Rethinking Easter Island’s Historic ‘Collapse’
Controversial new archaeological research casts doubt on a classic theory of this famous island's societal collapse
Evolution11748 articles archived since 1845
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.
Flamingos Can Be Picky about Company
They don’t stand on one leg around just anybody but often prefer certain members of the flock.
A swimming dinosaur: The tail of Spinosaurus
Giant Volcano Rewrites the Story of Seafloor Formation
Tamu Massif and dozens of other seafloor volcanoes formed like sheet cakes, not layer cakes
Life inside the Extinction
These are startling times, but there’s a way out
Virus-Infected Bees Practice Social Distancing
Bees infected with a virus cut back on interactions within their hive but find it easier to get past sentries at neighboring hives.
Where Is Everybody Else in the Universe?
Guest host W. Wayt Gibbs talks with Jason Wright, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University’s Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, about what’s known as the Fermi paradox: In a universe of trillions of planets, where is everybody?...
Birds on Rhinos’ Back Help Them Avoid Poachers
Oxpeckers riding on rhinoceroses feast on ticks, and their calls warn the nearsighted herbivores about approaching humans.
Possible Dinosaur DNA Has Been Found
New discoveries have raised the possibility of exploring dino genetics, but controversy surrounds the results
Signs of Modern Human Cognition Were Found in an Indonesian Cave
Painted images of intriguing human-animal hybrids are signs of modern thought
Melting Ice Reveals a “Lost” Viking-Era Pass in Norway’s Mountains
Artifacts show people used the route for 1,000 years—then abandoned it, possibly amid a plague
