Evolution
Hurricanes Are Making This Spider Species More Aggressive
The new findings have broader implications for understanding extreme weather events’ effects on animal behavior
How the Turtle Got Its Shell, With Apologies to Aesop
Smithsonian paleontologist Hans Sues unpacks the complicated evolution of how this creature grew a home upon its back
Interspecies Breeding Is Responsible for Some Squirrels’ Black Coloring
Color-changing mutation originated in fox squirrels but spread to eastern gray squirrels via mating
Fossils Reveal Why Coyotes Outlived Saber-Toothed Cats
Contrary to popular belief, carnivorous cats and canines probably didn't hunt the same limited pool of prey
Searching for the Key to Life's Beginnings
From exoplanets to chemical reactions, scientists inch closer to solving the great mystery of how life forms from inanimate matter
This Artist Imagines How Nature Evolves Following an Environmental Apocalypse
Ginny Ruffner’s “Reforestation of the Imagination” at the Renwick uses augmented reality to show the plants that might grow after environment devastation
Tiny Animals Trapped in Fossil Trees Help Reveal How Fauna Moved Onto Land
New ancient animals will likely be discovered in 310 million-year-old fossilized trees in Nova Scotia
A Young Black Bear Was Put Down After Humans Fed It, Took Selfies
The more food bears obtain from humans, the more likely they are to lose their natural fear of us
Ancient Dogs Weren't the Workhorses We Thought They Were
A spinal condition thought to be caused by carrying heavy loads is actually a function of age, a new study finds
The Evolution of Sex Could Have Provided a Defense Against Cancer Cells
The first sexually reproducing organisms may have found that the energy-intensive enterprise bolstered defenses against malignant cells
Beyond Dinosaurs: The Secrets of Earth's Past
From the formation of Earth through the changing climates and creatures of the past, the Smithsonian's new Hall of Fossils explores our planet's Deep Time
Green Monkeys Borrow Their Cousins' Eagle Warning Call When Drones Are Near
Intriguingly, the call is very similar to the one produced by East African vervet monkeys, suggesting that these responses are evolutionarily hard-wired
Fossil Discovery Pushes Back the Origin of Fungi by Half a Billion Years
Ancient fungus helps rewrite what we know about evolution and the tree of life
Bedbugs Scurried the Earth Alongside the Dinosaurs 100 Million Years Ago
Researchers calculate that the pests evolved long before bats, which were thought to be their first hosts
How Evolution Brought a Flightless Bird Back From Extinction
Fossil remains offer rare evidence of a phenomenon known as ‘iterative evolution’
Newly Discovered Bat-Like Dinosaur Reveals the Intricacies of Prehistoric Flight
Though <i>Ambopteryx longibrachium</i> was likely a glider, the fossil is helping scientists discover how dinosaurs first took to the skies
Narwhals Have Low Genetic Diversity—and They’re Doing Fine
A new study has traced this puzzling phenomenon to a gradual decline in the whales’ population, followed by a rapid increase around 30,000 years ago
What Scallops' Many Eyes Can Teach Us About the Evolution of Vision
Scallop eyes, which function similar to telescopes, are even more complex than scientists previously knew
Bamboo Is Basically 'Fake Meat' for Giant Pandas
A new study shows the bears have a nutritional profile looks more like that of wolves and cats rather than herbivores
Historians Are Looking for Images of the HMS Beagle's Anchors
Researchers are hoping to confirm that they have discovered an anchor from the ship that carried Darwin stuck in the mud of an Australian river
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