Evolutionary Biology

Would you rather have $50 now or $100 two weeks from now? Even though the $100 is obviously the better choice, many people will opt for the $50.

Computer models suggest that plant-eating dinosaurs called therizinosaurs used their claws for digging, grasping or piercing plants

Bite marks on fossils coupled with an analysis of skull strength suggests that crocodilians were capable of using "death rolls" to dismember prey

Insecticide-laced nest materials offer a simple fix for parasite infestations

Scientists knew neochrome was odd before they started rooting around in its family tree. A union of independent proteins — red-sensing phytochrome and blue-sensing phototropin — the super-protein combines two already-great pieces into one fantastic whole that helps plants grow toward dim, filtered light.

The fork-tailed drongo can mimic the alarm calls of dozens of other species of animals, including nonbirds, to drive them off and steal their food. Cynthia Graber reports

 

I photograph birds a lot - something that's more possible than it was before due to the fact that I now own a half-decent camera (thank you, parents).

Imagine that you walk into a room, where three people are sitting, facing you. Their faces are oriented towards you, but all three of them have their eyes directed towards the left side of the room.

In many animals, males give females a gift in the hope of getting to mate with her. This might sound overly simplistic, but this really can be how it happens.

A study of colonies of a diving bird on the Spanish coast shows the lingering effect during at least the first 10 years after the 2002 Prestige disaster

This is my second post in a week featuring spiders doing undeniably adorable things - dancing and cartwheels. It's as if spiders know they have a reputation problem and have launched some kind of secret PR campaign to highlight their cuter, less-likely-to-give-you-skin-rot members.

By analyzing previously overlooked fossils and by taking a second look at some old finds, paleontologists are providing the first glimpses of the actual behavior of the tyrannosaurs