Evolution
What We Learned About Our Human Origins in 2018
From an upper jaw to red ocher paintings, two Smithsonian scholars note the significant discoveries in human evolution this trip around the sun
Why Did Humans Lose Their Fur?
We are the naked apes of the world, having shed most of our body hair long ago
Prehistoric Whale Jaw Bone Sheds Light on the Evolution of Baleen
Hidden in a museums’ collections for years, a fossil provides a link between past and present feeding mechanisms
Weasel-Like Fossils Reveal Evolutionary Clues of the First Mammals
A protomammal known as <i>Kayentatherium</i> was discovered with 38 babies in 185-million-year-old rock
DNA Analysis Offers Insights on Origins of Extinct Jamaican Monkey
The unusual creature had few teeth, rodent-like legs, a squat body and a slow-paced lifestyle
Deaf Moths May Use Their ‘Fur’ To Avoid Hungry Bats
Fur-like scales on the insects’ thoraxes absorb the echoes of bat calls, according to new research
The Mystery of Ancient Dolphins’ Super-Long Snouts
A new study suggests the extinct cetaceans used their snouts to hit and stun prey, much as swordfish do
Dinosaurs May Have Given Birds Their Colorful, Speckled Eggs
A new analysis of fossilized eggshells suggests diversely patterned eggs evolved much earlier than previously believed
Blind Cavefish Shed Light on the Dark Days of Mammalian Evolution
Like mammals, these cave-dwelling creatures have discarded a solar-powered system that repairs UV-damaged DNA
Scientists Break the Rules of Reproduction by Breeding Mice From Single-Sex Parents
By tinkering with the genes of sperm and egg cells, it's possible to breed mice from two females—and even from two males
The Average Person Can Recognize 5,000 Faces
But some participants in a recent study were able to recall as many as 10,000 faces
Today's Whales Are Huge, But Why Aren't They Huger?
Most giant cetaceans only got giant in the past 4.5 million years, suggesting they could have room to grow
New Fossil Dubbed 'Giant Thunderclap at Dawn' Shows How Big Dinos Went From Two Legs to Four
A new species discovered in South Africa shows how dinosaurs went from bipedal beasts to four-legged giants like brontosaurus
This 127-Million-Year-Old Fossil Links Dinosaur and Bird Evolution
The dino-bird hybrid boasts a stubby tail, clawed wings and sharp teeth
The World's Earliest Known Animal May Have Been a Blob-Like Undersea Creature
Traces of fat found on a 558-million-year-old fossil suggest <em>Dickinsonia</em> was an animal rather than fungus, plant or single-celled protozoa
Human Gene Mutation May Have Paved the Way for Long-Distance Running
Mice with engineered versions of the CMAH gene exhibited 30 percent better endurance than those without
Chimps and Toddlers Use Same Gestures to Get Attention
A new study shows 12 to 24 month old children and chimps use 46 of the same movements to communicate, including stomping, pointing and clapping
Nuclear Technology May Help Bring Early Mammal Evolution Into Focus
Using a neutron scanner at Los Alamos, paleontologists are generating high-resolution imagery of early mammal fossils
For Men, Gains in the Gym May Come at a Cost to Sperm
There might be a tradeoff between how strong men look and sperm count
One Fish, Two Fish, Fish Can Count(ish?)
New research shows—again—that fish “count” like humans do. Are our cognitive evolutionary roots fishier than we thought?
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