Evolution
Why Women Live Longer Than Men
Stress alone does not explain the longevity gap
Evolutionary Biology1968 articles archived since 1845
Evolution
Mystery of Darwin's "Strange Animals" Solved
An analysis using ancient collagen protein could permit the study of fossils older than DNA allows
Evolution
With 6 Left, Controversial Fish Species Faces Extinction
Are we about to witness the extinction of the controversial delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus)? The most recent survey for the tiny fish, over which decades of battles over water rights have been fought, counted just four females and two males...
Health
Will People Ever Live Forever?
As we grow old, our cells begin to betray us
Evolution
Fossils of Huge Sea Creature Shine Light on Early Arthropod Evolution
A fossil discovery of a joint-legged animal foreshadows the appearance of giant filter-feeding sharks and whales in more recent times
Evolution
Why Humans Live So Long
Modern genomes and ancient mummies offer clues to why the life span of Homo sapiens far exceeds that of other primates
Neandertals Turned Eagle Talons into Jewelry 130,000 Years Ago
As longtime readers may have noticed, I have an abiding interest in Neandertals. To help me keep up with the latest scientific insights into these mysterious relatives of ours, I have a Google alert set for "Neandertal" (and the alternate spelling, "Neanderthal")...
The Atomic Worm-Lizard and Other Aprasia Flapfoots
I'm feeling the urge to blog about lizards. So, today I'd like to talk about the Aprasia species, a group of short-tailed, near-limbless gekkotans that belong to the Australian Pygopodidae family, the so-called flapfoots, flap-footed lizards or pygopods...
Environment
Mass Deaths in Americas Start New CO2 Epoch
A new proposal pegs the start of the Anthropocene to the little ice age and the Columbian Exchange
Environment
If Apes Go Extinct, So Could Entire Forests
Bonobo poop matters. Well, maybe not the poop itself, but what's in it. You see, bonobos eat a lot of fruit, and fruit contains seeds. Those seeds travel through a bonobo's digestive system while the bonobo itself travels through the landscape...
Evolution
Some European Languages Came by Steppe
A new genetic analysis reveals a massive migration from the central Asian grasslands into Europe 4,500 years ago—implying that some languages followed. Christopher Intagliata reports...
Under What Circumstances Do We Find Robots Trustworthy?
Each year it seems a little less like science fiction to ask your phone for advice about local chinese food or trust your car to get you to a new location.
‘Extinct’ Myanmar Jerdon’s babbler spotted for the first time in 70 years
Hey there, pretty bird. Welcome back. We've missed your jersey caramel colours and big, brown eyes since pretty much forever. What's new with us?
The Physics of Diving Gannets, Bird Navigation, and Speedy Tiger Beetles
Jen-Luc Piquant was at the APS March Meeting in San Antonio, Texas this week, a longtime favorite conference, and often touted as the largest physics conference of the year, covering a diverse range of topics: biophysics, fluid mechanics, materials (exotic or otherwise), complex systems, quantum mechanics — it’s a treasure trove of cool cutting-edge physics...
Evolution
Whale Grandmas' Longevity Linked to Knowledge
Whale females, like humans, live well past menopause, a trait possibly selected for because their knowledge base can help their entire clan survive. Dina Fine Maron reports
Evolution
Jawbone Fossil May Mark Dawn of Humankind
A 2.8-million-year mandible and a digital model of a key fossil paint a complicated picture of the genus Homo
After 400 Million Years, Coelacanth at Risk of Extinction
It may have hidden in the ocean for millions of years, but life today poses numerous challenges for the West Indian Ocean coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae), the "living fossil" fish that was famously rediscovered off the coast of South Africa in 1938...
Evolution
Meet the Scaly-tail Gliders
Among the weirdest and most fascinating of rodents are the scalytails/scaly-tails, scaly-tailed squirrels or anomalures, properly termed Anomaluridae.
Evolution
Tiny Cell Grows Giant Death Spike and Lives to Grow Another
Let’s say you’re a small cell engaged in heavy manufacturing. Like most animal cells, you are coated only in a thin membrane made a double layer of fluid fat-like molecules.
An Optical Illusion As Seen By a Fish
Visual illusions are fun: we know with our rational mind that, for example, these lines are parallel to each other, yet they don't appear that way.
