Environment
Meet the (Newest Known) Beetles!
Researchers announced the discovery of 98 beetle species previously unknown to science. David Biello reports
Evolutionary Biology1968 articles archived since 1845
Evolution
How Robins Became the Birds of Christmas
It's time to wind things down for Christmas, so what better way to do it than to write a short article about robins. And here I mean the `original' or `proper' robin - the European robin Erithacus rubecula - a Eurasian passerine that also occurs in northern Africa and is (conventionally) regarded as the only [...]..
Environment
Could Extinct Clouded Leopards be Reintroduced in Taiwan?
Two years ago, after an intense 13-year quest, scientists concluded that the Formosan clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa brachyura) had gone extinct in Taiwan.
Mind & Brain
Male Praying Mantids Have a Strategy For Not Being Eaten by Their Mates
We usually think about male and female mates getting along pretty well (that's `mate' in the biological sense, not your friendly British/ Australian friend).
Evolution
How Pearlfish Use Oysters as Underwater Amplifiers for Communication
A new study has revealed how marine pearlfish communicate with each other from the confines of their very safe and comfy homes inside oysters – they use the internal structure of the shell to amplify their strange, pulsing noises to the ocean outside...
The Sciences
Short-Term Fasting Made Mice Healthier
Mice that ate their entire food for the day in an eight-to-12-hour window had better markers for health than did mice free to eat whenever they wanted. Steve Mirsky reports
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Health
Experimental Drugs Target Bacteria’s Social Network
Evolutionary biologists are trying to attack bacteria in a new way: by short-circuiting their social life
Evolution
Bacterial Motors Come in a Dizzying Array of Models
Bacteria propel themselves with corkscrew tails anchored in rotary motors. That may seem surprisingly mechanical for a microbe, but it is a system that has been wildly popular and conserved across billions of years of evolution...
Mind & Brain
What Forms of Creativity Turn You On?
It’s no secret: creativity is sexy. People all over the world rank creativity as a highly desirable quality in a partner, and people who are creative across a variety of fields report more sexual partners (similar results have been found in specific fields such as visual art, music, and humor)...
Evolution
Massive Genetic Effort Confirms Bird Songs Related to Human Speech
The sequencing of genomes of 48 bird species explains the evolutionary roots of vocalization and could offer insight into human speech disorders
Environment
Butt-Breathing Turtle Now Critically Endangered
Few reptiles can breathe underwater. Australia is home to one of the exceptions, the white-throated snapping turtle (Elseya albagula), which can extract oxygen from water through its backside via a process called cloacal respiration...
Evolution
Birds Roost on New Evolutionary Tree
In a massive first-of-its-kind whole-genome analysis involving 48 bird species, researchers have created a new avian evolutionary tree. Steve Mirsky reports
The Sciences
10 Original Gifts for Science and Art Geeks
It’s time again for me to offer up a few quirky gift ideas for the science enthusiasts in your life. I guarantee these will be the most original gifts under the tree!
Evolution
E.O. Wilson's Thrilling Prophecy of "Paradise" on Earth
Edward Wilson has earned the right to title his latest book The Meaning of Human Existence, which coming from almost any other author would sound laughably pretentious.
Environment
Strange Life in an Improbable Place
Once similar to the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Antarctica now demands that life adapt to extreme cold—which explains, for instance, the existence of fish there that make their own antifreeze and lack red blood...
Evolution
Endangered Cuban Crocodiles Are Losing Their Genetic Identity
Interbreeding with other species could overwhelm the animal, causing it to go extinct
Evolution
The Giant Transparent Ribbons of Eel Larvae
Author's note: This is the latest post in the Wonderful Things series. You can read more about this series here. It is startling how different the larvae of fish can be from the adults that produced them, as I wrote in a blog post a few months ago...
Evolution
Origins of Human Alcohol Consumption Revealed
A single genetic mutation 10 million years ago endowed human ancestors with an enhanced ability to break down ethanol, likely as they shifted to a terrestrial lifestyle
Evolution
These Amazing Spiders Look Remarkably Like Ants [Slide Show]
Ant-mimicking spiders are the ultimate imposters
The Sciences
Vultures's Gut Bacteria Make Sure Rotten-Meat Diet Isn't Fatal
Gut bacteria and strong gastric juices show how the birds can live on decaying flesh.
