Surprise: Bees Need Meat
Microbes in flowers are crucial to bee diets, and microbiome changes could be starving the insects
Evolution6964 articles archived since 1845
Uncovering the Secrets of Flycatcher Eyes
A never before seen collection of structures in the birds’ retinas may help them track speedy prey
What Are Animals Thinking when They Face Off?
Conventional wisdom holds that the ability to assess a rival's fighting ability is universal in the animal kingdom. Recent research has shown otherwise
Stare Down Gulls to Avoid Lunch Loss
Researchers slowed the approach of greedy gulls by an average of 21 seconds by staring at the birds versus looking elsewhere. Christopher Intagliata reports.
We Could Be Witnessing the Death of a Tectonic Plate
A gaping hole in the Juan de Fuca plate could explain why central Oregon has volcanoes
Extinction Wipes Out Evolution's Hard Work
By killing off many of New Zealand’s endemic birds, humans destroyed 50 million years’ worth of evolutionary history. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Darwin's Ideas on Evolution Drive a Radical New Approach to Cancer Drug Use
Principles of evolution and natural selection drive a radical new approach to drugs and prevention strategies
What Killed the Dinosaurs?
Everyday Einstein looks at two new studies that blame volcanoes and asteroids
Male Black Widows Poach Rivals' Approaches
Mating is risky business for black widow males—so they hitchhike on the silk threads left by competitors to more quickly find a mate. Christopher Intagliata reports.
For Ants, the Sky's the Compass
Computer modeling revealed that insects with a celestial compass can likely determine direction down to just a couple degrees of error. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Bird Embryos Vibrate to Warn One Another of Danger before They Hatch
The egg-bound developing animals are more attuned to the outside world than previously thought
Investigating the Zombie Ant's "Death Grip"
Researchers dissected the jaws of ants infected with the Ophiocordyceps fungus to determine how the fungus hijacks the ants' behavior. Christopher Intagliata reports. ...
Ancient Mongolian Nests Show Dinosaurs Protected Their Eggs
The fossils provide the first clear example of group nesting activities in dinosaurs
Her Nobel Research Outshines Her Star Turn
Nobel Laureate Frances H. Arnold talks to Scientific American editor-in-chief Mariette DiChristina about her work, which takes advantage of the evolution algorithm to make entirely new enzymes that can perform useful chemistry...
Extinct 11-Foot "Super-Ostrich" Was as Massive as a Polar Bear
The giant bird roamed Europe more than two million years ago
Going Barefoot Is Good for the Sole
Walking without shoes builds calluses, but that does not limit sensation
Bone Up on What's Inside You
Author and self-described fossil fanatic Brian Switek talks about his new book Skeleton Keys: The Secret Life of Bone.
Science News Briefs from around the World
A few brief reports about international science and technology from Canada to Kenya, including one about how humans thousands of years ago in what is now Argentina butchered and presumably ate giant ground sloths...
Scientists Find Early Evidence of Humans Cooking Starches
More than 100 millennia ago, people were roasting tubers—a practice that fueled their bodies and may have aided migrations
Why Some Amazonian Societies Survived and Others Perished amid Pre-Columbian Droughts
Confronting climate change, cultures with intensive, specialized land use were vulnerable. Those that endured cultivated multiple crops and helped edible rainforest species prosper
