Nature can be equal parts majestic, heartwarming, and terrifying. The winning entries of the 2025 BMC Ecology and Evolution and BMC Zoology image competition illustrate that complexity in spades.

Biologists, zoologists, and paleontologists from across the world sent in submissions to this year’s contest. The photos were sorted into four categories: “Collective Social Behavior,” “Life in Motion,” “Colorful Strategies,” and “Research in Action.” But the overall winner (seen in the headline image above) was a snapshot taken by Andrey Giljov, showing two male saiga antelopes in a sparring match as part of their preparation for the mating season; this naturally involves butting heads with potential rivals.

“Saiga fights in spring, outside of the tournament season, are quieter and more about t

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