Evolution
Penis Worm’s Ancient Cousin Fossilized with Its Doughnut-Shaped Brain Intact
The fossilized embryo of a Cambrian worm holds the preserved remains of a tiny brain
Evolution11795 articles archived since 1845
Anthropology
Discoveries about Ancient Human Evolution Win 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Svante Pääbo’s work on sequencing the DNA of Neandertals and Denisovans, which won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, revealed surprising interbreeding among human species...
Paleontology
The Oldest 3-D Heart from Our Vertebrate Ancestors Has Been Discovered
Fish fossils from Western Australia preserve the oldest 3-D hearts, livers, stomachs and intestines in a jawed vertebrate
Dinosaurs
If T. Rex’s Beady-Eyed Glare Terrifies You, It Should
Top-predator dinosaurs of the Cretaceous may have traded big eyes for a bigger bite
Animals
In a First, Tiny Crustaceans Are Found to ‘Pollinate’ Seaweed like Bees of the Sea
Small marine critters ferry around seaweed sex cells, the first recorded example of “pollination” in algae
Archaeology
How Humans’ Ability to Digest Milk Evolved from Famine and Disease
A landmark study is the first major effort to quantify how lactose tolerance developed
Animals
New Evidence Emerges in Mystery of When Mammals Became Warm-Blooded
Fossil animals’ inner ear structures offer clues on when endothermy, or warm-bloodedness, evolved
Evolution
Toxic Slime Contributed to Earth’s Worst Mass Extinction—And It’s Making a Comeback
Global warming fueled rampant overgrowth of microbes at the end of the Permian period. Such lethal blooms may be on the rise again
Dinosaurs
Feathers May Have Helped Dinosaurs Survive Their First Apocalypse
Geologic evidence for a freezing arctic suggests dinosaurs could have weathered an epoch-ending volcanic winter
Evolution
Heated Debate Persists over the Origins of Complex Cells
Were mitochondria a driving evolutionary force or just a late addition?
Evolution
Ancient Giraffe Relative Was Evolution’s Headbutting Champion, Perhaps Besting Dinosaurs
Natural selection propels the giraffe family to absolute extremes—and it is not just about the absurdly long necks
Animals
Two-Headed Worms Tell Us Something Fascinating about Evolution
Researchers looked back at more than 100 years of research and found that a fascination with annelids with mixed up appendages was strong—and that research still has relevance today...
Epidemiology
A Guide to the Different Omicron Subvariants
How to tell the different versions of SARS-CoV-2 apart, and how well vaccines protect against them
Paleontology
Pterosaurs May Have Had Brightly Colored Feathers, Exquisite Fossil Reveals
An amazingly well-preserved fossil suggests the common ancestor of dinosaurs and pterosaurs also had some type of feather or feather precursor
Animals
Social Animals Seek Power in Surprisingly Complex Ways
It’s not just physical combat—animals have a host of strategies for building clout
Animals
Lost Genes Explain Vampire Bats’ Diet of Blood
To survive on nutrient-poor blood, less can sometimes be more
Evolution
Urban Evolution: How Species Adapt to Survive in Cities
Evolution in cities illuminates long-standing scientific questions and climate change futures
Evolution
Snakes’ and Lizards’ Slow and Steady Evolution Won the Race
A related lineage’s explosive growth leaves just one descendant today
Paleontology
Newly Discovered Saber-Toothed Predator Shows How Hypercarnivores Evolved
A well-preserved fossil introduces a new species that lived in what is now California around 42 million years ago
Evolution
The Devastating Loss of Grandparents among One Million COVID Dead
Grandparents are a majority of the pandemic’s death toll
