlings take to the skies to create a spectacular aerial ballet before settling on roost.

Burning wood and coal in people's homes will come under scrutiny as part of a government drive to improve air pollution.

Reading human DNA used to take laboratories, a pile of cash and a long time.

A new species of dinosaur unearthed in the Egyptian desert sheds light on Africa's Age of the Dinosaurs.

A fifth of more than 6,000 catalogued invasive animals and plants worldwide are causing harm.

Europe's normally highly dependable rocket, the Ariane 5, loses contact as it flies skyward.

Plastic is one of the biggest risks to the future of coral reefs after ocean warming, say scientists.

After two bears are injured in California wildfires, a creative solution to get them back on their feet.

Researchers identify the remains of the earliest known modern humans to have left Africa.

A Swiss woman who died in 1787 after contracting syphilis is identified as an ancestor of the politician.

Researchers have taken two years to identify a lady who lived 230 years ago.

Volunteer data on the country's 18 resident bat species suggests a positive outlook for the animals.