Stories by Cody Cottier

A new study suggests a proto–Colorado River filled a large basin before spilling westward to set the Grand Canyon’s modern path

Scientists have learned how male octopuses’ specialized sperm-depositing arm knows where to go

High in the Rockies, researchers are discovering that wind-borne pollution and rising heat are fueling unprecedented algal blooms

Newborn chicks connect sounds with shapes just like humans, suggesting deep evolutionary roots of the “bouba-kiki” effect

A new analysis suggests that genes play a much larger role in human longevity than previously believed. But lifestyle factors still matter

Towering Prototaxites ruled Earth before trees—and they may have been a form of life entirely new to science

New clues hidden inside T. rex bones suggest that the carnivore lived longer lives than we thought

A new study suggests that primate facial expressions may not just be reflexive

A fossil belonging to an ancient hominin that lived seven million years ago bears the hallmarks of bipedalism, according to a new study

New research on strange cycad plants offers a glimpse into the prehistoric origins of pollination

Are we the only rational thinkers? New research on our primate cousins suggests otherwise

For microscopic worms, physical laws we seldom notice take on life-or-death importance

New research shows that wherever human populations mix, their languages blend as well

Dolphins seem to “feel” their way across the sea with narrow, sweeping beams of sonar

New research shows father-daughter relationships have a positive influence on female baboons’ lives—when the dads stick around

This tally of animals’ effect on Earth’s geology, equivalent to that of thousands of extreme floods, most likely is an underestimate

Inuit languages really do have many words for snow, linguists found—and other languages have conceptual specialties, too, potentially revealing what a culture values

Bacterial genes protect animals—and their predators—from harmful contamination

Discarded authors Sarah Gabbott and Jan Zalasiewicz, observers of the geological past, look into the future

The third confirmed location of extinct hominins known as Denisovans shows these human cousins adapted to an impressive range of environments

Bonobos’ grunts, peeps and whistles may share an advanced linguistic property with human language

Charged water droplets generate sparks that can forge organic compounds

Humpback whales learn their haunting melodies in much the same way humans learn words

The land, water and air around us are chock-full of DNA from fungi that scientists can’t identify