Evolutionary Biology

A partial skeleton dating back more than two million years is the most complete yet of Homo habilis, one of the earliest known species in our genus

Towering Prototaxites ruled Earth before trees—and they may have been a form of life entirely new to science

New research on strange cycad plants offers a glimpse into the prehistoric origins of pollination

Newly identified bones tie the mysterious Burtele foot to a new Australopithecus species that lived alongside Lucy more than three million years ago

An analysis suggests Nanotyrannus is a separate, smaller dinosaur that lived alongside T. rex, settling a 30-year debate

Saturn’s moon Enceladus shows signs of life-supporting chemistry, fungi may have shaped Earth before plants, and repeat COVID infections raise long-term health risks for kids.

Wild chimps ingest the equivalent of multiple alcoholic beverages a day

Researchers have finally traced the origin of the spotted ratfish’s bizarre forehead teeth, which are used for mating

Traditional biology has long ignored nature’s sexual diversity—but evolution tells a far more complex story.

The first analysis of mushroom bitterness reveals ultrapotent compounds

This Father’s Day, we’re celebrating the unusually involved Djungarian hamster dads

The Haenyeo, an all-female group of divers on South Korea’s Jeju Island, spend much of their lives underwater without equipment—a “superpower” that may be written into their DNA