Evolution
Dinosaurs Evolved in a Startlingly Short Time
New fossil dates show beasts arose from their ancestors in half the time researchers previously thought
Evolutionary Biology1968 articles archived since 1845
The Sciences
Ancient Tiny Whale Hunted with Pointy Teeth, Oversize Gums
An early species of baleen whale relied on teeth rather than a filter for feeding
The Sciences
The Woman Who Stared at Wasps
The biologist Joan Strassmann discusses the evolution of cooperation, how amoebas can teach us about competition, and why the definition of “organism” needs an overhaul
The Sciences
Mongrel Microbe Tests Story of Complex Life
A newly discovered class of microbe could help to resolve one of the biggest and most controversial mysteries in evolution—how simple microbes transformed into the complex cells that produced animals, plants and fungi...
The Sciences
Bizarre Ancient Sea Creature Was Well-Armed for Feeding
Fluid dynamics sheds light the Tribrachidium's approach to mealtime 550 million years ago
The Sciences
Hobbits Were a Separate Species, Ancient Chompers Show
Teeth from these diminutive individuals suggest they belonged to a unique species rather than a modern human with a growth disorder, as previously suspected
Evolution
Mysterious Group of Extinct Humans Was More Diverse Than Neandertals
DNA from Denisovans suggests they lived in Siberia for millennia and were more genetically diverse than Neandertals, but less diverse than modern humans
The Sciences
Howler Monkeys Trade Testicles for Decibels
Among howler monkey species, loud calls come at the expense of testicle size and sperm production—or to put it another way, monkeys with the largest testes don't make as much noise...
500-Million-Year-Old Brains and Life in the Universe
A new study provides substantial support for earlier claims of 520-million-year-old arthropod brain systems, raising interesting questions about the nature of brains, life and intelligence in the cosmos...
The Sciences
Your Cat Questions Answered
A cat expert fields a host of questions from cat owners
The Sciences
Stephen Jay Gould on Marx, Kuhn and Punk Meek
Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould was influenced by Marx and Kuhn as well as by Darwin.
The Sciences
A Fossil Find Gets Entangled with South Africa's Apartheid Past
Some prominent South Africans associate Homo naledi with stereotypes of blacks promulgated during decades of whites-only rule
Evolution
Genetics Probe Identifies New Galapagos Tortoise Species
Known group of 250 animals found to be genetically distinct from their island neighbors
The Sciences
Dino's Tail Might Have Whipped It Good
Researchers built a physical model of the tail of the late Jurassic dinosaur Apatosaurus and found that its tail tip could have moved at supersonic speed to produce a whip-crack sound ...
The Sciences
How Elephants Stay Cancer-Free
The animals have 20 copies of a key tumor-fighting gene; humans have just one
Mind & Brain
Babies Just Want to Be Smiled at
By studying the interactions of babies and their mothers, researchers determined that babies smile in hopes others will smile at them. Erika Beras reports
Evolution
Extinct Tree-Climbing Human Walked with a Swagger
Homo naledi ’s hands and feet could reveal answers about a key shift in human evolution—the move from a life of climbing trees to one spent walking on the ground...
Evolution
Ancient Toothy Mammal Survived Dino Apocalypse
Hiding out in what is now New Mexico, beaver-like animal used specialized dentition to live on plants
The Sciences
Bee Symbiosis Reveals Life's Deepest Partnerships: Q&A
The biologist Nancy Moran has spent a career investigating the surprising nature of symbiosis, a phenomenon in which two species can appear to merge into one
The Sciences
The Pleasing Fungus Beetle Lives Up to Its Name
Entomologists, you know how to name your critters
