Fluttering Feathers Could Spawn New Species
Fork-tailed flycatchers make a fluttering sound with their wings—but separate subspecies have different “dialects” of fluttering. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Evolution11710 articles archived since 1845
These Small Mammals Snort to a Different Tune
Hyraxes, which live in Africa and the Middle East, punctuate their songs with snorts. And the snorts appear to reflect the animals’ emotional state. Jason G. Goldman reports.
The Matador in Your Fish Tank
The humble guppy has a surprising strategy for predators
High-Elevation Hummingbirds Evolved a Temperature Trick
Hummingbirds in the Peruvian Andes enter a state of torpor at night to conserve energy, dipping their body temperature to as low as 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Christopher Intagliata reports. ...
Evolution Education in the U.S. Is Getting Better
The percentage of public school bio teachers who present it as the broad consensus view among scientists—without presenting the creationist “alternative”—has increased markedly since 2007...
How Scientists Discovered the Staggering Complexity of Human Evolution
Darwin would be delighted by the story his successors have revealed
Some Dinosaurs Probably Nested in Arctic
The finding of a baby dinosaur fossil in the Arctic implies that some dinos nested in the region, which was milder than today but not toasty.
Red Stalagmites Reveal Glimpses of the Past
In a cave in northern Spain, stalagmites rich in organic matter are environmental record keepers
Buried Skeletons Reveal Tsunami Threat in East Africa
Newly analyzed remains depict the scope of a devastating event
How Birds Evolved Their Incredible Diversity
An analysis of 391 skulls shows that birds evolved surprisingly slowly, compared with their dinosaur forerunners
Prehistoric Marine Reptile Died after a Giant Meal
Researchers found extra bones within a 240-million-year-old ichthyosaur fossil—which they determined to be the ichthyosaur’s last, possibly fatal meal. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Cows with Eye Images Keep Predators in Arrears
Butterflies, fish and frogs sport rear-end eyespots that reduce predation. Painting eye markings on cows similarly seems to ward off predators.
Warbler Species Fires Up Song Diversity
Hermit warblers in California have developed 35 different song dialects, apparently as a result of wildfires temporarily driving them out of certain areas.
A 429-Million-Year-Old Trilobite Had Eyes like Those of Modern Bees
A rare cracked fossil shows the world through ancient eyes
The World’s Highest-Dwelling Mammal Lives atop a Volcano
Scientists spotted a mouse at the summit of Llullaillaco, a 22,000-foot-tall volcano on the border of Chile and Argentina. Julia Rosen reports.
The Chance of Identical Fingerprints: 1 in 64 trillion
Originally published in June 1894
Translucent Frog Optics Create Camo Color
Rather than undergoing active chameleonlike color changes, glass frogs’ translucency allows light to bounce from their background and go through them—making their apparent color close to their setting...
How Do Scientists Determine the Ages of Human Ancestors, Fossilized Dinosaurs and Other Organisms?
Experts explain how radiometric dating allows them to reconstruct ancient time lines
Humans Evolved to Be Friendly
Cooperation made Homo sapiens the last human species standing
One Mystery of Stonehenge’s Origins Has Finally Been Solved
Detailed testing of the chemical signature of the Neolithic monument’s most prominent large stones pinpointed where they came from
