Evolution
Where Did Butterflies Come From? This Scientist Is On the Case
Akito Kawahara has spent his life devoted to lepidoptera. Now he’s correcting the record on where they first evolved
See What Charles Darwin Kept in His 'Insanely Eclectic' Personal Library, Revealed for the First Time
On the English naturalist's 215th birthday, more than 9,000 titles from his expansive collection are now accessible online
Rare Fossil Shows Trees Looked Very Different 350 Million Years Ago
The newly discovered specimen looks like something from the imagination of Dr. Seuss, and it sheds light on a little-understood era of prehistory
Can Animals Evolve Fast Enough to Keep Up With Climate Change?
Some may be able to, while others may not
Why Do Dogs Wag Their Tails? Scientists Examine the Endearing Behavior
Dogs communicate through tail-wagging, and humans may have selected for the trait during domestication
What Happened to the Extinct Woolly Dog?
Researchers studying the 160-year-old fur of a dog named Mutton in the Smithsonian collections found that the Indigenous breed existed for at least 5,000 years before European colonizers eradicated it
What Caused the Mysterious Extinction of 'Giganto,' the World's Largest Ape?
The massive primates were unable to shift their diet to keep pace with a changing climate, according to a new study, forcing them to eat less nutritious bark and twigs
Scientists Uncover the Earliest Fossil Evidence of Photosynthesis
Ancient cyanobacteria contained structures for producing oxygen around 1.75 billion years ago, according to a new study
Thirteen Discoveries Made About Human Evolution in 2023
Smithsonian paleoanthropologists reveal some of the year’s most fascinating findings about human origins
Eels Can Genetically Modify Nearby Fish With Their Electrical Pulses
In laboratory experiments, gene transfer occurred in 5 percent of zebrafish larvae that were near eels when they discharged electricity
Male Mosquitoes May Have Once Sucked Blood, Amber Fossils Suggest
Today, only female mosquitoes feed on the blood of animals, while males are satisfied with plant juices
Here's What We Know About Neanderthals So Far
Today, thanks to new artifacts and technologies, findings about our closest relatives are coming thick and fast
Mysterious Creatures With Bird-Like Feet Made These Tracks Long Before Birds Evolved
The footprints pre-date the earliest known fossils of avian ancestors by roughly 60 million years, per a new study
While Some Chimps Go Low, Others Go High to Avoid a Dangerous Fight
Primate groups climb to elevation to scout out rivals and steer clear of clashes
Wild Female Chimpanzees Go Through Menopause, Study Finds
Until now, menopause had not been documented in wild, non-human animals, except for a few species of toothed whales
Can Every Living Thing Be Traced to a Single Cell? And More Questions From Our Readers
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
Two Million Years Ago, This Homo Erectus Lived the High Life
Dating of a child's fossilized jaw and teeth suggest our relatives lived at altitude earlier than once thought
More Mammals Can Glow in the Dark Than Previously Thought
A new study found that 125 different mammal species are fluorescent under ultraviolet light, suggesting the property is widespread
One Million Years Ago, Our Human Relatives May Have Challenged Giant Hyenas for Carcasses
Groups of hominins might have successfully scavenged large kills, new modeling finds
Songbirds That Learn to Make New Sounds Are the Best Problem-Solvers
Birds—and humans—are vocal learners, meaning they can imitate new vocalizations and use them to communicate
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