World's Simplest Animal Reveals Hidden Diversity
The first animal genus defined purely by genetic characters represents a new era for the sorting and naming of animals
Evolution6869 articles archived since 1845
The Inner Life of Cats
If you have ever wondered why your cat behaves the way it does, wonder no more
Better Living through Evolution: Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Frances Arnold, George Smith and Gregory Winter shared the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for using evolutionary principles to create highly efficient enzymes and antibodies, with numerous practical applications.
Indonesian Tsunami Was Powered by a Deadly Combo of Tectonics and Geography
The magnitude 7.5 earthquake that touched off the tsunami occurred amid a complex puzzle of tectonic plates
Mammals Shrink When Humans Migrate In
Where humans migrate, mammals become smaller
Nobel in Chemistry for New and Useful Chemical Entities via Evolutionary Principles
Frances H. Arnold, George P. Smith and Gregory P. Winter share the 2018 chemistry Nobel for developing evolutionary-based techniques that lead to the creation of new chemical entities with useful properties.
Scanning Ancient Civilizations from the Skies
An aerial laser scan of more than 800 square miles of Guatemalan jungle revealed Maya buildings, canals, roads and bridges. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Cats May Have Duped Us about Being Great Rat Catchers
Breweries, warehouses and waste facilities sometimes turn to cats for rat control—but do they really help?
Say Hello to Dickinsonia, the Animal Kingdom's Newest (and Oldest) Member
Half-billion-year-old fossils reveal new details about one of the most mysterious chapters in Earth’s history
Sea Otters' Powerful Paw Prey Perception
The marine mammals have extraordinarily sensitive touch—which helps them nab prey in the absence of other sensory cues. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Genetic Tweak Gave Early Humans a Leg Up
A mutation in a key gene may have endowed humans with superior endurance—allowing them to compete better with other animals on the savanna. Christopher Intagliata reports.
How Mammals Maintain Symmetry during Development
Communication with the placenta is key to ensuring body parts grow at the same rate
The Search for ET May Be Missing Life on Low-Oxygen Worlds
Microbes thrived on ancient Earth, even with very little oxygen
Ritual Sacrifice May Have Shaped Dog Domestication
An ancient Arctic site suggests a complex relationship between humans and canines
Bonnethead Sharks Are Underwater Lawn Mowers
The hammerhead relatives consume copious amounts of sea grass, and have the digestive machinery to process it—making them true omnivores. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Hurricane Is a Natural Selection Experiment
When Hurricane Irma blew through the Turks and Caicos, lizards with shorter hindlimbs lucked out. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Here's Looking at Humanity, Kid
Senior Editor Gary Stix talks about the September special issue of Scientific American, devoted to the science of being human. And Brown University evolutionary biologist Ken Miller discusses human chromosome 2 and what it tells us about us.
"Bone-Crushing" Dogs Left Evidence in Their Poop
Like hyenas, the ancient canines apparently ate their food bones and all
"Death Masks" Reveal How Earliest Complex Organisms Became Fossils
A new experiment suggests our picture of the so-called Ediacarans may be incomplete