Evolutionary Biology

Biologist Gerald Edelman–one of the truly great scientific characters I’ve encountered, whose work raised profound questions about the limits of science—has died.

Since diverging from a common ancestor with brown bears less than half a million years ago, polar bears have accumulated genetic changes that allow them to eat a superhigh-fat diet without suffering cardiovascular consequences. Karen Hopkin reports

 

Honeybee “waggle dances” could help conservationists judge whether wildlife restoration efforts are working
 

The publication of the draft genetic sequence of a comb jelly reveals a nervous system like no other

I heard you're looking for a new favourite animal. Look no further, this is your guy. At just 35 centimetres long – which includes a 20-cm-long tail – and weighing no more than 500 grams, the pygmy anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) is the smallest anteater on Earth.

The 180-million-year-old fossils suggest that shallow-water animals may have originated from deep-sea ancestors

The placenta is full of microbes, a new study finds, raising questions about how that ecosystem and mothers' oral health influence the risk of preterm birth

A new book argues race and genetics explain "the rise of the West." Bad science explains the downfall of its ideas. Nicholas Wade is not a racist.

The social structure of termites evolved independently from bees and ants, but all the species seem to share similar chemical tags that control a few genes

Just when you thought octopuses couldn’t get any weirder: It turns out that their suckers have an unexpectedly hairy grip. Octopuses can form an impressively tight grip—even on a rough surface.

It’s such wonderful warm weather in the UK at the moment, I thought it was time to celebrate with another butterfly post! I particularly wanted to take a closer look at the butterfly Phengaris arion which is rather unimaginatively known more commonly as the Large Blue.

Scientists in Australia have warned that we’d better get hopping and slow down climate change if we want to prevent the world’s smallest kangaroo from going extinct.