The Sciences
The Oldest Old Are Astonishingly Healthy
People in their late 90s or older are often fitter than those 20 years younger. Traditional views of aging may need rethinking
Evolutionary Biology1967 articles archived since 1845
Evolution
Seashell Shapes Show Strength for Safety
Analysis of clamshell and screw-shaped shells reveals the structures withstand much greater forces than would a simple sphere or cylinder. Cynthia Graber reports
The Sciences
First Warm-Blooded Fish Discovered
The opah's warm blood allows it to swim faster at depths nearing 400 meters
Evolution
The Richest Reef: A Bagful of New Species
Divers on a research expedition to the Philippines' Coral Triangle uncover a trove marine biodiversity
Health
Cell Studies Could Lead to Anti-Aging Drugs
Researchers have uncovered an ancient mechanism that retards aging. Drugs that tweaked it could well postpone cancer, diabetes and other diseases of old age
The Sciences
Book Review: How to Clone a Mammoth
Books and recommendations from Scientific American
Evolution
Feathered Dinosaurs on Post-its
Sometimes, the pathway to a new idea becoming universally accepted requires a steady stream of little nudges, small pebbles thrown into the lake.
Technology
Pop Music Gets Its Fossil Record Analyzed
An investigation of more than 17,000 hit tunes suggests popular music undergoes periods of shifting diversity, and that new styles evolve in bursts. Christopher Intagliata reports
The Sciences
A Five-Minute Taste of Deep Sea Exploration
NOAA’s research ship Okeanos Explorer and its ROV Deep Discoverer (aka D2) wrapped up their latest exploration of the seafloor and marine canyons around Puerto Rico last week.
Evolution
Yi qi Is Neat but Might Not Have Been the Black Screaming Dino-Dragon of Death
A couple of weeks ago I hatched a plan to write about all the neat new dinosaur-themed studies that had just appeared in print; I began by penning my thoughts on the Brontosaurus issue.
Mind & Brain
Shades of Sensitivity
The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him… a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death...
Mind & Brain
When Do Scorpions Spray Their Enemies?
Some animals defend themselves by spraying liquid at potential threats. Perhaps the most well-known example of this is the skunk, whose spray contains chemicals that smell awful to the animals it's defending itself from...
Environment
The Richest Reef: A Symbiotic Society
Editor's Note: "The Richest Reef" follows members of a scientific dive team as they attempt to pinpoint the center of the most biologically diverse marine ecosystem in the world...
Health
Botanical Sexism Cultivates Home-Grown Allergies
It's the time year for watery eyes and itchy noses, and if you're among the afflicted, you may be surprised to learn that decades of botanical sexism in urban landscapes have contributed to your woes...
Environment
The Last 3 Bornean Rhinos Are in a Race against Extinction
Is there any hope of saving the Bornean rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni) from extinction? Sadly, the chances of that happening seem to grow slimmer and slimmer.
Evolution
World Tapir Day, 2015
I’ve just learnt (thanks, Marko Bosscher) that today (April 27th) is World Tapir Day, an annual event in which the world unites in celebration of our plucky, trunk-nosed perissodactyl pals and in which we aim to enhance awareness of tapir conservation through the raising of funds and sale of tapir-themed merchandise...
Mind & Brain
Inside the Wonderful World of Bee Cognition - How it All Began
One of the first things I get asked when I tell people that I work on bee cognition (apart from `do you get stung a lot?') is `bees have cognition?'.
Environment
A New Tool for Conservation Genetics: Seal Placentas
It's a sad fact that as members of a species become rarer they tend to suffer from inbreeding. This lack of genetic diversity can lead to birth defects and other problems, making a species even more endangered as time progresses...
Mind & Brain
Learning to Make a Stone Age Axe Gives Clues to How the Brain Evolved
For many decades, scientists have tried to understand the past by doing as our forebears did. One important endeavor in what is called experimental archaeology involves moderns crafting Stone Age tools by chipping away at rocks...
Mind & Brain
Lost Penguin Chicks Try To Find Their Way Home
King penguins are pretty social animals. Not only do they tend to hang out in a big group, but even within the group, they form little sub-groups; cliques of penguins who like to hang out together...
