Jurassic World: Can We Really Resurrect a Dinosaur?
The Jurassic Park franchise has sparked an interest in dinosaur DNA, but the movies are just fiction
Evolution6857 articles archived since 1845
Volcanoes: Nature's Way of Letting Off Steam
A slide show of eruptions and their impacts around the world
Mongooses Gift Grooming for Guard Duty
Humans and other primates often reciprocate good deeds. A new study suggests a nonprimate, the dwarf mongoose, does so, too, even after a delay. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Pinnipeds Don't Appreciate Biped Disturbance
Sea lions and fur seals in Uruguay have become a tourist attraction—but the animals have become less, not more, accepting of humans. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Computers Predict Pop Chart Success
An evolutionary analysis of pop tunes revealed that over the past 30 years songs have grown sadder—but the big hits buck that trend. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Dinosaurs: From Humble Beginnings to Global Dominance
Edinburgh University paleontologist Steve Brusatte talks about his May 2018 Scientific American article, "The Unlikely Triumph of the Dinosaurs," and his new book, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World.
Google's AI Assistant Does Your Talk Tasks
The new Google AI voice assistant, called Duplex, highlights the intricacies of carrying out a mundane human-style conversation, as it keeps you off the phone.
Great Ape Makes Good Doc
Orangutans were observed to use plant extracts to treat their own pain.
Hunting Rules Have Changed Mama Bear Care
Hunting regulations in Sweden prohibit killing brown bear mothers in company of cubs—causing mama bears to care for their young longer. Jason G. Goldman reports.
Mysterious Insect Fossil Gap Explained
A lack of diverse, winged hexapods—not low oxygen levels—could explain the gap in the fossil record
People Who Understand Evolution Are More Likely to Accept It
Even among the religious and conservative, knowledge of the theory influenced belief
Plants Can Sense Animal Attack Coming
Tomato plants detected snail slime in soil near them and mounted preemptive defenses, even though they were not directly touched.
Archaeologist Makes a Case for Seafaring Neandertals
Ancient tools on Mediterranean islands could predate the appearance of modern humans—suggesting Neandertals took to the seas. Christopher Intagliata reports.
New Fossils Offer Clues about a Primordial Bird Beak
The toothy snout had a tip covered by a hornlike sheath
Humans Evolved but Are Still Special
Brown University biologist and author Ken Miller talks about his new book The Human Instinct: How We Evolved to Have Reason, Consciousness and Free Will.
The Elusive Calculus of Insect Altruism
A new theory may change the debate over evolution and self-interest among ants, bees and other social bugs
Human Brain Gain: Computer Models Hint at Why We Bested Neandertals
Differences in the structure of the brain’s cerebellum may help explain our superior cognitive abilities
Drumming Beats Speech for Distant Communication
The Bora people in the northwestern Amazon use drums to send languagelike messages across long distances. Christopher Intagliata reports.
If Singing's Tough, Try Whistling
A new study claims it's easier to accurately whistle a melody than to sing it. Christopher Intagliata reports.
"Sea Nomads" May Have Evolved to Be the World's Elite Divers
New genetic evidence suggests these indigenous Southeast Asians are singularly suited for underwater hunting