Evolution11744 articles archived since 1845

The Messenger Is the Message

Behavioral scientist Stephen Martin and psychologist Joseph Marks talk about their book Messengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don’t, and Why.

Science Briefs from around the World

Here are some brief reports about science and technology from around the planet, including one about a 70-million-year-old mollusk fossil that reveals years back then had a few more days than we have now...

The First Gene on Earth May Have Been a Hybrid

A new experiment suggests DNA and RNA may have formed together before the origin of life

How a 380-Million-Year-Old Fish Gave Us Fingers

A remarkable fossil reveals that the digits in our hands evolved before vertebrates emerged from the water to colonize land

Nanjing School: Extracellular microRNA mediates co-evolution between species

Human Speech Evolution Gets Lip-Smacking Evidence

A study of our closest evolutionary relatives finds that the chimp behavior known as lip smacking occurs in the same timing range as human mouths during speech.

‘Snot Palaces’ Reveal Undersea Creature Secrets

Scientists are studying the delicate mucus houses built by creatures called larvaceans to better understand how they live. Christopher Intagliata reports. 

Fossil Footprints Help Uncover the Mysteries of Bipedal Crocodiles  

Ancient tracks reveal a previously unknown creature from the Age of Dinosaurs—answering one question but raising more  

Bioluminescence Helps Prey Avoid Hungry Seals

Prey animals flash biochemically produced light to confuse elephant seals hunting in the dark. But at least one seal turned the tables.

Ancient DNA Yields New Clues to Dead Sea Scrolls

A sensitive genetic fingerprinting technique could help scholars learn more from thousands of fragile parchment fragments

Rethinking Easter Island’s Historic ‘Collapse’

Controversial new archaeological research casts doubt on a classic theory of this famous island's societal collapse

Earliest ‘Chickens’ Were Actually Pheasants

A new analysis ruffles the story of poultry domestication 

Colorful Corals Beat Bleaching

Exposed to mildly warmer waters, some corals turn neon instead of bleaching white. The dramatic colors may help coax symbiotic algae back. Christopher Intagliata reports. 

A Failure of Imagination

Nature does not have to play fair with our puny human brains

Malaria Mosquitoes Are Biting before Bed-Net Time

Mosquitoes that like to bite at night are being thwarted by bed nets, leading to the rise of populations that prefer to bite when the nets are not up yet.

Bumblebees Bite Plants to Force Them to Flower (Seriously)

The behavior could be an evolutionary adaptation that lets bees forage more easily

Pointy-headed Pygmies Evolved into Humans

Originally published in August 1906

Barn Owl Babies Can Be Helpful Hatch Mates

Food sharing is mainly found in adult animals as a part of social bonding. But in a rarely observed behavior in birds, older barn owl chicks will share food with younger ones.

100,000-Year-Old Human at Home on the Subway

Originally published in July 1948

Lemur Flirting Uses Common Scents

To entice female ring-tailed lemurs, males rub wrist secretions, which include compounds we use in perfumes, onto their tail and then wave it near the gals.