Hyena Society Stability Has Last Laugh
Female hyenas keep their clans in line by virtue of their complex social networks. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Evolution6922 articles archived since 1845
Urban Coyote Evolution Favors the Bold
Coyotes become fearless around people in just a few generations—which isn’t good for their longterm co-existence with humans in cities. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Philippine Fossils Add Surprising New Species to Human Family Tree
The second tiny ancestor found in the islands of southeast Asia, Homo luzonensis challenges prevailing views of early human dispersal and adaptability
How the Samoan Tattoo Survived Colonialism
Several factors, from geography to group identity, helped this traditional body art endure—even as similar practices were lost in other cultures
Tiny Footprints May Have Been Made by World's Smallest Nonavian Dinosaur
The raptorlike prints could also have been from juveniles of a larger species
Spider Monkeys Optimize Jungle Acoustics
The monkeys lower the pitch of their "whinnies" when they're far from the rest of their group, which might help the calls travel further through jungle foliage. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Cats Recognize Their Own Names—Even If They Choose to Ignore Them
Domestic felines distinguish between their monikers and similar-sounding words, new research shows
Prehistoric Whodunit: New Technique Identifies What Killed Ancient Animals
Characteristic etchings on ancient prey bones reveal the animal that digested them
Fat, Not Meat, May Have Led to Bigger Hominin Brains
A new theory challenges assumptions about when and how our ancestors altered their behaviors to boost brainpower
Bumblebee Queens Prefer Layovers to Nonstop Flights
Scientists tracked bumblebee queens with radar when they emerged from hibernation and found the bees take only brief flights en route to a new nest. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Big Religion May Have Gotten Too Much Credit for the Evolution of Modern Society
Contrary to a popular hypothesis, pro-social religions didn’t kick-start complex social systems
Edible Insect Breeding Led to Larger but Not Necessarily Better Larvae
Researchers aiming to lower the cost of mealworms were able to double the worms' size, but the larger larvae had fewer eggs and weaker offspring. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Mind Your "Fs" and "Vs": Agriculture May Have Shaped Both Human Jaws and Language
Eating porridge and cheese appears to have changed our bite to enable the vocal tract to produce new sounds
Warm-Blooded Animals Lost Ability to Heal the Heart
Thyroid hormone, which helps warm-blooded animals regulate body temperature, also appears to put a halt on heart regeneration. Christopher Intagliata reports.
The Other Tool Users
Excavations of stone tools left behind by nonhuman primates are illuminating the origins of technological innovation
Susceptibility to Mental Illness May Have Helped Humans Adapt over the Millennia
Psychiatrist Randolph Nesse, one of the founders of evolutionary medicine, explains why natural selection did not rid our species of onerous psychiatric disorders
Did Crawling Critters Leave These Cracks? The Answer Could Rewrite Evolutionary History
Researchers say they found evidence life began moving 2.1 billion years ago, but that contentious conclusion is far from certain
Grandma's Influence Is Good for Grandkids
Grandmothers can enhance the survival of grandchildren. That is, unless grandma’s too old or lives too far away. Karen Hopkin reports.
The Real Dino Killer: A One–Two Punch
An asteroid impact and volcanoes acting together could have done in the beasts, new rock dates indicate
Light-Skin Variant Arose in Asia Independent of Europe
A new genetic study of Latin Americans provides evidence that gene variants for lighter skin color came about in Asia as well as in Europe. Christopher Intagliata reports.
