‘Tiny Bug Slayer’ Dinosaur Relative Would Fit in the Palm of a Hand
A fossil from Madagascar shows giant dinosaurs and pterosaurs originated from teensy ancestors
Evolution11704 articles archived since 1845
How Oak Trees Evolved to Rule the Forests of the Northern Hemisphere
Genomes and fossils reveal their remarkable evolutionary history
Polynesians and Native South Americans Made 12th-Century Contact
Scientists have found snippets of Native South American DNA in the genomes of present-day Polynesians, and they trace the contact to the year 1150. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Bat Says Hi as It Hunts
Velvety free-tailed bats produce sounds that help them locate insect prey but simultaneously identify them to their companions.
The Meaning of Time in the Place where Humanity’s Earliest Ancestors Arose
In Kenya’s Lake Turkana region, fossils of long-ago primates endure amid a transforming landscape
The Messenger Is the Message
Behavioral scientist Stephen Martin and psychologist Joseph Marks talk about their book Messengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don’t, and Why.
Science Briefs from around the World
Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the planet, including one about a 70-million-year-old mollusk fossil that reveals years back then had a few more days than we have now...
The First Gene on Earth May Have Been a Hybrid
A new experiment suggests DNA and RNA may have formed together before the origin of life
How a 380-Million-Year-Old Fish Gave Us Fingers
A remarkable fossil reveals that the digits in our hands evolved before vertebrates emerged from the water to colonize land
Human Speech Evolution Gets Lip-Smacking Evidence
A study of our closest evolutionary relatives finds that the chimp behavior known as lip smacking occurs in the same timing range as human mouths during speech.
‘Snot Palaces’ Reveal Undersea Creature Secrets
Scientists are studying the delicate mucus houses built by creatures called larvaceans to better understand how they live. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Fossil Footprints Help Uncover the Mysteries of Bipedal Crocodiles
Ancient tracks reveal a previously unknown creature from the Age of Dinosaurs—answering one question but raising more
Bioluminescence Helps Prey Avoid Hungry Seals
Prey animals flash biochemically produced light to confuse elephant seals hunting in the dark. But at least one seal turned the tables.
Ancient DNA Yields New Clues to Dead Sea Scrolls
A sensitive genetic fingerprinting technique could help scholars learn more from thousands of fragile parchment fragments
Rethinking Easter Island’s Historic ‘Collapse’
Controversial new archaeological research casts doubt on a classic theory of this famous island's societal collapse
Earliest ‘Chickens’ Were Actually Pheasants
A new analysis ruffles the story of poultry domestication
Colorful Corals Beat Bleaching
Exposed to mildly warmer waters, some corals turn neon instead of bleaching white. The dramatic colors may help coax symbiotic algae back. Christopher Intagliata reports.
A Failure of Imagination
Nature does not have to play fair with our puny human brains
Malaria Mosquitoes Are Biting before Bed-Net Time
Mosquitoes that like to bite at night are being thwarted by bed nets, leading to the rise of populations that prefer to bite when the nets are not up yet.
